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 NEW!
The Sandman
Ralph Fletcher; illustrations by Richard Cowdrey
$16.95 Hardcover
A tiny man named Tor grinds down a dragon's scale and sprinkles
magic dust in the eyes of children to help them sleep. But how does he
get the scale to make his special sand? He must venture into the lair of
a dragon! Ralph Fletcher and Richard Cowdrey team up to tell this
fantastical tale of the legendary Sandman.
Read the review in School Library Journal:
"This fabulous story
explains the origins of the Sandman. Tor is a tiny fellow who finds a
dragon's scale. Taking it home to his workshop, he studies it and then
starts to sharpen it. The dust that gathers makes him fall asleep. Once
awake, it's a small leap for him to imagine how helpful this dust will
be to all who suffer from sleeplessness, especially children. Fletcher's
smoothly written story flows in a thoroughly plausible way and is
beautifully served by Cowdrey's vibrant acrylic paintings. Especially
intriguing are the wonderful details, like Tor's mouse-drawn carriage
made out of buttons. The old-fashioned look is refreshingly
straightforward, and free of adult-oriented nostalgia. All in all, this
is a compelling story with pictures that add drama, charm, and
atmosphere."--Lauralynn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL.
 How to Write Your
Life Story:
by Ralph Fletcher
$15.99 Hardcover
$5.99 Paperback
*You have to be a famous celebrity.
*You must have an amazing life.
*You can't write your life story until you're old and gray.
*Nobody will read it, so what's the point?
Like my other books for young writers, this one will give tons of practical advice on how you can write your autobiography, memoir, or personal narrative. I include interviews with other well-known authors (Jerry Spinelli, Jack Gantos, Kathi Appelt) who have written this kind of writing.
It's an odd thing with autobiographical writing. You may be the world's best expert on your life, but through this process you'll learn a great deal bout yourself. When you write your life story, you're always an explorer, forever arriving on the shore of yourself. Bon voyage!
 The One O'Clock Chop
By Ralph Fletcher
$16.95 Hardcover
It's the summer of 1973 and fourteen-year-old Matt spends his days on a boat working as a clam digger. His nights are another story--he hangs out with his free-spirited cousin Jazzy who's visiting from Hawaii (and just happens to be beautiful). Matt can't deny that his affection for Jazzy moves beyond a crush, and everyone knows you can't fall in love with your cousin. Just when Matt decides to act on his feelings, Jazzy does something that changes everything between them.
Like the One O'Clock Chop--the strong breeze that blows across the Long Island Sound--Matt's summer proves to be as inevitable as a force of nature. Cost: 16.95
 Reflections:
Author at Work
by Ralph Fletcher
64 page paperback
Richard C. Owens Publishers, Inc.
$8. 00
In this book Ralph Fletcher reveals the inside workings and crafting processes that allowed him to write well-known books like Fig Pudding, Flying Solo, and Twilight Comes Twice. The Table of Contents: 1) My Missing Manuscript 2) Deep Roots 3) Early Writing 4) My Writer's Notebook 5) Drafting 6) Revising 7) Fig Pudding 8) Conversation with Ralph Fletcher 8) The Best Award. Get to know Ralph up close and personal. Includes lots of photographs of the author and artifacts from his notebook. This is an essential resource for kids or teachers conducting an author study.
 Boy Writers: Reclaiming Their Voices
by Ralph Fletcher
Stenhouse $17.50 paperback
Writing test scores indicate that boys have fallen far behind girls across the grades. In general, boys don't enjoy writing as much as girls. What's wrong? How can we do a better of job of creating boy-friendly classrooms so their voices can be heard?
In Boy Writers: Reclaiming Their Voices Ralph Fletcher draws upon his years of experience as staff developer, children's book author, and father of four boys. He also taps the insights from dozens of writing teachers around the US and abroad. Boy Writers asks teachers to imagine the writing classroom from a boy's perspective, and consider specific steps we might take to create stimulating classrooms for boys.
Topic choice emerges as a crucial issue. The subjects many boys like to write about (war, weapons, outlandish fiction, zany or bathroom humor) often do not get a warm reception from teachers. Ralph argues that we must widen the circle and give boys more choice if we want to engage them as writers. How? We must begin by recognizing boys and the world in which they live. Boy Writers explores important questions such as:
a. What subjects are boy writers passionate about, and what motivates them as writers?
b. Why do boys like to incorporate violence into their stories, and how much should be allowed?
c. Why do we so often misread and misunderstand the humor boys include in their stories?
In addition, the book looks at: how handwriting can hamstring boy writers, and how drawing may help; welcoming boy-friendly writing genres in our classrooms; ways to improve our conferring with boys; and more.
Each chapter begins with a thorough discussion of a topic and ends with a highly practical section titled: What can I do in my classroom? Boy Writers does not advocate promoting the interests of boys at the expense of girls. Rather, it argues that developing sensitivity to the unique facets of boy writers will help teachers better address the needs of all their students.
 Moving Day
by Ralph Fletcher
Illustrated by Jennifer Emery
Boyds Mills Press $17.95
$9.99 Paperback
We're going to move to Ohio. Those six poisonous words suddenly turn the world of twelve-year-old Fletch upside down. In two weeks he will say goodbye to his friends and leave behind that pretty girl with the dark dark eyes. Longing fills the time before moving day as Fletch yearns to keep life just the way it is. Even defrosting the freezer is hard; a thick white layer of sadness covers everything. Fletch wonders that when he moves he won't be from anywhere. He'll be just a tumbleed blowing across a dusty road. These heartfelt, autobiographical poems are beautifully illustrated by Jennifer Emery and speak to anyone who has experienced a move from a beloved home.
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