Saint Paul Public Schools
2004-2005
Collage Essay
Grade 4-6
Collage, as a visual art form, is an assemblage or composition made up of materials not
normally associated with one another such as: fragments of material, clippings from a
newspaper, ticket stubs, photographs, paper cut-outs, etc. These separate elements are
carefully selected to collectively contribute to an overall theme.
Some writers, like Charles R. Smith Jr., have brought this technique into the written art
form as well. In his books, Rimshots: Basketball Pix, Rolls, and Rhythms and, Diamond
Life: Baseball Sights, Sound, and Swings, Smith assembles a collection of different types
of writing around the themes of baseball and basketball. In his books he includes: shape
poems, and pieces that are written as a series of sentences that begin with “I
remember…” Others are written as first person “in-the-action” narratives. Some pieces
are told only through dialogue, and a few are internal monologues. One piece is
essentially a portrait of a person. He has lists of excuses for not playing well and a list of
advice on how to play well. He also includes personal pieces about his love for the sports
and where he found his inspiration for writing and photography.
This unit of study is designed to help students write a collage essay. It is an interesting
and valuable unit since it directly links the students’ publishing with their writer’s
notebooks. Memories are often the easiest type of entry for students to write in their
notebooks and therefore, tend to make up the bulk of their entries. Teachers need
strategies to emphasize other types of entries. The collage essay provides a focus for
students collecting overheard conversations, noticings, wonderings and close
observations. It is also a powerful tool for lifting the level of notebook entries by
encouraging rereading strategies and emphasizing craft techniques. It is an excellent
choice for a publishing early in the year. The collage essay helps students practice and
refine their understanding of many elements of the narrative standard such as: dialogue,
setting, character and descriptive details.
NCEE Standards
The NCEE standards included in this document offer the teacher guidance with
curriculum, instruction, and assessment. The standards provide a way to bridge daily
instruction with what the students should be able to understand and produce at the
conclusion of the unit.
The following standards represent the expectations for students in third-fifth grade when
working on a narrative account:
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 1 of 79








Engages the reader by establishing a context, creating a persona, and otherwise
developing reader interest;
Establishes a situation, plot, point of view, setting, and conflict (and for
autobiography, the significance of events)
Creates an organized structure
Includes sensory details and concrete language to develop plot and character.
Excludes extraneous details and inconsistencies
Develops complex characters
Uses a range of appropriate strategies, such as dialogue and tension, or suspense;
Provides a sense of closure to the writing
Overview of the Collage Essay Structure
In this unit, the collage essay is made up of several different types of writing: narrative
writing, portraits, scenes, dialogues, and vignettes. These are arranged without the use of
transition words, and meaning is suggested through the placement of the various pieces of
writing, all of which grow out of a single theme or topic.
Narrative writing gives the piece context. It is used at the beginning and end of the
essay and frames the other pieces of writing. The narrative is most often written in the
first person. The center of the essay is composed of the following 3-5 other sections:
Scenes primarily describe place. They also focus on individual moments in that place.
They include the physical environment, the people and what’s happening. Portraits give
the reader a close-up study or sketch of people including: the qualities or characteristics
that define them, their physical appearance, movements, gestures, gait, and the things
they say or do. Dialogue captures both character and event. These are authentic bits of
conversation that reveal something about the people speaking or about the situation or
topic. Vignettes are stories told in a thumbnail way. They are descriptive sketches and
often contain bits of all the other types of writing in the collage—dialogue, scene or
character.
If students are familiar with poetry from previous units of study, the teacher might
encourage them to write some of their pieces in poetic form. Students could choose to
write the dialogue as a poem for two voices, for instance, or use poetry to create their
portrait of someone. They might also include lists such as the “I remember…” list (see
Appendix) to capture a scene or to describe a person.
Since a collage essay is not a known genre there is not an abundance of mentor texts.
Therefore, students are not immersed in literature in the same way that they are in other
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 2 of 79
genre studies. Rather, they use examples from a variety of texts that are models for each
type of writing they will be asked to do.
Background Lessons
Theme
In the early phases of the unit teachers will need to review with students the concept of
theme. They can connect it to students’ understanding of theme from the literature
studied in Reader’s Workshop. What is the surface story versus what the author really
wants us to understand? What is the deeper idea or truth in the book? The more universal
meaning is the theme. The teacher can return to previously read touchstone books, short
stories or novels and talk about the themes in those texts. Themes that students might be
familiar with are: overcoming challenges, abandonment or loss, survival, self-discovery,
etc.
Collage
Students will also need to have an understanding of collage. The teacher can relate it to
their prior knowledge of collage as a visual art form. The students can look at the work of
Robert Rauschenberg, for instance, and discuss how the various components of his
paintings contribute to an understanding of an idea or theme.
If teachers feel it is necessary or desired, they may choose to explore the concept of
collage further in any of the following ways:
1. Students create a collage that reflects themselves. They can use photos, artifacts,
scraps, or mementoes that reveal something about who they are as individuals. This is a
good activity for community building early in the year and can be done at another time of
the day or in art class.
2. Students “collage a day.” They gather mementoes or artifacts that captures their
attention (i.e., a newspaper headline, quotes, magazine pictures, etc. to create a picture in
their notebooks of their experiences or feelings—again connected to a theme.
3. After students have learned more about the types of writing they will do—scenes,
portraits, dialogue etc., the class as a whole creates a collage essay/mural around a shared
experience like a field trip or neighborhood walk. Some students write scenes of the
classroom as they prepare to go, or a scene on the bus or on the street, or a scene at the
museum, etc. Some capture overheard conversations between students, between students
and teachers, or between people on the street. Some focus on portraying people such as:
other classmates, a museum docent, or the bus driver, or someone noticed on the street.
Photos, artifacts and drawings are also collected along with the writing. As a group,
students discuss which pieces to include in the final essay depending on their shared
experience. What theme do they see emerging (i.e. discovery, adventure, or overcoming
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 3 of 79
obstacles, etc)? This process helps students understand how the individual parts come
together as a whole to reveal meaning.
Launching the Unit of Study
Building a definition and exploring the structure of a collage essay
Students will build a definition of a collage essay from studying excerpts from a variety
of books that represent the different types of writing that will be included in their collage
essay. Students need to read and respond to text first as readers. Teachers can explore the
pieces with them as a Read Aloud during Reader’s Workshop and then revisit them again
as writers during Writer’s Workshop.
Preparation: Read the following excerpts from Rimshots: Basketball Pix, Rolls, and
Rhythms by Charles R. Smith Jr. (see Appendix)
 I remember
 Excuses
 Hot Like Fire
 The Ritual
 Gimmetheball!
 “Please Put Me In, Coach!!!”
 Meek
 No Sole
 Everything I Need to Know in Life, I Learned from Basketball
 Inspirations
Mini-Lesson: Analyzing and charting our noticings of Rimshots: Basketball Pix,
Rolls, and Rhythms by Charles R. Smith Jr.
Connect: “We have read excerpts from Rimshots and had an opportunity to respond to
them. Most of you could relate to the topic even if you don’t play basketball because
Charles R. Smith approached the topic from so many angles. Many of you could identify
with the idea of making excuses for something. Some of you connected to the memories
of special times with a parent, and a lot of you know what it means to be obsessed with
something like a sport. A few of you expressed the opinion that basketball gets way too
much attention and that professional athletes are overpaid, and some of you have
aspirations to make it to the NBA yourselves.
Teach: “Today I want to reread “I remember” as writers and chart what we notice about
it. I will read and make note of the kinds of memories Charles R. Smith includes.” The
teacher reads part of the piece aloud and jots some of his/her noticings on a chart. “I
notice that the piece is a history of all his experiences--good and bad. He tells us that
when he was little he couldn’t reach the basket. He remembers being the shortest on the
team. He tells about firsts—blocking a shot and being blocked.”
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 4 of 79
Active Involvement: “I’d like you to turn and talk to a partner about something you
noticed as I read.” The teacher listens to a few partnerships and shares what he/she heard
with the rest of the class. She/he adds their comments to the chart.
Link: “When you return to your work space, I want you to read the rest of the piece and
jot down what you notice about the types of things Smith is remembering. Also, notice
what you are learning about the author and about the game and we’ll share that at the
end.”
Share: Add students’ noticings to the chart. The chart might include:
“I remember”… noticings:
-the history of all his experiences, good and bad
-when he was so little he couldn’t reach the basket,
-being the shortest on the team
-firsts (blocking a shot and being blocked)
-as he got to be older he developed skills and could beat his dad
-being called “big man”
-his relationship with his dad, classmates, neighborhood kids
-casual pick-up games
-formal High School games, championship
-going to professional games, NBA, Magic Johnson
-commitment, determination, pride
-practice and hard work
After charting, the teacher talks briefly about how this piece informs the reader about the
game and the author. He/she guides the discussion to help students see that basketball has
played a major role in Smith’s life from the time he was young. It shaped his relationship
with his parents and it helped him learn to play with others. The game contributes to his
sense of accomplishment in life and also reminds him of some things of which he is not
proud. The list format covers a lot in a short time.
In a subsequent lesson, the teacher models how to create an “I remember” list and asks
the students create their own list connected to a topic of their choice.
More study of Rimshots
Materials: Copies of excerpts from Rimshots for each student (see Appendix). Copies of
these can be kept in a central location in the writing center so that students have access to
them throughout the unit of study.
The class continues to study and chart noticings from other excerpts from the book. They
work with partners and each pair studies a piece or two. Some pieces will be studied in
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 5 of 79
depth by the whole class later as models for the portrait (Meek), and dialogue (No Sole),
but for now it is enough for them to get an overall sense of the book and how each piece
contributes something to the reader’s understanding of the game and its significance to
Smith.
The following are examples of possible student noticings from their reading…
Excuses—not dialogue, written as statements/all explain why they aren’t playing well/
typical things athletes do when their game is off/ competitive/ can’t accept responsibility
Hot Like Fire—intimidating the opposition/ talking to him/ direct address “you”/ shows
competition/ intensity/ humiliation
The Ritual—story of one player’s ritual to set-up free throws/ his history/ portrait of him
as a player/ third person narrative/ narrator lets us in on the inner workings of his friend
Gimmetheball!—internal monologue/ 1st person description/ in the heat of the moment
action/ short sentences/ intensity/ passion to win/ strategy
“Please Put Me In, Coach!!!”—Talking to the coach/ one-sided conversation/ reveals
past inadequacies or problems as a player/ ball hog/ showman/ begging/ promising/ going
crazy
Meek—3rd person narrative/ boy looks mousey/ awkward/ shy/ no one wants him to play/
finally in the game/ transformed/ graceful/ great player/ aggressive/ self-confident/ after
game--slow and timid again.
No Sole—dialogue between old men/ tells story of “old days”/ bragging/ one-ups-manship on who had it the worst
Everything I Need to Know in Life, I Learned from Basketball—Smith passes on
lessons learned from basketball/ slogans/ words of wisdom/ shows value of playing a
sport/ teaches determination/ earning your achievements/ team loyalty vs. individual
pride/ composure/ patience/ hard work/ self-confidence.
Inspirations—Smith pays tribute to people in his life who have inspired him in all
aspects of his life--passion for basketball/ reading/ photography/ music/ 1st person
narrative
The teacher and students summarize their noticings and discuss how the writing creates
an understanding of the game of basketball. Smith gives the reader the sense that playing
the game is often as much an inner battle as a battle against others. He shows how it can
cause feelings of competitiveness, pride, anger, frustration, and humility. The reader gets
a sense of the athleticism, patience, determination and practice required to be good.
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 6 of 79
Charles R. Smith Jr. shows how the game can strengthen or damage relationships, and he
helps us understand that the sport can teach many important lessons in life.
It’s clear that he knows basketball really well because he writes with the kind of detail
that comes only with close observation and intimate involvement with the game. He
brings the reader into the hearts and minds of players and observers. He gives us physical
details, sounds, excuses, conversations and more.
Mini-lesson: Introducing the collage essay assignment
Connect: “We read and analyzed excerpts from Rimshots. We studied how Charles R.
Smith Jr. created a vivid world of basketball by combining several types of writing.”
Teach: “Today I want to explain the collage assignment we are going to write. The
teacher passes out a printed description (see Appendix) and goes over each part or
explains it from a chart. This will not take the whole class period, so there will be time
for students to start a list of potential topics.
“In order to begin, we need to think about possible topics. I have reread my notebook
looking for some ideas that I can use to start a list of potential topics from my life.” The
teacher shares some ideas from his/her list, modeling how he /she decided on categories
that might offer possibilities.
Work time: Students reread their notebooks looking for topic ideas. If they don’t find
any possibilities there, they can think of interests and brainstorm a list. They should think
about areas in their life where they have a passion or interest such as: team or individual
sports, theater, music, band, sewing, cooking, or gardening. They can think of special
people—friends or family. They can list special places like a favorite hangout, their
neighborhood, school, clubs, vacations or shops.
Share:
Students share potential topics and a chart of their ideas is generated.
Lessons on Collage Essay Elements
There are two options for presenting and studying each element.
1. The class spends a period studying one piece, like “Meek,” together after the
teacher models how to notice specific craft techniques and qualities of the writing.
The teacher uses another example of that type of writing in a subsequent lesson to
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 7 of 79
compare the techniques another author uses to capture that element. This can be
done more than once if the teacher sees that the students need more study and
practice on that type of writing, or she/he wants students to see that there is a
variety of ways to present each type. For instance, some are written in poetic
form.
2. The class does a mini-inquiry. In this approach several examples are studied in
one class period. Small groups, partners or individual students different pieces
that represent the same element.
The following lesson is an example of the first approach.
.
Mini-lesson: Introducing Portraits
Connect: “ We have studied excerpts from Rimshots and created a chart of our noticings.
Today, I want to start focusing on one of the types of writing that we will include-- a
portrait.”
Teach: “I want to go back to “Meek” and talk about how the author, Charles R. Smith,
reveals Meek’s character and personality. We noticed how Meek was a shy, slow
awkward person who changed into a great player once he was allowed into the game.
Let’s look at how Smith showed this. I notice in the first paragraph he uses a lot of
adjectives to describe Meek’s clothes and then compares them to a honeycomb because
they were so full of holes. He notices details like the draw cord of his trunks dangling to
his knees, and the way his socks droop into his faded running shoes because there is no
elastic in them. I notice Smith interjects his thoughts to add emphasis. (“Talk about
drawing attention to yourself. This kid was truly unforgettable!”)
“Smith describes how tall and “gangly” Meek is. That is a very vivid word. I picture a
teenager who hasn’t quite figured out how all the parts of his rapidly growing body work
together. I remember when my boys went through that phase. When he says, “I give him
credit for his height, but looking at him, you wouldn’t think he could do anything except
blow away in a stiff breeze,” I imagine a very skinny kid. Smith creates a mental picture
by his word choice and the details he focuses on.”
Active Involvement: “Turn and talk to a partner about something else you noticed in the
writing.” The teacher listens in to a few partnerships, shares what he/she hears with the
class, and then adds those ideas to the chart.
Link: “When you go back to your work places, I want you to read through the rest of the
piece with a partner and jot down what you notice Smith doing to help us understand and
picture Meek.”
Share: Add the students’ observations to the chart.
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 8 of 79
The following are examples of possible noticings by students:




Smith captures Meek’s gestures, the way he moves, the “something in his eyes”
he reveals his patience by showing not telling—“He waited for quite a
while…After about an hour, this boy finally got picked to play.”
Smith describes the sounds he made “like a lion pouncing on his dinner” to show
his intensity.
The author uses short sentences and questions to capture the speed at which Meek
moves during the game.
Follow-up lessons---portraits:
Collecting entries:
 The teacher models observing a student and writing a portrait. The teacher makes
his/her thinking public. He/she can start with a list of physical characteristics and
aspects of the student’s personality, and then add to the description by developing
details that show those qualities. During the work time, students can observe and
write about others in the classroom or go out into the school to observe people in
other classrooms or public spaces.
 The teacher models rereading his/her notebook to find an earlier entry that
includes a person or character that could be developed into a portrait. The students
reread their notebooks to find a person or character for a portrait try-it.
 The teacher should assign homework that requires collecting portraits from many
areas of the students’ lives.
Craft:
 The class studies more examples of portraits from literature. (see Appendix)
The teacher can keep copies of the texts in a central location in the writing
center so that students have access to them throughout the unit.
 The class reads and discusses good examples of portraits written by the students.
 The teacher models craft lessons on how a writer tells the internal story or
thoughts of a character.
 The teacher models craft lessons on how to write with detail or “writing small” as
Ralph Fletcher talks about in A Writer’s Notebook. He writes, “ You can train
yourself to notice the details…Use all of your senses---the smell of your
grandmother’s kitchen, the funny faces your sister makes while putting on makeup, the way your cat’s shadow looks different in the early morning than it does at
noon, the difference between how your dad’s cheek feels from morning to night.”
 The teacher models ways to replace vague or general words with specific details.
 The teacher models ways to use figurative language like metaphors or similes.
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 9 of 79
Introducing Scenes
As with the portrait lesson, scenes can be introduced in two ways. (see p. 7)
This lesson is an example of the second option.
Materials needed: Copies of scenes included in the Appendix or examples from other
texts chosen by the teacher.
Mini-Lesson: Mini-inquiry of Scenes
Connect: “We have been working hard on understanding and capturing the qualities of
people in our lives. We have paid close attention to the details, the specific things they
say and how they say them, how they look and move and dress, the little gestures that are
theirs alone. One of these may become a portrait in your collage essay.”
Teach: “Today we are going to study another type of writing that will be included in
your collage essay—a scene. I have a short piece that is a good example of a scene that I
want to share with you.” The teacher reads aloud an excerpt from How To Get Famous In
Brooklyn by Amy Hest. (see Appendix).
“I notice that Amy Hest includes several things in this scene. She describes the women
the character sees walking in. She tells what they wear and she uses the word “slinking”
to describe how they walk. I get an image of how they look because people slink when
they’re embarrassed or don’t want to be seen. She gives many details about the smells
and the sounds. She compares the women to lady Martians because of all the tinfoil and
rollers in their hair. She includes conversation that helps us get a sense of the people and
their relationships.”
Active Involvement: “Turn to a partner and share an image that came to your mind as I
was reading this piece.” The teacher listens in to some partnerships and shares their
observations with the group and begins a chart.
Link: “I’ve collected several other examples of scenes that I want you to study today.
Write down your noticings and we’ll add those to our chart of the characteristics that
make an interesting and well written scene.” The teacher distributes copies of texts to
partners or small groups. Each group discusses and charts their noticing.“
Share: Groups share their noticings.
The following are examples of some possible noticings by students:
Tuck Everlasting:
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 10 of 79
p. 24 –close observation using rich descriptive language



descriptive details of the light, vivid nouns and verbs-- “the light was…
green and amber and alive, quivering in splotches on the padded ground, fanning
into sturdy stripes between the tree trunks”
description of the vegetation-“little flowers-palest blue: and endless tangled vines;
and here and there a fallen log, half rotted but soft with patches of sweet greenvelvet moss”
descriptions of creatures—“the air fairly hummed with their daybreak activity:
beetles and birds and squirrels and ants…” , “ There was even…a toad. It was
squatting on a low stump…it looked more like a mushroom than a living creature
sitting there.”
p. 25 –internal dialogue of the character

“Winnie stopped abruptly and crouched down. ‘If it’s really elves,’ she thought, ‘I
can have a look at them.’ And, though her instinct was to turn and run, she was
pleased to discover her curiosity was stronger. She began to creep forward. She
would go just close enough, she told herself. Just close enough to see.”
p. 50—sensory details--sights
 “gentle eddies of dust, the silver cobwebs”
 “dishes stacked in perilous towers”
 “an enormous black stove, and a metal sink, and every surface, every wall, was
piled and strewn and hung with everything imaginable”




sensory details--smells
“a cavernous wardrobe from which leaked the faint smell of camphor”
“over everything was the clean, sweet smell of the water and its weeds”
sensory details—sounds
“the chatter of a swooping kingfisher, the carol and trill of a dozen other kinds of
birds, and occasionally the trilling bass note of an unastonished bullfrog at ease
somewhere along the muddy banks”
It is important that the students understand the characteristics of scenes and notice how
the author creates particular images. In some cases, he/she uses close observation and
sensory details. Sometimes he/she uses rich description or similes and metaphors to paint
a picture. In some cases, the image is enhanced by what the character says or does.
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 11 of 79
The teacher can keep copies of all the texts in a central place in the writing center so that
students can have access to them throughout the unit.
Follow-up lessons--- scenes:
Collecting entries;
 The teacher takes students on a walk inside or outside the school. Students write
scene try-its as they observe their surroundings.
 The teacher models rereading his/her notebook to find places where he/she might
have a scene they could revise or develop further, or to find an entry where they
can add a scene.
 The teacher models taking an entry from his/her list of possible collage essay
topics and writes a scene that fits that topic. She/he can use the following strategy
to recall details: She/he divides a paper into 4-6 boxes. The teacher remembers the
place and event. In one box she/he writes about the images they see in their
mind’s eye when they picture themselves there. In another box they describe the
light that comes to mind when they see that place. In the third box they write the
sounds they hear, and in the fourth box they describe the feelings they have when
they remember themselves there. In the fifth box they can add internal thoughts, If
there were other people in the scene, they could jot dialogue or actions in a sixth
box. This lesson helps students create a detailed description of a scene through
visualization.
 The teacher should assign homework that requires collecting scenes from many
areas of the students’ lives.
Craft:
 Read and discuss examples of scenes from the students’ writing.
 The teacher gives lessons on craft techniques that focus on detail and sensory
images.
Introducing Dialogue
Materials needed: Copies of dialogue for each student or groups of students from the
appendix or other examples that the teacher collects. Copies of these can be kept in a
central location in the writing center following the lesson, so that all students have access
to them throughout the unit.
Mini-lesson: Dialogue
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 12 of 79
Connect: “We have focused on two elements of a collage, scenes and portraits. We have
learned that careful and accurate depictions of people and places, require close
observation and attention to detail. We also realize that the best writers layer in a
combination of physical and sensory details that helps the reader to see and feel what’s
happening or to know and understand the person.
Teach: “Today I want to talk about a third element that we will include in our collage—
dialogue. Dialogue is often used to reveal character. It is also used to move the action
along in a story or it’s a way to give the reader some important information. We are going
to study some examples of dialogue to see what we can learn about the people speaking
or about the topic they are talking discussing.
I am going to reread “No Sole” from Rimshots. On our chart, we have listed that it is a
conversation among some old men after they hear a younger player complaining about
his shoes hurting. We noted that they were involved in a verbal game of “one-up-manship—who had it worse back in their day.
The teacher can think aloud about the dialogue in “No Sole” in the following ways:
We can learn something about these men from what they say.
Each man that spoke had it tougher than the one before him. One man didn’t have the
high-tech shoes of today, the next had to wait for a turn to wear other people’s shoes
because only pro players had new shoes. Another had to wear his Sunday dress shoes,
and one didn’t even have a basketball. He also had to play sports in his bare feet. The
author, Charles R. Smith, lets the reader know that each man was older than the one who
spoke before by giving a little description in between the dialogue. That might be part of
the competition between them. They can’t play ball anymore, but when they watch the
younger players they now have a verbal competition with each other instead.
We can also learn something about the game.
This piece of dialogue shows that competitiveness can linger on into old age. It just
changes in form. Outdoor games attract a lot of attention and people feel free to interject
their comments and opinions. It is a way for people to participate. It is a public game that
has been played casually in neighborhoods for years. Also, cool shoes are an important
part of the culture of the game these days, but it wasn’t always that way.”
Active Involvement: “Turn to a partner and share something about the dialogue that you
were noticing or thinking about as I read.” The teacher listens in to the partnerships,
shares their ideas with the class and adds their noticings to the chart.
Link: “I have more examples of dialogue that I want you to study in small groups. Make
note of what you learn about the characters or the situation from the conversation.”
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 13 of 79
Share: Students share their charts or the teacher highlights key ideas about the features of
dialogue like the fact that the words are often interspersed with descriptions or the
character’s internal thoughts..
The following are examples of possible noticings by students:
Mother Has A Talk With Me by Jean Little
We learn about the relationship between the mother and daughter.





mother worried about her daughter becoming interested in boys
wants to protect her but wants her to be popular too
wants boys to like her, but not ready to let her go
daughter thinks it’s funny so teases her mom.
not sure what to think of her mother
Jean Little gives the exact words that the speakers say, but she also gives clues about how
they are feeling, or tells us what the character is thinking.
For example:
“I said, on guard, intrigued.”
“She sounded slightly nervous. I wanted to laugh.”
“I only wished the rumors were true.”
Smart Remark by Jean Little
We learn about the family and how they behave.




The family doesn’t all live together
One daughter comes home for visits and tries to change them—stuck up,
controlling
Family isn’t perfect--they are sarcastic with each other
Kate is the bratty little sister
Jean Little introduces the dialogue with background information about the family. She
includes the internal thinking along with the dialogue.
For example:
“Mother laughed.”
“Why didn’t she send him to his room?”
Follow-up lessons--Dialogue:
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 14 of 79
Collecting entries:




The teacher asks students to capture overheard conversations in class or
throughout the school. He/she can share what Ralph Fletcher says about
conversations in his book, A Writer’s Notebook. He states that, “writers are
fascinated by talk, obsessed with what people say and how they say it, how they
interrupt themselves, the words they repeat, the way they pronounce or
mispronounce certain words. The way we talk says a ton about who we are…
keep your ears alert to the conversations of others wherever you are
and pay attention to what strikes you… You can train yourself to develop an ear
for dialogue as you listen to people’s talk. Most of us tend to listen to what
someone is trying to say. The trick is to listen hard enough to get the words that
actually come out of that person’s mouth.”
The teacher models rereading his/her notebook to find places where he/she has
recorded dialogue or places where they could add some to a previous entry.
Students continue to collect dialogue outside of school for homework
The teacher models writing a dialogue. He/she can demonstrate how to use
quotation marks to punctuate dialogue as part of the lesson.
Craft:
 Read and discuss good examples of dialogue written by students.
Choosing A Theme
The teacher can ask students to think about a possible theme for their collage essay at the
beginning of the unit (see lesson on p. 6) and again at various points along the way.
Students now realize that the places they go, the people in their lives, and the activities
they are involved in provide the seeds for their try-its. A theme or topic may evolve from
the collecting they have been doing so far. At this point, they need to formalize their
selection so that they can begin to focus additional collecting around a specific theme.
After students have identified a theme, the teacher introduces the remaining elements of a
collage essay---vignettes, and narrative.
Mini-lesson: Choosing a Theme
Connect: “We have been collecting scenes, portraits, and dialogues for a few weeks
now. It’s time to step back and take a look at what we have so that we can begin to
narrow in on a theme for our collage essay.”
Teach: “I want to model a couple of ways to go about this. I have my writer’s notebook
where I have been doing all of my try-its, and of course, my notebook contains all of my
entries since the beginning of the year so some of those will be helpful too. First, I am
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 15 of 79
going to see if there is a theme in my entries. I am going to look for a scene, a portrait,
and a dialogue that are connected in some way. Then I can build my essay around those
pieces.” The teacher models with his/her notebook how to find a theme among his/her
try-its and other notebook entries. It is important that the teacher thinks aloud about how
these entries could work together and what the possible theme can be.
“A second way that I can find a theme is to focus in on one piece, maybe a scene,
and that could become the centerpiece for my essay.” The teacher shares an entry and
explains why it is significant or important enough to serve as the foundation of the essay.
“Then, I can look to see if I have any other entries that go with it, or I can decide what
kinds of other entries I will need to start collecting now.”
Active Involvement: “Think about the try-its you have done. You can glance through
your notebook. Make a plan in your head and decide which way might work best for
you.”
Link: “When you go back to your work places read through your entries. If you were
thinking that you might have a particular entry that could be your centerpiece, then find
that one, read it and then look for others that could go with it. If you feel that you might
have one scene, one portrait and one dialogue that could be connected, read through all of
your entries and look for that connection.”
Note: If students identify a theme quickly, they can do a free write as a way to think more
about that theme.
Share: Students state their themes and chart them. The teacher helps students clarify their
topics and visualize how they can collect other entries. Students may change their minds,
but they should be close to a commitment in the next few days.
Homework: Students determine what they have written and see where they need to go
next. They may see that they have to find a dialogue or a scene to go along with their
collage. Maybe they need to revise a piece with the theme in mind. If they have decided
to work around one piece, they might have to collect several more parts to go with it.
They can work on any of these ideas for homework.
Note: After the students determine their theme they should gather the related pieces of
writing (i.e. portrait, dialogue, scene) in their work folders. They will now become the
first part of their collage essay draft.
Introducing Vignettes
Materials needed: Copies of “Laughter” from House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
and “Mama Sewing” by Eloise Greenfield for each student. (see Appendix)
Mini-lesson: Vignettes
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 16 of 79
Connect: “Now that you have identified the theme for your collage essay, I want to
introduce another element that you will include in your piece, the vignette.
Teach: “The dictionary defines a vignette as: ‘a small, graceful literary sketch.’
Vignettes for your collage essay can be thought of in the same way. They are short,
illustrative snapshots or thumbnail sketches as opposed to fully developed stories. They
can be descriptive short stories or more essay-like in tone. Let me share one with you.”
The teacher reads “Laughter” from House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. Each
student needs a copy of it to follow along and to refer back to later. (see Appendix)
“This piece is really just one tiny moment—Esperanza sees a house that reminds her of
Mexico and her friends look at her like she’s crazy, while her sister, Nenny, agrees with
her that it is Mexico. That is the whole story. What makes this an interesting little sketch
or snapshot is the way Cisneros creates the meaning or significance of the event—that
she and her sister are close. They think alike and will stick up for each other against
others.
“Sandra Cisneros writes portrait-like sketches of Nenny and herself and their friends,
Rachel and Lucy, by describing and contrasting their laughter. She combines this with a
seven sentence story (“One day…”), dialogue (“look at that house…”), and internal
thoughts (“I don’t know why….I’m not even sure why I thought it, but it seemed to feel
right”). She does all this in just thirteen sentences.
“This vignette is a complete story, but the event stands alone without being set in a longer
context of the day-- how the girls happened to be walking along, or what happened next.”
Active Involvement: “ Turn and talk with a partner about something you noticed about
the writing”. The teacher listens into a few partnerships, shares their comments with the
class and adds them to the chart.
Link: “Now, I have another vignette that I would like you to read. It’s called, Mama
Sewing by Eloise Greenfield. I want you to work in small groups. Talk together about
what you notice. Compare and contrast this vignette to “Laughter.” Go through each
paragraph and describe what the author is doing. What is it about? At the end of the
period, we’ll chart our thinking and noticing .
Share: Groups share their charts.
The following are examples of possible noticings by students:
Mama Sewing
 a memory told in 1st person
 starts with a wondering about why mama sewed for her
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 17 of 79








tells about mama sewing for others, then her
tells her feelings--OK when she was little but not OK when she got older
describes her perceptions of dress (lopsided, raw-edged, …etc)
gives feelings--convinced it would be horrible, pouts, angry
mama works all night and her daughter wakes up to a beautiful dress
felt ashamed -- couldn’t apologize but mama knew
not a story of one event-- a memory of a repeated experience (“sometimes”)
shows mother’s skill, devotion, gesture of love
The teacher facilitates a discussion that helps to clarify the definition of vignettes. Both
pieces are very short yet they present powerful images. The authors use words sparingly,
but the details are chosen carefully to help the reader understand something significant
has happened. Vignettes are snapshots in time where the lens has zoomed in on the most
important information.
Follow up lessons—vignettes:
-Students read and study other published literary vignettes (see Appendix)
-Students study good examples of vignettes written by other students
-The teacher can revisit revision lessons from previous units of study or introduce new
revision lessons on craft techniques. Some of these might include:
 figurative language
 sensory details
 focusing in on a key moment
It is important that the students revise their elements gathered so far as well as their
vignettes.
Narrative
The final part of the collage essay is the narrative. Students should be familiar with the
narrative structure from the memoir unit of study. At this point the students can put the
“I” into their writing if it is not there yet. The narrative goes at the beginning and end of
the piece and acts as a frame surrounding the other elements. Students may choose to
include a small narrative in the middle as a transition between the other elements. Both
the opening and closing narrative link all the elements to the overall theme.
Students can think of the opening narrative as establishing the context or drawing the
reader into the story just as it does in any piece of writing. It can provide background
information, place the piece in a setting, or introduce the main character.
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 18 of 79
The closing narrative functions like a closing in any piece of writing. It ties the essay
together in some way and draws the piece to a conclusion. This part of the essay helps
the writer to make meaning of the piece. The closing narrative is similar to the reflection
that students include in their memoirs.
Note: The teacher should refer to the memoir unit of study for any lessons needed to lift
the level of the students’ narratives.
Revision
The students have been revising the individual elements of the collage essay. Now they
need to revise their narrative section. Once they have the whole piece together they may
want to go back into their draft to make further revisions. The teacher refers students to
lessons on language and craft taught previously in the unit.
Tying It All Together
The next decision after compiling the various sections is how to weave it all together.
Students have several choices. In between each section they can:





use a repeating line
use white spaces
use a visual i.e. stars or another decorative device
use numerals
use titles
Note: The teacher should show the students Annie’s collage essay (see Appendix) to help
them envision a possible layout and structure for their collage essay. The teacher can
point out that Annie uses the decorative device and remind the students of their choices.
Editing: The teacher and students review and add to the ongoing editing chart or
checklist. The items on the list will reflect language, use and conventions skills that have
previously been taught and are expected of students (punctuation, grammar, spelling,
capitalization, etc.) Students read through their own work carefully, changing any errors
they can find. Students can also work with a partner editing each other’s pieces.
Note: For publishing purposes, if the teacher is the final editor, he/she should always
include the student’s final draft (before teacher edit) in the students’ porfolios. When the
teacher is the final editor, that work should be followed by an editing conference during
which the teacher chooses one thing to teach the student.
Celebration: When the pieces are edited and published it is time for students to do what
authors do—celebrate their effort and send their writing out into the world to be shared.
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 19 of 79
Celebrations need not be elaborate. Students can read to each other, parents can be
invited to hear readings of their collages, another class can partner in sharing pieces, and
students can place their work in the class or school library.
Reflection: The teacher spends a day in Writer’s Workshop reflecting on the unit of
study with the students. The teacher asks students to write a final reflection about what
they learned about writing collage essays and what they want to learn more about as
writers.
Appendix
Excerpts from Rimshots: Basketball Pix, Rolls and Rhythms by Charles R. Smith Jr.
 I remember
 Excuses, Excuses
 Hot, Like Fire
 The Ritual
 Gimmetheball!
 “Please, Put me In coach!!”
 Meek
 No Sole
 Everything I Need to Know
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 20 of 79

Inspirations
Description of the Collage Essay
Portraits
 Grandma Mac
 First Impressions
 Neat Freak
 Sharp Tongue
 Darry
 Soda
 Steve Randle
 Two Bit Matthews
 Aunt Sarah
 Daddy
 History Lessons
 Twice Blessed
 The Earl of Tennessee
 Alicia Who Sees Mice
 A Smart Cookie
 Marin
Scenes
 Margie’s Hair Palace
 Tuck Everlasting p.23-24
 Tuck Everlasting p. 50-53
 Hatchet p.40-41
 Golden
 Maniac Magee p. 130-131
 Gil’s Furniture Bought and Sold
Dialogues
 About Angels and Age
 Smart Remark
 Mother Has A Talk With Me
 And Some More
 Maniac Magee p. 87089
 To The Moon
Vignettes
 Hot Rolls
 Mama Sewing
 First In Line
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 21 of 79





The Wedding
Winter and the Gran Lee
Nighttime Serenades
Laughter
Darius and the Clouds
Annie’s college essay
I remember
I remember being so small that I wondered how I would ever get that big orange ball
into that basket that seemed so high.
I remember beating my father at one-on-one after so many years.
I remember being the last one picked on my old street court.
I remember hitting the winning shot against the team that didn’t pick me.
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 22 of 79
I remember learning how to play HORSE.
I remember my father regretting that he ever taught me the game after I beat him
several times in a row.
I remember learning how to play with other kids.
I remember seeing Malik shake his defender to the ground so bad that the poor guy
broke his ankle.
I remember running suicides in high school on the freshman team.
I remember showing up first and leaving last from practice.
I remember when I was the shortest on the team.
I remember the summer I grew tall enough to jump and touch the rim.
I remember challenging the star of the freshman team and beating him at one-on-one.
I remember playing with my cousins in Indiana from morning till night.
I remember when my dad could no longer play one-on-one.
I remember seeing my parents in the stands, even though I just played the bench.
I remember being called “big man” on the street courts.
I remember my first shot that was blocked.
I remember the day my mom took me to the 1985 NBA Championship Finals when
Magic played for the Lakers and Dr. J played for the Philadelphia 76ers.
I remember going to Disneyland right after the championship game.
I remember practicing free throws in the rain.
There are things I always forget, but when it comes to basketball, there are always many
things that I remember.
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 23 of 79
From Rimshots: Basketball Pix, Rolls, and Rythms by Charles R. Smith Jr.
Excuses,
Excuses
“I didn’t wear my right headband.”
“I’m not playing well because my shoes hurt.”
“My game is a little off because my shorts are too tight.”
“My shoes are too old.”
“I’m allergic to sweat.”
“My shot is falling because my shirt keeps getting in the way.”
“I can’t dribble with my left hand because my watch gets in the way.”
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 24 of 79
“I keep missing because this rim doesn’t even have a net.”
“I can’t make a layup because I’ not wearing my right shoes.”
“If I run too fast, I’ll catch a cold.”
“I can’t guard him because he smells.”
“My shot is off because of this hangnail.”
“These
shoelaces are too long.”
“I can’t concentrate because of all the noise.”
“I can’t run because my socks itch.”
“The rim is too high.”
“My balance is off because of my hair.”
“I can’t play because I’m allergic to concrete.”
“There’s something in my shoe.”
“ I can’t make any shots because this net is all messed up.”
From: Rimshots: Basketball Pix, Rolls, and Rhythms by Charles R. Smith Jr.
Fire
Hot Like
I am on fire and there is nothing you can do about it.
My eyes burn through you, even though you won’t shut up as I continue to burn you.
My silence and intensity never change as you become helpless
and more defenseless.
The only competition that you give me is to challenge myself to see how many
different ways I can score on you.
Your weak defense cannot handle me as I entertain myself at your expense.
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 25 of 79
12 points so far.
60 points is my goal.
Victory for the team and I. Humiliation for you.
10 points to the school of the left hand.
12 points to the school of the fade away jump shot.
10 points from beating you down the court for slam dunks.
That’s 44 points so far, and we haven’t hit the fourth quarter.
9 points from three-point land.
8 points from using my quick first step to get by you and to the basket. Which leads
me to the final 4 points from the free-throw line, because you fouled me each
time on the way.
65 points.
I want to thank you for helping me to exceed my goal.
As you can see, your endless talk and chatter only served as fuel for my fire.
And judging from the score, you just got burned.
From: Rimshots: Basketball Pix, Rolls, and Rhythms by Charles R. Smith Jr.
The Ritual
Wipe the sweat off the face with the left hand first. That’s for Mom. Wipe the sweat off with the right
hand. That’s for Dad. Spin the ball in a quick vertical motion. Dribble. Dribble. Dribble. Deep breath.
Eyes on rim. Shoot.
That was his ritual. Every time. The same thing. Left hand first. Right hand. Spin the
ball. Dribble. Dribble. Dribble. Breath. Eyes. Shoot. Always the same ritual. Always the
same result. He never missed.
As he stood there going through the ritual, the crowd and the other team tried everything. The crowd would wave signs and large balloons behind the goal—yell, scream,
and sometimes even blow obnoxious horns. Some of the opposing players on the line
with him would wave their hands, talk to him—do anything to throw off his ritual. The
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 26 of 79
ritual was the key. If you threw off the ritual, then you threw him off. Everyone knew
this.
Oh sure, he’d missed free throws before. But that was when he was still learning to
be comfortable. He’d tried different things, and some had worked better than others, but
after a time he settled on what he does now. He told me the reason he did all this was
because he needed something to concentrate on, something to help him relax. That’s
why the ritual was so elaborate. The sweat-wiping-off thing was because his parents
came to every game, and that was his code for saying, “Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad. Don’t worry
about me, I’m as cool as can be.”
It was no surprise that with the score tied, one second left, and no time-outs, he was
the one at the free-throw line. Sure, he could make free throws, but half of what made
him so great was that he knew how to get to the line when he needed to. He had the
ability to make guys foul him and to get the other team mad. Sometimes this slowed the
game down; sometimes it also frustrated his teammates, because he really just did it to
boost up his numbers.
But that was a couple of years ago, when he was younger. Now he’s learned to let a
game follow its natural flow. But if his team gets down, he knows how to bring them
back. A little drive in the lane, a jump-shot fake, a rebound are just a few of the ways he
gets to the line. And of course once he’s there…watch out for The
Ritual.
From Rimshots: Basketball Pix, Rolls, and Rhythms by Charles R. Smith Jr.
Gimmetheball!
What is he doing? There’s only seven seconds left on the shot clock, and
we’re down by one. The ball should be in my hands. I can make it. I know I
can. Gimmetheball! He keeps dribbling, and I keep trying to find a
way to get open, so I keep moving. Five seconds left. An eternity. In six
seconds somebody’s going to be a hero; somebody else a loser. I don’t like
being a loser. Gimmetheball! Round and round in circles I go.
Everyone is on me all the time. Try something different. I’ll wait in the
corner. I’ll hide. If they keep chasing me, they won’t know where I am when
I just stop running. Everybody knows that I want the ball, because they
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 27 of 79
know that I will take the shot every time in situations like this. I have no
fear. The ball hits me in the chest as I square up to the basket. Three
seconds left. No time to think, just time to act on instinct. In a split second, I
scan the court and see who is where. The lane is beginning to open up as two
players race toward me. I put the ball on the ground and head for the
basket like nothing can stop me. Because nothing can stop me. My eyes are
focused only on the basket and what I need to do to get there. Someone
steps in front of me. Step to the left. Someone steps to me again. Step to the
right. Two players converge on me as I elevate and bring my arm back. The
basket begins to move toward me faster and faster. The other two start to fall
as I keep rising. The ball is in my hand, and I’m ready to throw it down
with authority. In the blink of an eye, someone else jumps from behind and
tries to take the ball out of my outstretched hand. But I still have another
hand. I put it on the ball, my heart in my throat, the crowd cheering in my
ears and blood racing through my veins. I slam the ball through and release
all my energy into the rim. My feet touch the ground again for only a split
second as I am lifted onto the shoulders of my teammates and everyone calls
me a hero. All because I wanted the ball.
From Rimshots: Basketball Pix, Rolls, and Rhythms by Charles R. Smith Jr.
“Please
Put Me In, Coach!!”
Come on, Coach, put me in the game. We’re down by 20, and
I know that I can make a difference. I know, I know that last time
I should have passed the ball more and not taken so many shots, but
I promise I won’t do that anymore. I can change. I know that last time
I turned the ball over 10 times and that even though I was only in 15
minutes, I made 4 fouls; but I promise I’ll change.
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 28 of 79
Come on, Coach, please put me in!! 20 point is not a lot, especially since
we were down 40 points when I came out. I’m feeling it now, Coach.
I’m in my rhythm, and I feel ready. I promise not to hog the ball and all
of the shots like I did last time, especially not from half-court, even if
I think I can make it. I’ll listen to you now, Coach. I know I didn’t listen
before, but now I will. I can make a difference out there, Coach, IF YOU
PLEASE PUT ME
IN!!!
From Rimshots: Basketball Pix, Rolls, and Rhythms by Charles R. Smith Jr.
Meek
His shirt was a floppy, old, raggedy brown sweatshirt. It had so many holes,
it looked like a honeycomb. The shorts, however, were a whole different
story. The shorts were baggy, bright orange swimming trunks with the draw
cord dangling to his knees. Finishing off the package were socks that had no
elastic, so they drooped onto his faded green running shoes. Talk about
drawing attention to yourself. This kid was truly unforgettable!
Standing at about six feet two inches, he was not only tall but gangly.
Since his weight hadn’t quite caught up with his height, he moved very
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 29 of 79
awkwardly. I gave him credit for his height, but looking at him, you
wouldn’t think he could do anything except blow away in a stiff breeze.
So he bounced his ball in, checking everyone out (you can believe
everyone else was definitely checking him out!), and found a court with a
game going on. He sat down and waited to get picked up on somebody’s
team. Since he hadn’t called next, he waited for quite a while.
The guys figured he was no more than sixteen, being as thin as he was.
But the way he carried himself was what later gave him his nickname:
Meek. He did look as Meek as a mouse, walking in so slow and timid. If
somebody had sneezed, he would have been clear on the other side of town!
After about an hour, this boy finally got picked to play. Guys were
leaving left and right, and he was the only one there. Because he was new, it
was obvious that nobody really wanted to play with him until they knew
what he could do.
Once he was on the court, though, you could see a little something in his
eyes. When the ball went up to start, he went after it. And that was it—he
never stopped. A ball in the air? He jumped after it. Anybody dribble too
long who wasn’t on his team? He snatched the ball. And rebounds? Forget it.
As soon as the ball popped, Meek would be right up there in the air with it,
grabbing it like his favorite Christmas toy. And there was a sound…..That
sound was downright frightening sometimes. He sounded like a lion
pouncing on its dinner whenever he went after the ball. He played with such
intensity you forgot he was wearing orange shorts and green shoes.
Meek didn’t shoot the ball much. No, what he did was all of the other
things. The little things that make a team glad they picked you. If somebody
made an easy layup, who threw the pass? Meek. If the ball was going outof bounds, who saved it? Meek.
Who found the open man downcourt? Meek. He wasn’t flashy, but he
always knew how to get the ball when he needed it. If just seemed that he
always needed it.
Everybody was playing hard, talking to one another the way ballplayers
do, until someone said, “Game.”
Of course, Meek’s team won, and I guess his enthusiasm rubbed off,
because they played five more games and won those also. As it started
getting dark, Meek’s mom called him on home, much to the dismay of the
other guys. He perked up a little bit, gave everyone high fives and “good
games,” and said he’d be back tomorrow.
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 30 of 79
As Meek headed out of the park, he still moved in the same slow, timid
way, but I could swear that he looked just a little bit taller.
After watching him play, I knew that boy was a man just waiting to
happen.
No
Sole
“Man, these new shoes are killing me,” said the wiry
eighteen-year-old basketball player. “I think they’re too tight.”
“Oh, listen to you. Son, when I was your age, we didn’t have
those newfangled, high-tech shoes that you kids have today,”
said a potbellied older player dressed in unrecognizable sneakers.
“New shoes,” chimed in yet another potbellied older player. “Boy, when I
was your age, we didn’t even have new shoes. Everybody just wore
everybody else’s shoes. That’s why you didn’t see too many athletes
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 31 of 79
wearing basketball shoes, because basketball shoes actually belonged to the
pro basketball players. There were only so many to go around, so you had to
wait your turn to play in them,” he added.
“I don’t see what any of you are complaining about,”
added yet an older gentleman, decked out in a suit and
standing off the court, watching the game. “When I was
your age, basketball shoes weren’t even a thought. We
had to play in our Sunday dress shoes, because that was
the style back then.”
“All of you young bucks just need to hush up and quit complaining. When I
was your age, we didn’t even have basketball, let alone basketball shoes.
Any sports we wanted to play, we had to use bare feet. Boy, I’ll tell you,
things have certainly changed,” the oldest gentleman said as he hobbled off
his stoop and approached the court.
“You got that right,” piped in a voice that was only
heard, not seen. “In my time, we didn’t even have feet.”
From: Rimshots: Basketball Pix, Rolls and Rhythms by Charles R. Smith
Everything I Need to Know in Life, I Learned from
Basketball
In all my years of playing, watching, and photographing basketball, I’ve picked up a
few lessons to use in life:
Focus and determination will always keep you ahead of the game.
Practice makes perfect.
Nobody is ever going to give you
anything.
You must earn it.
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 32 of 79
If you
don’t look out for your teammates,
they won’t look out for you.
Be patient. Don’t force anything.
Let the game come to you.
If you don’t look out for your teammates, they won’t look out for you.
Hard work and continuous effort will be rewarded.
Each person benefits when everybody
learns to work as a team.
If you believe you are a winner,
you will become just that.
Keep your head up. Always take advantage of opportunities.
From Rimshots: Basketball Pix, Rolls, and Rhythms by Charles R. Smith
Inspirations
Basketball is a game I have loved since I was a child. Inspired at a young age while
father
mother,
I gained a
love that is just as strong today as it was back then. Even though I’m not great at
the game, I can marvel at those who are.
watching Los Angeles Lakers games with my
and
My parents also instilled in me a love of reading and a curiosity for my history
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 33 of 79
and culture. During the writing of this book, I enjoyed rereading poets and writers
such as
Langston Hughes, James Weldon Johnson, Chester
Himes, Ralph Ellison, James Baldwin, and Aesop.
I enjoyed reading contemporary poets and writers such as Ntozake
Shange, Paul Beatty, Quincy Troupe, lshmael Reed,
Walter Mosley, and Sofia Sanchez. The custom of African
storytelling inspired me to seek out some traditional stories that featured Brer
Rabbit and Brer Fox, as well as a host of other curious creatures found in
a book appropriately titled Afro-American Folktales, selected and
edited by Roger 0. Abrahams.
Music is an equally important influence for me because it provides a
soundtrack for what is going on visually. No other music does this better than jazz.
Miles Davis,
John Coltrane, Charles Mingus, and the great Duke
Ellington are just a few musicians that helped bring my poetry to life. As far
as class acts go, there has been none with more style, grace, and elegance than the
Duke.
While taking these images on street courts where the heat made no difference
and neither did bad rims, I was inspired to try to create photographs as lasting as
those of Roy
DeCarava and Gordon Parks. In order to accumulate
such a vast number of great images, representing one large body of work, as these
men did, I figured I’d better get started and not stop.
Watching a basketball game without great players is like watching paint dry.
On the streets, I’ve seen guys do things I didn’t think could be done. In college
games, I’ve seen destinies fulfilled and hearts broken—all within a tenth of a
second. Many a night I’ve spent watching pros such as Gary
Payton, Vin
Baker, Ray Allen,
Allen Everson, Kobe Bryant, Jayson Williams, Stephon
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 34 of 79
Marbury, and Kevin Garnett perform with their athletic expertise.
Of course, I have to mention Michael Jordan. Known for his aerial
artistry and unbelievable shotmaking skills early in his career, he now has proven
that to attain greatness is a constant effort. It takes the will of a warrior and the
heart of a champion. There will never be another like him, so we should enjoy him
while we can. Just remember one thing: Michael Jordan was once a little kid, with
hopes and dreams just like you.
From Rimshots: Basketball Pix, Rolls and Rhythms by Charles R. smith Jr.
Collage Essay
A collage essay is made up of fragments—narrative writing, portraits, scenes, vignettes,
dialogues. These are arranged without transitions or connections. Meaning is suggested
through the placement of the fragments—all of which grow out of a single theme or
topic.
Narrative writing: Narrative writing is most frequently used as a framing device—a way
of ordering and controlling the piece. It is usually used at the beginning and end,
although it can be inserted in the middle as well. This is often where the “I” is inserted in
the writing if it is not there already.
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 35 of 79
Portraits give the reader a close-up study or sketch of people including: the qualities or
characteristics that define them, their physical appearance, movements, gestures, gait, and
the things they say or do.
Scenes primarily describe place. They focus on individual moments in that place. They
encompass the physical environment, the people and what’s happening.
Dialogue captures both character and event. These are authentic bits of conversation that
reveal something about the people speaking or about the situation or topic.
Vignettes are stories told in a thumbnail way. They are descriptive sketches or snapshots
and often contain bits of all the other types of writing—dialogue, scene, or character
Grandma Mac
Most of my friends
Have at least one
Grandparent to spare,
And some have four
Or six or eight
Who debate
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 36 of 79
Which of them
Gets to borrow
The grandkid next.
As for me,
I’ve only got
One grandparent
Still living.
Then again
With Grandma Mac
My hands full.
Portrait from Stepping Out with Grandma Mac by Nikki Grimes
First Impressions
At three I missed
The grandma in my mind,
The one who’d bounce me
On her knee, and read
Jack and the Beanstalk
While I flipped the pages.
The grandma who’d
Bake oatmeal cookies,
Take me to the zoo,
And spoil me with
Too much ice cream.
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 37 of 79
Of course,
Grandma lived miles away
Back then.
Now I’m ten
And too big to sit on
Anybody’s knee.
Besides, the only bounce
My grandma has
Is in her high-heeled step
When she strides
Down the street, gathering
Men’s glances.
She bakes, but only pies
At Christmas,
Hates the zoo,
And refuses to stuff me
With sweets.
Still, she’s more adventurous
Than most grandmas
I know. And she never
Makes me guess
What’s on her mind
Which is fine by me.
As for baking
Oatmeal cookies
And the rest,
Let’s just say
Grandma Mac
Is a late bloomer.
Portrait from Stepping Out With Grandma Mac by Nikki Grimes
Neat Freak
My room
Is a jigsaw puzzle
Of clothes and books
And dust-bunnies with
Babies of their own,
Which is why I lock
My bedroom door
When Grandma Mac
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 38 of 79
Comes around.
She can’t abide
Dirt or clutter.
Dust leaves its
Calling card
At her front door,
Afraid to enter
Her floors are raw
From scrubbing.
Her trash basket
Is hungry for scraps.
Even her kitchen sink
Sometimes wishes
It could keep a stack
Of dirty dishes
Overnight.
There’s little chance o
Of that, though,
“Cause Grandma Mac
Is a neat freak
And proud of it.
Portrait from Stepping Out With Grandma Mac by Nikki Grimes
Sharp Tongue
It’s not my fault
Grandma’s kitchen floor
Is shiny as ice.
One afternoon
Alone for a minute
I give in to temptation,
Skate from stove to cabinet.
“Stop that!”
Says Grandma Mac.
“This is no place to play!”
I sulk my way
Into the living room,
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 39 of 79
Settle in a sofa chair,
Lift a doily resting there,
And poke my fingers
Through it.
“Put that back!”
Grandma snaps.
“Leave things
Where they belong!”
And so the day
Grinds on:
Don’t sit there!
Don’t touch that!
Don’t run! Don’t yell!”
(Don’t breathe!
I mutter to myself.)
“You shouldn’t
Let her get to you,”
Mom says,
On hearing
My complaint.
“Your grandma
Is all bark.”
“Oh, yeah?” I say.
“Then how come
There are teeth marks
In my heart?”
Portrait from Stepping Out With Grandma Mac by Nikki Grimes
Portraits: The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
Darry
Darry is six-feet-two, and broad-shouldered and muscular. He has dark-frown hair that
kicks out in front and a slight cowlick in the back—just like Dad’s—but Darry’s eyes are
his own. He’s got eyes that are like two pieces of pale blue-green ice. They’ve got a
determined set to them, like the rest of him. He looks older than twenty—though, cool,
smart. He would be real handsome if his eyes weren’t so cold. He doesn’t understand
anything that is not plain hard fact. But he uses his head.
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 40 of 79
Soda
Soda is handsomer than anyone else I know. Not like Darry—Soda’s movie-star kind of
handsome, the kind that people stop on the street to watch go by. He’s not as tall as
Darry, and he’s a little slimmer, but he has a finely drawn, sensitive face that somehow
manages to be reckless and thoughtful at the same time. He’s got dark-gold hair that he
combs back—long and silky and straight—and in the summer the sun bleaches it to a
shining wheat-gold. His eyes are dark brown—lively, dancing, recklessly laughing eyes
that can be gentle and sympathetic one moment and blazing with anger the next. He cang
et drunk in a drag race or dancing without ever getting near alcohol. In our neighborhood
it’s rare to find a kid who doesn’t drink once in a while. But Soda never touches a drop—
he doesn’t need to. He gets drunk on just plain living. And he understands everybody.
Steve Randle
Steve Randle was seventeen, tall and lean, with thick greasy hair he kept combed in
complicated swirls. He was cocky, smart, and Soda’s best buddy since grade school.
Steve’s specialty was cars. He could lift a hubcap quicker and more quietly than anyone
in the neighborhood, but he also knew cars upside-down and backward, and he could
drive anything on wheels. He and Sods worked at the same gas station—Steve part time
and Soda full time—and their station got more customers than any other in town.
Whether that was because Steve was so good with cars or because Soda attracted girls
like honey draws flies, I couldn’t tell you.
Two-Bit Mathews
Two-Bit Mathews was the oldest of the gang and the wisecracker of the bunch. He was
about six feet tall, stocky in build, and very proud of his long rusty-colored sideburns. He
had gray eyes and a wide grin, and he couldn’t stop making funny remarks to save his
life. You couldn’t shut up that guy; he always had to get his two-bits in. Hence his name.
Even his teachers forgot his real name was Keith, and we hardly remembered he had one.
Life was one big joke to Two-Bit. He was famous for shoplifting and his black-handled
switchblade (which he couldn’t have acquired without his first talent), and he was always
smarting off to the cops. He really couldn’t help it. Everything he said was so irresistibly
funny that he just had to let the police in on it to brighten up their dull lives. (That’s the
way he explained it to me.) He liked fights, blondes, and for some unfathomable reason,
school. He was still a junior at eighteen and a half and he never learned anything. He just
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 41 of 79
went for kicks. I liked him real well because he dept us laughing at ourselves as well as at
other things. He reminded me of Will Rogers—maybe it was the grin.
Aunt Sarah
It must’ve been 6:15 when Aunt Sarah came home tonight. I’m convinced the sun sets
itself by her timely comings and goings. She trudged up the Avenue from a long day of
emptying bedpans and dispensing prescriptions at Columbia Presbyterian.
Her body sagged as if he stiffness of her starched white nurse’s uniform was all that
held her up. “Hi, baby,” she said, her voice warm as a cuddle. “How are you doin’
today?”
“Pretty good.”
“And how’ the writing coming along?”
I paused long enough to smile and answer. “Fine, Aunt Sarah.”
“That’s good. That’s good. You keep it up, hear?”
“I will.” I said.
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 42 of 79
“You oughta send some of that fine writing to your mama in the hospital. I bet she’d
enjoy that.” Aunt Sarah means well, but Mom is in no shape to be reading poetry from
me or anybody else at the moment. She’s so deep inside herself, CeCe says the doctors
are thinking about giving her shock treatment. I didn’t tell any of this to Aunt Sarah
though. I just smiled.
By then she was at the top of the stairs. I held the door open for her, watched her
disappear inside.
Too bad Aunt Sarah’s not my real aunt. She’s so nice, I wouldn’t mind having her as a
relative. Maybe that’s why everyone around here calls her “Aunt.” She’s got her own
family, of course. A daughter, and two grandkids. I’d be glad to substitute for them
anytime. Lord knows Aunt Sarah’s had a hug with my name on it every day since CeCe
and I moved into the apartment next to hers. And her caring also shows up on our table,
steaming from a bowl heaped with collard greens and kale. Leftovers she calls them, but
we all know better. They only appear when CeCe is low on cash.
I’ve called 2104 Amsterdam Avenue home going on a year now. I’ve been sent
postage-paid to so many different relatives and foster homes over the last fourteen years
that I’ve lived in every borough of New York City at least twice, so one year in the same
place is close to being a record.
It’s hard to keep track of all the places I’ve known, all the faces, which is the real
reason I’m keeping this notebook. I’m tired of losing people before I even have a chance
to commit their names to memory.
Aunt Sarah is a name that spells kindness, and when I leave this place, hers is one
name I plan on taking with me.
Portrait from Jazmin’s notebook by Nikki Grimes pages 12-14
Daddy
Every time a guy waltzes up the Avenue sporting a beret, I see Daddy, especially if
the beret is black and worn the way his was, with a jazzy tilt to the side. Like that man
who leapt, pantherlike, from the 101 bus today, and headed in my direction.
My heart somersaulted two, three times at least, then pushed the word “Daddy” to the
tip of my tongue. But only for one split-second. Then logic gave the word a shove, and
left me choking.
Stupid! I said to myself. What’s wrong with you? Daddy died in that car crash going
on a year. You ought be clear on that by now.
The closer the stranger got to the stoop, the sillier I felt, because, apart from the beret,
he was dressed all wrong. His jacket matched his pants, which Daddy’s never did, he
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 43 of 79
wore a tailored black wool coat, not a trench, and to top it off, he was a full six inches too
short! But that beret had me going, I watched it until the hat and the man disappeared
around the corner.
Come to think of it, the bus should have clued me in that I was dreaming. Daddy
drove his own car, and was plenty proud of it. Mind you, he had no use for the pink
Lincolns or the mile-long, fire-engine-red Cadillacs other men parade down the Avenue,
but he sure wasn’t above cruising in his black MG to show it off. Shoot! He wouldn’t
have been caught riding a city bus if his life depended on it.
Portrait from Jasmin’s notebook by Nikki Grimes pages 14-15
History Lessons
Grandmomma says she is a hard woman
because she has led a hard life.
So many obstacles blocking her way
when all she wanted to do was
be.
Signs made her drink from a
different fountain,
sit at the back of the bus.
Laws said she shouldn’t go to
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 44 of 79
certain schools.
People said she couldn’t learn.
They tried to move her around to
their way of thinking—
but now, she says, she know the truth.
She says she is bent
but she is not broken.
She says if she isn’t careful
she’s gonna mess around and get her
second doctorate.
And then she smiles and loves me.
Hard,
She is a rock
and I shall not be moved.
Portrait from The Way A Door Closes by Hope Anita Smith
Twice Blessed
In her heyday
my grandmomma was a knockout.
Daddy says, “She was so pretty
She stopped traffic.
She was a stone fox.
Truth be told, your grandmomma was
beautiful. Still is.”
Grandmomma’s eyes
light up.
She says, “Beauty is as beauty does,
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 45 of 79
and I did all right!”
We laugh and then Grandmomma
plops back down into now and says,
“That was a long time ago.
I had my chance at beautiful.
Everybody does.
But nothing lasts forever.
I got a little arthritis, varicose veins,
and strands of gray hair can vouch for that.”
I look at my grandmomma’s face and
grin from ear to ear.
I kiss her on the cheek and say,
“Well, then you lucked out,
‘cause the way I see you,
that stuff
fixed it so you could be
beautiful
all over again.’
Portrait form The Way A Door Closes by Hope Anita Smith
The
Earl of
Tennessee
Earl lives next door in Edna’s basement, behind the flower boxes Edna paints green
each year, behind the dusty geraniums. We used to sit on the flower boxes until the day
Tito saw a cockroach with a spot of green paint on its head. Now we sit on the steps that
swing around the basement apartment where Earl lives.
Earl works nights. His blinds are always closed during the day. Sometimes he comes
out and tells us to keep quiet. The little wooden door that has wedged shut the dark for so
long opens with a sigh and lets out a breath of mold and dampness, like books that have
been left out in the rain. This is the only time we see Earl except for when he comes and
goes to work. He has two little black dogs that go everywhere with him. They don’t walk
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 46 of 79
like ordinary dogs, but leap and somersault like an apostrophe and comma.
At night Nenny and I can hear when Earl comes home from work. First the click and
whine of the car door opening, then the scrape of concrete, the excited tinkling of dog tags,
followed by the heavy jingling of keys, and finally the moan of the wooden door as it
opens and lets loose its sigh of dampness.
Earl is a jukebox repairman. He learned his trade in the South, he says. He speaks
with a Southern accent, smokes fat cigars and wears a felt hat—winter or summer, hot or
cold, don’t matter—a felt hat. In his apartment are boxes and boxes of 45 records, moldy
and damp like the smell that comes out of his apartment whenever he opens the door. He
gives the records away to us—all except the country and western.
The word is that Earl is married and has a wife somewhere. Edna says she saw her
once when Earl brought her to the apartment. Mama says she is a skinny thing, blond and
pale like salamanders that have never seen the sun. But I saw her once too and she’s not
that way at all. And the boys across the street say she is a tall red-headed lady who wears
tight pink pants and green glasses. We never agree on what she looks like, but we do know
this. Whenever she arrives, he holds her tight by the crook of the arm. They walk fast into
the apartment, lock the door behind them and never stay long.
Portrait from House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
Alicia
Who Sees Mice
Close your eyes and they’ll go away, her father says, or You’re just imagining. And
anyway, a woman’s place is sleeping so she can wake up early with the tortilla star, the one
that appears early just in time to rise and catch the hind legs hide behind the sink, beneath
the four-clawed tub, under the swollen floorboards nobody fixes, in the corner of your
eyes.
Alicia, whose mama died, is sorry there is no one older to rise and make the lunchbox
tortillas. Alicia, who inherited her mama’s rolling pin and sleepiness, is young and smart
and studies for the first time at the university. Two trains and a bus, because she doesn’t
want to spend her whole life in a factory or behind a rolling pin. Is a good girl, my friend,
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 47 of 79
studies all night and sees the mice, the ones her father says do not exist. Is afraid of
nothing except four-legged fur. And fathers.
Portrait from: House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
A Smart Cookie
I could’ve been somebody, you know? my mother says and sighs. She has lived in
this city her whole life. She can speak two languages. She can sing an opera. She knows
how to fix a T.V. But she doesn’t know which subway train to take to get downtown. I
hold her hand very tight while we wait for the right train to arrive.
She used to draw when she had time. Now she draws with a needle and thread, little
knotted rosebuds, tulips made of silk thread. Someday she would like to go to the ballet.
Someday she would like to see a play. She borrows opera records from the public library
and sings with velvety lungs powerful as morning glories.
Today while cooking oatmeal she is Madame Butterfly until she sighs and points the
wooden spoon at me. I could’ve been somebody, you know? Esperanza, you go to school.
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 48 of 79
Study hard. That Madame Butterfly was a fool. She stirs the oatmeal. Look at my
comadres. She means Izaura whose husband left and Yolanda whose husband is dead. Got
to take care all your own, she says shaking her head.
Then out of nowhere:
Shame is a bad thing, you know. It keeps you down. You want to know why I quit
school? Because I didn’t have nice clothes. No clothes, but I had brains.
Yup, she says disgusted, stirring again. I was a smart cookie then.
Sandra Cisneros
Marin
Marin’s boyfriend is in Puerto Rico. She shows us his letters and makes us promise
not to tell anybody they’re getting married when she goes back to P.R. She says he didn’t
get a job yet, but she’s saving the money she gets from selling Avon and taking care of
her cousins.
Marin says that if she stays here next year, she’s going to get a real job downtown
because that’s where the best jobs are, since you always get to look beautiful and get to
wear nice clothes and can meet someone in the subway who might marry you and take
you to live in a big house far away.
But next year Louie’s parents are going to send her back to her mother with a letter
saying she’s trouble, and that is too bad because I like Marin. She is older and knows lots
of things. She is the one who told us how Davey the Baby’s sister got pregnant and what
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 49 of 79
is best for taking off moustache hair and if you count white flecks on your fingernails you
can know how many boys are thinking of you and lots of other things I can’t remember
now.
We never see Marin until her aunt comes home from work, and even then she can only
stay out in front. She is there every night with the radio. When the light in her aunt’s
room goes out, Marin lights a cigarette and it doesn’t matter if it’s cold out or if the radio
doesn’t work or if we’ve got nothing to say to each other. What matters, Marin says is for
the boys to see us and for us to see them. And since Marin’s skirts are shorter and since
her eyes are pretty and since Marin is already older than us in many ways, the boys who
do pass by say stupid things like I am in love with those two green apples you call eyes,
give them to me why don’t you. And Marin just looks at them without even blinking and
is not afraid.
Marin, under the streetlight, dancing by herself singing the same song somewhere. I
know. Is waiting for a car to stop, a star to fall, someone to change her life.
Portrait from: House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
Scene from How to Get Famous in Brooklyn
“Margie’s Hair Palace”
There is, for example, the parade of beauty-parlor moms…a Saturday morning
ritual. You ought to see them, in sneakers and baggy pants, and sometimes
baggy skirts. Mrs. Berk and Mrs. Berg, Mrs, Gray and Mrs. Greene, heads
wrapped tight in kerchiefs. They are slinking off to Margie’s Hair Palace. You
want to know how come? To try and get gorgeous!
This is how it looks inside Margie’s when my mother takes me with her.
The first thing you notice is the smell, which is not my favorite smell. It’s like too
much perfume all in one room. Then, the noise of the place. Hair dryers. Blowers.
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 50 of 79
Sprayers. And all that talking. Yak yak. Yak yak yak. Magie talks the most and
the loudest. She never stops, not even when she’s washing Mrs. Greene or
curling Mrs. Berg. Some moms get the tinfoil treatment. They look like lady
Martians, with all that silver sticking up and sometimes straight out.
I remember the time Mrs. Gray got blonde in just one hour. First she
asked, You like it, Janie? Then she said to my mother, What’s with your Janie,
writing and coloring in the book 24 hours a day? My mother answered back real
sharp but sweet, too, That’s our Janie and we like her that way, thank you,
Mrs. Gray. I said, You look like a movie star. All the ladies laughed like heck
and I did, too, and my mother. Mrs. Gray didn’t look like a movie star.
Scene: Tuck Everlasting –pages 23-24
.
I
t
w
a
s
a
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 51 of 79
n
o
t
h
e
r
h
e
a
v
y
m
o
r
n
i
n
g
,
a
l
r
e
a
d
y
h
o
t
a
n
d
b
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 52 of 79
r
e
a
t
h
l
e
s
s
,
b
u
t
i
n
t
h
e
w
o
o
d
t
h
e
a
i
r
w
a
s
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 53 of 79
c
o
o
l
e
r
a
n
d
s
m
e
l
l
e
d
a
g
r
e
e
a
b
l
y
d
a
m
p
.
W
i
n
n
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 54 of 79
i
e
h
a
d
b
e
e
n
n
o
m
o
r
e
t
h
a
n
t
w
o
s
l
o
w
m
i
n
u
t
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 55 of 79
e
s
w
a
l
k
i
n
g
t
i
m
i
d
l
y
It was another heavy morning, already hot and breathless, but in the wood the air was
cooler and smelled agreeably damp. Winnie had been no more than two slow minutes
walking timidly under the interlacing branches when she wondered why she had never
come here before. “Why, it’s nice!” she thought with great surprise.
For the wood was full of light, entirely different from the light she was used to. It was
green and amber and alive, quivering in splotches on the padded ground, fanning into
sturdy stripes between the tree trunks. There were little flowers she did not recognize,
white and palest blue; and endless, tangled vines; and here and there a fallen log, half
rotted but soft with patches of sweet green-velvet moss.
And there were creatures everywhere. The air fairly hummed with their daybreak
activity: beetles and birds and squirrels and ants, and countless other things unseen, all
gentle and self-absorbed and not in the least alarming. There was even, she saw with
satisfaction, the toad. It was squatting on a low stump and she might not have noticed it,
for it looked more like a mushroom than a living creature sitting there. As she came
abreast of it, however, it blinked, and the movement gave it away.
“See?” she exclaimed. “I told you I’d be here first thing in the morning.”
The toad blinked again and nodded. Or perhaps it was only swallowing a fly. But then
it nudged itself off the edge of the stump and vanished in the underbrush.
“It must have been watching for me,” said Winnie to herself, and was very glad she
had come.
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 56 of 79
Scene: Tuck Everlasting Pages 50-53
Winnie had grown up with order. She was used to it. Under the pitiless double
assaults of her mother and grandmother, the cottage where she lived was always
squeaking clean, mopped and swept and scoured into limp submission. There was no
room for carelessness, no putting things off until later. The Foster men had made a
fortress out of duty. Within it, they were indomitable. And Winnie was in training.
So she was unprepared for the homely little house beside the pond, unprepared
for the gentle eddies of dust, the silver cobwebs, the mouse who lived—and welcome to
him!—in a table drawer. There were only three rooms. The kitchen came first, with an
open cabinet where dishes were stacked in perilous towers without the least regard for
their varying dimensions. There was an enormous black stove, and a metal sink, and
every surface, every wall, was piled and strewn and hung with everything imaginable,
from onions to lanterns to wooden spoons to washtubs. And in a corner stood Tuck’s
forgotten shotgun.
The parlor came next, where the furniture, loose and sloping with age, was set about
helter-skelter. An ancient green-plush sofa lolled alone in the center, like yet another
mossy fallen log, facing a soot-streaked fireplace still deep in last winter’s ashes. The
table with the drawer that housed the mouse was pushed off, also alone, into a far corner,
and three armchairs and an elderly rocker stood about aimlessly, like strangers at a party,
ignoring each other.
Beyond this was the bedroom, where a vast and tipsy brass bed took up most of the
space, but there was room beside it for the washstand with the lonely mirror, and opposite
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 57 of 79
its foot a cavernous oak wardrobe from which leaked the faint smell of camphor.
Up a steep flight of narrow stairs was a dusty loft—“That’s where the boys sleep
when they’re home,” Mae explained—and that was all. And yet was not quite all. For
there was everywhere evidence of their activities, Mae’s and Tuck’s. Her sewing: patches
and scraps of bright cloth; half-completed quilts and braided rugs; a bag of cotton batting
with wisps of its contents, like snow, drifting into cracks and corners: the arms of the sofa
webbed with strands of thread and dangerous with needles. His wood carving: curly
shavings furring the floor, and little heaps of splinters and chips; every surface dim with
the sawdust of countless sandings; limbs of unassembled dolls and wooden soldiers; a
ship model propped on the mouse’s table, waiting for its glue to dry; and a stack of
wooden bowls, their sides smoothed to velvet, the topmost bowl filled with a jumble of
big wooden spoons and forks, like dry, bleached bones. “We make things to sell,” said
Mae, surveying the mess approvingly.
And still this was not all. For, on the old beamed ceiling of the parlor, streaks of light
swam and danced and wavered like a bright mirage, reflected through the windows from
the sunlit surface of the pond. There were bowls of daisies everywhere, gay white and
yellow. And over everything was the clean, sweet smell of the water and its weeds, the
chatter of a swooping kingfisher, the carol and trill of a dozen other kinds of bird, and
occasionally the thrilling bass note of an unastonished bullfrog at ease somewhere along
the muddy banks.
Into it all came Winnie, eyes wide, and very much amazed. It was a whole new idea to
her that people could live in such disarray, but at the same time she was charmed. It
was… comfortable. Climbing behind Mae up the stairs to see the loft, she thought to
herself: Maybe it’s because they think they have forever to clean up.” And this was
followed by another thought, far more revolutionary: “Maybe they just don’t care!”
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 58 of 79
Scene:
Hatchet pages 40-41
The rocky ridge was rounded and seemed to be of some kind of sandstone with
bits of darker stone layered and stuck into it. Directly across the lake from it, at the inside
corner of the L, was a mound of sticks and mud rising up out of the water a good eight or
ten feet. At first Brian couldn’t place it but knew that he somehow knew what it was—
had seen it in films. Then a small brown head popped to the surface of the water near the
mound and began swimming off down the short leg of the L leaving a V of ripples behind
and he remembered where he’d seen it. It was a beaver house, called a beaver lodge in a
special he’d seen on the public channel.
A fish jumped. Not a large fish, but it made a big splash near the beaver, and as if
by a signal there were suddenly little splops all over the sides of the lake—along the
shore—as fish began jumping. Hundreds of them, jumping and slapping the water. Brian
watched them for a time, still in the half-daze, still not thinking well. The scenery was
very pretty, he thought, and there were new things to look at, but it was all a green and
blue blur and he was used to the gray and black of the city, the sounds of the city. Traffic,
people talking, sounds all the time— the hum and whine of the city.
Here, at first, it was silent, or he thought it was silent, but when he started to listen,
really listen, he heard thousands of things. Hisses and blurks, small sounds, birds singing,
hum of insects, splashes from the fish jumping—there was great noise here, but a noise
he did not know, and the colors were new to him, and the colors and noise mixed in his
mind to make a green-blue blur that he could hear, hear as a hissing pulse-sound and he
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 59 of 79
was still tired.
So tired.
Golden
There’s a moment
right before morning that is
silent and still.
Grandmomma says it’s a blessing
to experience.
I hug my pillow and try to
hold on to
this moment.
And then the day begins.
Daddy’s razor roars.
the scent of Momma’s cookin’
floats down the hall to me
till it tickles my nose.
I feel the vibration as my little brother
slap-bounce, slap-bounces
a ball to breakfast.
I open my eyes to see my sister
staring back at me,
secretly believing that she has
willed me awake,
and I hear Grandmomma’s voice
singing a song of praise
for this new day.
My family is up,
just like the sun,
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 60 of 79
and we are all
golden.
Scene from The Way a Door Closes by Hope Anita Smith
Scene from Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli p. 130-133
Despite the cold, the front door was wide open, and Maniac could smell the inside before he could
see it. The first thing he did see was a yellow, short-haired mongrel looking innocently up at him
while taking a leak in the middle of the living room floor.
“Clean that up,” John ordered Russell.
“Clean that up,” Russell ordered Piper.
Piper just walked on by.
After closing the front door, which was surprisingly heavy, Maniac found a stack of
newspapers in a corner. He laid some over the puddle to soak in, then gave himself a tour of the
downstairs.
Maniac had seen some amazing things in his lifetime, but nothing as amazing as that house.
From the smell of it he knew this wasn’t the first time an animal had relieved itself on the rugless
floor. In fact, in another corner he spotted a form of relief that could not be soaked up by
newspapers.
Cans and bottles lay all over, along with crusts, peelings, cores, scraps, rinds, wrappers —
everything you would normally find in a garbage can. And everywhere there were raisins.
As he walked through the dining room, something — an old tennis ball — hit him on top of
the head and bounced away. He looked up — into the laughing faces of Russell and Piper. The hole
in the ceiling was so big they both could have jumped through it at once.
He ran a hand along one wall. The peeling paint came off like cornflakes.
Nothing could be worse than the living and dining rooms, yet the kitchen was. A jar of peanut
butter
had crashed to the floor; someone had gotten a running start, jumped into it, and skied a
brown, one-footed track to the stove. On the table were what appeared to be the remains of an
autopsy performed upon a large bird, possibly a crow. The refrigerator contained two food groups:
mustard and beer. The raisins here were even more abundant. He spotted several of them moving.
They weren’t raisins; they were roaches.
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 61 of 79
The front door opened, and seconds later a man clomped into the kitchen. He wore no winter
jacket, only a sleeveless green sweatshirt, which ballooned over his enormous stomach. Tattoos
blued his upper arms. His hands were nearly pure black. Stale body odor mingled with that of fries
and burgers coming from the Burger King bag he held. Dropping the bag next to the bird remains,
he bellowed “Chow!” and took a beer from the fridge; he downed a good half of it in one swig,
belched, doubled-clutched, and belched again. He had to know someone besides himself was
standing in the kitchen, and, just as obviously, he didn’t care.
Two floor-quaking crashes came from the dining room — “Geronimo!”. . . “Geronimo!”
Russell and Piper had taken the direct route via the hole. “Wha’d ya bring, Dad? Whoppers? Yeah
— Whoppers!”
They tore into the bag like jackals into carrion. Plastic flew, fries flew. They both wanted the
same Whopper. Mashed between their tugging fists, the Whopper splurted sauce and cheese and
pickle chips; then it split. Russell lurched backward into the kitchen table with his half; Piper
lurched backward in the opposite direction, and with nothing to stop him, sailed right through the
cellar doorway and down the cellar steps. The final thud was followed by the truckhorn blast of
Piper’s laughter.
Gil’s
Furniture
Bought & Sold
There is a junk store. An old man owns it. We bought a used refrigerator from him
once, and Carlos sold a box of magazines for a dollar. The store is small with just a dirty
window for light. He doesn’t turn the lights on unless you got money to buy things with, so
in the dark we look and see all kinds of things, me and Nenny. Tables with their feet
upside-down and rows and rows of refrigerators with round corners and couches that spin
dust in the air when you punch them and a hundred T.V.’s that don’t work probably.
Everything is on top of everything so the whole store has skinny aisles to walk through.
You can get lost easy.
The owner, he is a black man who doesn’t talk much and sometimes if you didn’t
know better you could be in there a long time before your eyes notice a pair of gold glasses
floating in the dark. Nenny who thinks she is smart and talks to any old man, asks lots of
questions. Me, I never said nothing to him except once when I bought the Statue of Liberty
for a dime.
But Nenny, I hear her asking one time how’s this here and the man says, This, this is a
music box, and I turn around quick thinking he means a pretty box with flowers painted on
it, with a ballerina inside. Only there’s nothing like that where this old man is pointing, just
a wood box that’s old and got a big brass record in it with holes. Then he starts it up and all
sorts of things start happening. It’s like all of a sudden he let go a million moths all over
the dusty furniture and swan-neck shadows and in our bones. It’s like drops of water. Or
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 62 of 79
like marimbas only with a funny little plucked sound to it like if you were running your
fingers across the teeth of a metal comb.
And then I don’t know why, but I have to turn around and pretend I don’t care about the
box so Nenny won’t see
how stupid I am. But Nenny, who is stupider, already is asking how much and I can
see her fingers going for the quarters in her pants pocket.
This, the old man says shutting the lid, this ain’t for sale.
Scene from: House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
About Angels and Age
This morning, I saw Susan Rosenthal standing in the snow,
in the Blairs’ front yard.
“What are you doing hers, Susannah?” I asked,
smiling at her.
“I’m baby-sitting Louisa,” she answered,
looking responsible.
I felt old.
Louise, bundled to the eyes in snowsuit, mittens
scarf and boots, and completely covered with snow,
sat up and became visible.
“She showed me how to make angels,” she said,
all excitement.
“Did you ever do that in the olden days, Kate?”
I knew I had on the wrong clothes, but I did not feel
that old.
“Just watch me,” I told her and did three perfect ones.
I also got soaked to the skin.
“What on earth have you been doing?” Mother asked
when I came dripping home.
“Being angelic,” I told her.
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 63 of 79
Dialogue from: Hey World Here I Am! by Jean Little.
Smart Remark
When my older sister Marilyn came for a visit,
She spent most of her time trying to make us over
Into some other kind of family.
The kind you see on TV who get all excited and beam
Because they’re having Lipton’s Chicken Noodle Soup
for supper.
The kind who pick to spend the whole day in the new Mall.
The kind who love to do things together and talk nonstop.
The kind we aren’t.
When she said, for the fifteenth time,
“Kate, must you always have your head in a book?”
The worm turned and I snapped, “Yes, I must.
It’s better than having no head
---Like you!”
Dad laughed.
Mother sent me to my room.
Afterward, she said,
“It was clever, Kate. It may even have been true.
But you didn’t have to hurt her.”
“She hurt me!” I complained.
“Did she really?” Mother asked looking me in the eye.
“Oh, I guess not,” I said, thinking back over the visit.
“But she drove me crazy, picking at me…and…”
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 64 of 79
“You wanted to swat her,” Mother finished for me.
So did we all. But you don’t swat butterflies, Kate.”
“If she’s a butterfly, what am I?” I demanded.
“A mosquito,” my father joined in.
“But Marilyn’s not exactly a butterfly, April.
She’s more like a…tent caterpillar.”
Mother laughed.
Why didn’t she send him to his room?
I know why.
He said it when Marilyn couldn’t hear.
In other words, behind her back.
Which makes him a spider?
And Mother….a….a…..
Queen Bee, I suppose.
Dialogue from Hey world, Here I Am!
Mother Has a Talk With Me
“I want to have a talk with you, Katharine,” my mother said.
She never “has talks” with me
And she doesn’t call me Katharine.
“Yes?” I said, on guard, intrigued.
“I’ve been told that you’ve been seeing a lot
of that Nelson boy,” she said.
She sounded slightly nervous. I wanted to laugh.
I only wish the rumor were true.
But I said coolly, “I don’t like some of your friends.
But I don’t consider it my business to mention it.”
“Your sudden disappearances speak volumes,” Mother said,
relaxing,
“And your trapped look when you haven’t made
your getaway in time.”
I laughed and told her the truth.
“I really like Dave Nelson. So does every other girl in school.
But he hardly knows I’m Alive.”
Mother gave me a long, thoughtful look.
“Maybe we should see about having your hair
properly styled,” she said.
My mouth dropped open.
“Well,” Mother said, going pink,
“I don’t want you conspicuous but
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 65 of 79
I don’t want you invisible either, Kate!”
I went to bed confused---but mostly amused at Mother.
Dialogue from Hey World, Here I Am! By Jean Little
And Some More
The Eskimos got thirty different names for snow, I
say. I read it in a book.
got a cousin, Rachel says. She got three different
names.
There ain’t thirty different kinds of snow, Lucy says.
There are two kinds. The clean kind and the dirty kind,
clean and dirty. Only two.
There are a million zillion kinds, says Nenny. No two
exactly alike. Only how do you remember which one is
which?
She got three last names and, let me see, two first
names. One in English and one in Spanish...
And clouds got at least ten different names, I say.
Names for clouds? Nenny asks. Names just like you and me?
That up there, that’s cumulus, and everybody looks up.
Cumulus are cute, Rachel says. She would say something like that.
What’s
that
one
there?
Nenny
asks,
pointing
a
finger.
That’s cumulus too. They’re all cumulus today. Cumulus, cumulus, cumulus.
No, she says. That there is Nancy, otherwise known as Pig-eye. And over there her
cousin
Mildred,
and
little
Joey,
Marco,
Nereida
and
Sue.
There are all different kinds of clouds. How many different kinds of clouds can you
think
of?
Well, there’s these already that look like shaving cream…
And what about the kind that looks like you combed its hair? Yes, those are
clouds
too.
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 66 of 79
Phyllis, Ted, Alfredo and Julie…
There are clouds that look like big fields of sheep, Rachel says. Them are my
favorite.
And don’t forget nimbus the rain cloud, I add, that’s something.
Jose and Dagoberto, Alicia, Raul, Edna, Alma and Rickey...
There’s that wide puffy cloud that looks like your face when you wake up after
falling asleep with all your clothes on.
Reynaldo, Angelo, Albert, Armando, Mario...
Not my face. Looks like your fat face.
Rita, Margie, Ernie...
Whose fat face? Esperanza’s fat face, that’s who. Looks like Esperanza’s ugly
face when she comes to school in the morning.
Anita, Stella, Dennis, and Lob...
Who you calling ugly, ugly?
Richie, Yolanda, Hector, Stevie, Vincent...
Not you. Your mama, that’s who.
My mama? You better not be saying that, Lucy Guerrero. You better not be talking
like that... else you can say goodbye to being my friend forever.
I’m saying your mama’s ugly like.. . ummm...
…like bare feet in September!
That does it! Both of yous better get out of my yard
before I call my brothers.
Oh, we’re only playing.
I can think of thirty Eskimo words for you, Rachel.
Thirty words that say what you are.
Oh yeah, well I can think of some more.
Uh-oh, Nenny. Better get the broom. Too much trash
in our yard today.
Frankie, Licha, Maria, Pee Wee...
Nenny, you better tell your sister she is really crazy
because Lucy and me are never coming back here again.
Forever.
Reggie, Elizabeth, Lisa, Louie...
You can do what you want to do, Nenny, but you
better not talk to Lucy or Rachel if you want to be my sister.
You know what you are, Esperanza? You are like the
Cream of Wheat cereal. You’re like the lumps.
Yeah, and you’re foot fleas, that’s you.
Chicken lips.
Rosemary, Dalia, Lily...
Cockroach jelly.
Jean, Geranium and Joe...
Cold frijoles.
Mimi, Michael, Moe...
Our mama’a frijoles.
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 67 of 79
Your ugly mama’s toes.
That’s stupid.
Bebe, Blanca, Benny…
Who’s stupid?
Rachel. Lucy, Esperanza, and Nenny.
Dialogue from House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
Maniac Magee p. 87-89
Grayson had a way of jumping into a subject without warning; it was during Maniac’s
dessert that he abruptly said, “Them black people, they eat mashed potatoes, too?”
Maniac thought he was kidding, then he realized he wasn’t. “Sure. Mrs. Beale used to
have potatoes a lot, mashed and every other way. ‘
“Mrs. Who?”
“Mrs. Beale. Do you know the Beales? Of seven twenty-eight Sycamore Street?”
The old man shook his head.
“Well, they were my family. I had a mother and father and a little brother and sister
and a sister my age and a dog. My own room, too.”
Grayson stared out the diner window, as if digesting this information. “How ‘bout
meatloaf?”
“Huh?”
“They eat that, too?”
“Sure, meatloaf too. And peas. And corn. You name it.”
“Cake?”
Maniac beamed. “Oh, man! You kidding? Mrs. Beale makes the best cakes in the
world.”
Grayson’s eyes narrowed. “Toothbrushes? They use them?”
Maniac fought not to smile. “Absolutely. We all had our toothbrushes hanging in the
bathroom.”
“I know that,” said Grayson, impatient, “but is theirs the same? As ours?”
“No difference that I could see.”
“You didn’t drink out the same glass.”
“Absolutely, we did.”
This information seemed to shock the old man. Maniac laid down his fork. “Grayson,
they’re just regular people, like us.”
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 68 of 79
“I was never in a house of theirs.”
“Well, I’m telling you, it’s the same. There’s bathtubs and refrigerators and rugs and
TVs and beds...’’
Grayson was wagging his head. “Ain’t that somethin’….ain’t that somethin’…”
Dialogue from Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
“To The Moon”
“Man, did you see how far he hit that ball?! He almost got it over the
center field fence,” the young, freckle-faced ballplayer said.
“Ahh, that’s nothing! You should’ve seen the homer I hit the other day that
DID clear the fence. It put a dent in the scoreboard over there,” another kid
popped between bubblegum bubbles and silly smiles.
“A dent in the scoreboard, huh? That’s not too bad for a rook. But listen, I
once hit a ball so hard it cleared the fence AND the trees behind it, “ said
another kid wearing his baseball cap backward and swinging a couple of
bats.
“The trees…that’s it? Listen kid, I once hit a ball so far that not only did I
clear the fence AND the trees, the ball hit a telephone pole and put a hole in
it. That’s right, a hole. About the size of a fist. My fist…see! You can’t even
see the pole from here, that’s how far it is,” offered an older player furiously
punching the center of his catcher’s mitt.
“A hole in a telephone pole? I don’t know about that. But I do know that I
once hit a ball so hard and so high that it just kept going up and up and up
and up and up and by the time it finally came down, it was all wet from
dropping through rain clouds,” a husky-voiced ballplayer added as he stood
on the seeps, staring at the sky.
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 69 of 79
“You guys are just talking loud and saying nothing! I once hit a ball so
hard that it not only went past the fence, past the trees, AND past the pole, it
sailed past your ball dropping through the rain clouds and said, “’Look at
me, I’m going to the moon! I’m going to the moon!’” a voice boomed from
high atop a mountain of chiseled chest and shoulders.
Dialogue from Diamond Life by Charles R. Smith Jr.
Hot Rolls
Every Sunday morning, Mama cooked a special breakfast. Beefsteak or pork
chops, something like that. She and Papa had coffee or tea, and we had
Postum. And rolls. Mama could make the best old rolls, they were some
kind of good!
Before we could start eating, though, Papa had to pray. We would get
down on our knees and rest our elbows on our chairs, and Papa would pray
for a long time. Too long. I wasn’t thinking about praying, I was thinking
about eating.
Good old hot rolls with homemade butter and homemade preserves. As
soon as I’d finish one I’d say, “Mama, thank you for another roll,” and she’d
put one on my plate. I’d keep on until Papa said, “Little duckie” ----that’s
what he called us----“Little duckie,” he’d say, “if you eat any more, you
won’t be able to get out of your chair.” And that would be the end of that.
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 70 of 79
Vignette from Childtimes by Eloise Greenfield
Mama Sewing
I don’t know why Mama ever sewed for me. She sewed for other people,
made beautiful dresses and suits and blouses, and got paid for doing it. But I
don’t know why she sewed for me. I was so mean.
It was all right in the days when she had to make my dresses a little
longer in the front than in the back to make up for the way I stood, with my
legs pushed back and my stomach stuck out. I was little then, and I trusted
Mama. But when I got older, I worried.
Mama would turn the dress on the wrong side and slide it over my head,
being careful not to let the pins stick me. She’d kneel on the floor with her
pin cushion, fitting the dress on me, and I’d look down at that dress, at that
lopsided, raw-edged, half-basted, half-pinned thing---and know that it was
never going to look like anything. So I’d pout while Mama frowned and
sighed and kept on pinning.
Sometimes she would sew all night, and in the morning I’d have a
perfectly beautiful dress, just right for the school program or the party. I’d
put it on, and I’d be so ashamed of the way I had acted. I’d be too ashamed
to say I was sorry.
But Mama knew.
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 71 of 79
Vignette from Childtimes by Eloise Greenfield
First in Line
Seems like everything good that happens in my house happens in my
momma’s kitchen. Like the day Nadene burst in waving a letter over her
head.
“I got it!” she yelled. “I got it!”
“What?” I shouted back. “What did you get?”
Nadene held the letter over her heart and closed her eyes.
She read the whole thing without even looking at it:
“Dear Miss Jefferies:
I am pleased to inform you that you have been accepted
to our university on a four-year scholarship….”
We did a dance around Nadene. Momma and Daddy hugged each other real
tight. Then Nadene got out her clarinet and played Daddy’s favorite song,
“This Little Light of Mine.” Daddy sang a made-up song about Nadene
being the first person in our family to go to college:
“This little daughter of mine,
First in the family line.
This little daughter of mine,
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 72 of 79
She’s made it to college time.
This little daughter of mine,
First to be in line,
Going to college,
Going to college,
I felt so proud, I stood on a chair and saluted her.
Vignette from In My Momma’s Kitchen by Jerdine Nolen
The Wedding
My Friend Naomi made all the plans. We held Emma’s wedding in the
sunniest part of Momma’s kitchen, right under the window. We marched her
down the aisle between Momma’s African violets.
Janie was supposed to be the groom, but she squirmed and meowed and
wiggled out of her wedding clothes.
Then she hid behind the stove. We had the reception anyway: tea cakes
and ice-cold buttermilk. The groom came back when she saw the buttermilk.
Vignette from In My Momma’s Kitchen by Jerdine Nolen
Winter and the Gran Lee
In winter when I come home from school, the warm kitchen fogs the
windows. I hug Momma from behind, and she says, “Hello, Sweet Potato
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 73 of 79
Pie. How was school today?” Then she drops a taste of peach cobbler into
my mouth, and peach juice dribbles down my chin.
“Stand close to Gran Lee and warm the shivers off,” she tells me. Then
we talk about my day while she stirs a pot of greens, turns the frying
chicken, and mixes a bowl of corn-bread batter.
Chum, chum, chum, chum, Momma’s wooden spoon scrapes against the
bowl. But before she can put the corn bread into the oven, she jiggles and
shakes the door handle.
“I don’t think I’ll remind Daddy that the handle is still broken,” she says
to me.
I smile. Gran Lee was Momma’s momma’s stove, and she doesn’t want a
new one. Neither do I.
Vignette from In My Momma’s Kitchen by Jerdine Nolen
Nighttime Serenades
Sometimes in the middle of the night I wake up. When the house is dark and
quiet, I can count the ticks of the clock. Four hundred ninety-three…four
hundred ninety-four…
I go into the kitchen for something to eat. Sometimes Daddy and Janie are
already there. We sit and snack together on whatever we like. Sometimes we
make sandwiches out of leftovers and have ice cream and cookies. We
giggle and munch and try not to wake the others. We talk in whispers and
make big gestures, but Daddy isn’t all that good at being quiet.
Clang, bang, a lid falls on the floor. Soon Momma and Nadene are in the
kitchen too, and Daddy doesn’t have to whisper anymore.
“Now that we are all here, how about a story?” Daddy asks. Then he
starts the way he always starts: “When I was a little boy down on the
farm…”
After the story come songs. Daddy calls them “Serenades for Sleepless
Nights.”
We sit around the table talking and singing and laughing just like that’s
what everybody does in the middle of the night.
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 74 of 79
And when I finally start to yawn, I know for sure that everything good
that happens in my house happens in my momma’s kitchen.
Vignette from In My Momma’s Kitchen by Jerdine Nolen
Laughter
Nenny and I don’t look like sisters.., not right away. Not the way you can tell with
Rachel and Lucy who have the same fat popsicle lips like everybody else in their
family. But me and Nenny, we are more alike than you would know. Our laughter for
example. Not the shy ice cream bells’ giggle of Rachel and Lucy’s family, but all of a
sudden and surprised like a pile of dishes breaking. And other things I can’t explain.
One day we were passing a house that looked, in my mind, like houses I had seen
in Mexico. I don’t know why. There was nothing about the house that looked exactly
like the houses I remembered. I’m not even sure why I thought it, but it seemed to feel
right.
Look at that house, I said, it looks like Mexico.
Rachel and Lucy look at me like I’m crazy, but before they can let out a laugh,
Nenny says: Yes, that’s Mexico all right. That’s what I was thinking exactly.
Vignette from House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 75 of 79
Darius
& the C1ouds
You can never have too much sky. You can fall asleep and wake up drunk on sky, and
sky can keep you safe when you are sad. Here there is too much sadness and not enough
sky. Butterflies too are few and so are flowers and most things that are beautiful. Still, we
take what we can get and make the best of it.
Darius, who doesn’t like school, who is sometimes stupid and mostly a fool, said
something wise today, though most days he says nothing. Darius, who chases girls with
firecrackers or a stick that touched a rat and thinks he’s tough, today pointed up because
the world was full of clouds, the kind like pillows.
You all see that cloud, that fat one there? Darius said, See that? Where? That one next
to the one that look like popcorn. That one there. See that. That’s God. Darius said. God?
somebody little asked. God, he said, and made it simple.
Vignette from House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
Annie’s Collage Essay
Mya and Trooper
We got Trooper first, so I know the little fluff-ball pretty well.
Trooper plays rough, but he’d never bite someone on purpose.
Mya was a surprise from my parents, but we knew who the
other puppy was when we opened the gate. Mya was really shy
when we got her, but now she’s a lot more friendly to strangers.
I’ve been with Bernese Mountain dogs all of my life, except for
when I was one year old, so you can tell that Trooper and Mya are
very special to me.
We used to have a dog named Gus, but after he couldn’t walk
very well we got Trooper. After Gus died we kept Trooper, but my
parents secretly decided to adopt Trooper’s sister ivy. When we
got her we changed her name to Mya.
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 76 of 79
They are one year old, and their birthday is around the end of
May, but even after 12 Mays have gone by we’ll still love them the
same. Maybe even more.

The fence is small compared to the maple tree whose leaves
have turned brown and orange. There are small cracks in the fence,
so I can see Trooper jumping up and down. His big brown eyes
glisten in the light. I can also see Mya running down the porch.
Excitement splashed across her face.
The leaves crunch under their feet as they run around the yard.
Through the fence cracks they look like blurs of black, white, and
brown running across the ground.
The house looks welcoming and warm because the wind blows
hard and bitterly at the leaves that roll across the ground.
The sky matches the unwelcoming wind. It is gray and foggy.
Very few birds can be seen except for a flock of geese, shaped into
a V.
The puppies become clearer because they’re closer to the fence.
Their faces bright up with great Anticipation as the gate opens.

Trooper’s face appears in the window on the door. It is soon
accompanied by Mya. Trooper’s head tilts in a curious way while
his big brown eyes dart from me to the door. He yelps in his cute
puppy way even though he’s as big as a baby bear. His furry
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 77 of 79
eyebrows rise, and tilt. His brown, white, and black fur shines in
the light of the sun.
Mya dances in circles just like she’s going to pee. She too,
barks in a silly puppy way. Her eyebrows are surrounded by black
and white fur. They move up and down. She looks at me almost
contemptuously, but it’s more anxious than anything.
As I finally approach the door Trooper is jumping so high he’s
taller than me, and Mya is definitely going to wet herself. As I
open the door I can already feel Trooper’s paws on my shoulders.
Getting my shirt dirty and pushing me down.

“Now, Trooper where does this go?”
My dad walks in from the porch. He sets Mya’s dish on the
corner. Then Mya attacks it like it’s her prey, and she’s a lion.
Trooper follows my dad over to the door.
“Susie, Come over here and watch this,” my dad tells my mom.
“Now, Trooper where does this go? He asks Trooper. Trooper
takes his nose up to the dish, and points to the floor. As Trooper
does this my dad says, “Down there?”
He goes on, “Where does this go, hmmm?”
“It goes down there you stupid human!” Trooper thinks to
himself as his nose shifts towards the floor.
“Come on, boy! Now where does this go?” my dad asks while
he gets Trooper hungrier.
“Stupid human! Now it goes down there!” Trooper thinks
while he jumps up and tries to teach the food.
“Come on, Todd, Just let him eat,” my mom urges.
“O.K. Here you go Troops,” my dad says while he sets the dish
down.
“That’s why I like the long haired ones better!” Trooper thinks.
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 78 of 79

Bernese Mountain dogs are so important to me. Trooper and
Mya help me realize how much I love dogs. I love Trooper and
Mya.
Annie –6th grade
Accelerated Literacy Learning, Copyright 2006-2007
Educators in NYC Region 10 working with Accelerated Literacy Learning may duplicate this document for
instructional purposes only.
VERSION 2.0
Page 79 of 79