As we eagerly anticipate the first Field Trip of the new year here in Mar Vista, we look back at one of the last books written from last year in this latest installment of Field Trip Book of the Week.
Ms. Danieri brought her fourth graders to Barnacle & Barnacle Publishers, expecting a full day of learning about the finer points of the publishing industry (like how to get the best price points on binding strips). Suddenly, the students were beset by sounds of wailing coming through our microphone system. It was Mr. Barnacle! Larry, his favorite pet llama, was feeling homesick for his native mountains.
The fourth graders sprang into action. Making use of techniques like alliteration, onomatopoeia, and personification, they wrote Larry and Mr. Barnacle three sets of poems–a class-created list poem, a set of odes written in small groups, and finally individually-crafted narrative poems each specifically designed to cheer up a homesick llama. Mr. Barnacle was so moved, he published the resulting book of poetry, “Feel Better Larry” & Other Poems for a Llama Missing the Mountains, on the spot, and each student got to take home a copy. Now, we are excited to highlight it as our Field Trip Book of the Week!
A big thank you to the team of volunteers from Team One, who adopted this Field Trip as part of their monthly volunteering program, and helped make this book possible, including: Rachel King, Kimberly Lawrence, Mike Worrell, Robin Watkins, Melinda Magallanes, Jane Greenstein, Joel Dons, Janet Anderson, Priyanka Sah. Thanks also to Manny Luis, who played our bereaved publisher Mr. Barnacle.
Students followed up these outstanding odes with their own narrative poems, modeled after If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. What would you give a homesick llama?
Students participate in field trips like these up to four times a week at both of our centers in Los Angeles, and carry the experience of being a published author with them for ages to come.
If you are a LAUSD teacher and would like to bring your students in for a Field Trip and an unforgettable writing experience like this, you can find more information here.
If you are a prospective volunteer and you would like to join in on the fun we have here in the 826LA writing lab, please read about our volunteering opportunities here.
If you are already one of our wonderful volunteers, and would like to see what Field Trips to 826LA are all about, email Kenny (Echo Park) or email Mike (Mar Vista) and read more about our Field Trip Program here.