A Chapter Book Writing Lesson from WritingFix
Focus Trait: VOICE Support Trait: WORD CHOICE

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"Knot" the Whole Truth

writing a modern-day story with a tall tale's voice

The writing of author Jerry Spinelli is inspiring student writers to try new techniques with the traits of voice and word choice.

By visiting this lesson's Teacher Instructions & Lesson Resources page, you will find even more student samples that can be printed for your classroom to be used as discussion tools during the teaching of this lesson. Your students can also self-publish their writing to this lesson by clicking here.


Student Sample Being Sought: Upper Elementary

WritingFix is currently seeking a 4th-6th grade student sample from this writing assignment that can be featured in this space. Submitted student work must show evidence of revision, editing, and the final draft must be typed and sent through e-mail. Teachers: if you can help us obtain up to three student samples, along with a digital photo of the students and a signed permission slips, we will send you either a complimentary copy of the Northern Nevada Writing Project's Elementary Writing Guide, or you may choose from any of our NNWP publications.

Write to us at publish@writingfix.com and use 'Maniac Magee' in your e-mail's subject line, if you have a student sample to share with us.


Student Sample: Middle School

Ve-juh-tuh-buls
by Jordan, 8th grade writer

There's a green, small town with a population of 56 people. The town is called Spoons, and it lies 60 miles east from Seattle, Washington. It was so small that, at a point in time, no one really cared about them. They even forgot the town existed.

On Thursday, November 18, 1999, Spoons experienced the worst thunderstorm America had ever seen. It was so bad that the thunderstorm couldn't be recorded because of the unstable patterns that no one could see.

Lightning destroyed both roads to the town. Because of this, the grocery store and gas station were both out of supplies by the end of the week. By the next Thursday, no one's pantry could support a family, but there was a woman who could solve everyone's problem.

The woman's name was Tahnee. She was a middle-aged widow. When her husband had passed away, she’d moved to the rainiest place in America because she loved the smell of a wet ground. When she moved to Spoons, she kept to herself. In fact, the only person she’d ever talked to was the grocer, Hector Fal. But the only words that came out of her mouth to him were "thank" and "you."

Tahnee's grandmother had developed a formula, using common household items, that made vegetables grow ten times larger than their common size. To solve the town’s problem, Tahnee was going to use the formula to grow vegetables for the town. She went down to Hector's store and noticed that it was closed. When she peered inside, she saw a dark room with bare shelves, a cluttered floor, and two magazines on a rack in the front of the counter...

(Click here to read Jordan's entire story, as well as the tall tales of two of his classmates)


Student Sample Being Sought: High School

WritingFix is currently seeking a 9th-12th grade student sample from this writing assignment that can be featured in this space. Submitted student work must show evidence of revision, editing, and the final draft must be typed and sent through e-mail. Teachers: if you can help us obtain up to three student samples, along with a digital photo of the students and a signed permission slips, we will send you either a complimentary copy of the Northern Nevada Writing Project's Secondary Writing Guide, or you may choose from any of our NNWP publications.

Write to us at publish@writingfix.com and use 'Maniac Magee' in your e-mail's subject line, if you have a student sample to share with us.



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