Two great opportunities for students to write and connect with authors | Mentoring in the Middle

Two great opportunities for students to write and connect with authors

It can be hard to keep kids interested in writing.  But what if there were a place that challenged your students with word sprints or dares?  Or places where they can watch their peers challenge authors about their books?

National Novel Writing Month

NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) has been around for more than 20 years, but only recently started working with young writers. The premise is that you write a novel in 30 days.

Because the challenge is set for November, and because that doesn't always work with teachers' schedules,. the site is open year-round.  And it's free.  

There are all kinds of fun motivations - letters from authors like Lemony Snicket and Neil Gaiman, Youtube pep talks, and more.  It's worth checking out!

Author-Fan Face Off

This is another fun idea!  A student faces off against an author around the information in just one of the author's books.  Who knows more about the book, the student or the author?  

All of the face-offs are on Youtube.  Here's the first one, with Chris Grabenstein of Mr. Lemoncello's Library Fame, going against a 5th grader from a school in upstate New York.

See if either of these would work in your classroom to turn your students on to good books and good writing!

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