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MOWMT Day #7: Molly Ippolito Hooks with Books

HOW TO HOOK WITH YOUR BOOK - A TEACHER’S PERSPECTIVE

A 3 part guide showing authors how to hook students with their writing

by Molly Ippolito

PART 1: Make Your Writing MEMORABLE!


Create Memorable Characters

It’s easy to say “make your writing memorable.” But how exactly do you do that? In my experiences, the kinds of stories that have really captured students are stories with loveable characters. As you write, think about what makes your main character memorable. If you’re struggling, think of characters in pop culture that children love. Baby Shark, Spongebob, Big Bird, or Mr. Rogers. Whether it’s a catchy song, a silly dance, a teachable moment, or a kind heart, generations have shown time and time again that memorable characters stick around.


Use Memorable Words

Equally important are the words you choose. Kids are wild about FUN stories. This is where trusty ol’ figurative language comes into play! You can jazz up your words with a few sound effects, a double dose of alliteration, or even a goofy metaphor. The queen of figurative language is the talented Margie Palatini. Her story Sweet Tooth includes a perfect example of personification, as the main character is a cantankerous tooth. With every page flip you see sound words, alliteration, imagery, funny puns, and vivid illustrations. Honestly, any story written by Margie is great for crafting memorable words.



Include Memorable Teaching Experiences

In the same way that authors use mentor texts to write stories, teachers use mentor texts to explicitly teach academic skills. For example, at the start of each school year I like to read The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires to teach students what having a growth mindset means. I can refer back to this story throughout the year when things are difficult. This is just one social-emotional lesson in a whole year worth of lessons. Really think about how to make your story a memorable moment in a teacher’s planbook.


PART 2: Make Students an ACTIVE Part of Your Story!

Strategies For Making Students a Central, Active Role

In these video-game driven, social media controlled, instant gratification obsessed times, teachers have to compete so much for their students’ attention. The same can be said for authors. What’s going to make a student choose to pick up your book rather than their gaming console? In my experiences, I’ve found that stories that make readers an active part hold more attention than those that don’t. Below is a list of ways to make students a central, active part of your story.

  1. Use repeating refrains and predictable language (On Account of the Gum by Adam Rex)

  2. Plan for thoughtful page turns that promote inferring skills (Bug on the Rug by Sophia Gholz)

  3. Think about how the illustrations will grab and excite readers (Pruett & Soo by Nancy Vaiu)

  4. Include teachable moments along the way (The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson)

  5. Make the problem REAL (Santiago’s Dinosaurios by Mariana Ríos Ramírez)

  6. Include interesting vocabulary (Pando by Kate Allen Fox)

  7. Invite students into a new culture or world (The Tree of Hope by Anna Orenstein-Cardona)

  8. Structure your story in a different way (They All Saw a Cat by Brendan Wenzel)

  9. Include jokes students can ask/answer (National Geographic)

  10. Include an interesting point of view (Who Would Win?)



PART 3: Don’t be Afraid to Take RISKS!

Take Risks with Your Words


The teacher in me says - take all the risks! Because, it’s only through these risks that we reach new heights. Unsure if the language you’re using is appropriate for students? Let’s remember that picture books are often read by an adult to children. If the language is distracting, difficult to explain, or inappropriate… it’s better to pass. But, if it enhances your story, promotes discussion, and provides a context for new learning… go for it! Teachers host what are called “Interactive Read Alouds,” where they stop throughout a story and open the floor to discussion. Some of the best interactive read aloud texts introduce new words that lead to wonderful class-wide discussions.


Take Risks with Your Concepts


This brings me to my next point. Don’t underestimate the power of kids. Unsure if the content you’re including is too high for kids to grasp? Kids are SMART. I was reminded of this the other day when my daughter stopped to take in the gray sky, spitting pitter patters of rain. She looked at me and said, “Mama, today looks sad!” How did my 4 year old know about colors, mood, and symbolism to come up with such an abstract, beautiful thought? I also want to point out that students that struggle as readers, don’t always struggle as thinkers. Learning to read is HARD WORK. So, when teachers read stories aloud, students don’t have to work as hard at decoding the text and can focus more brain power on the fun part… the thought behind the words. So, if you’re wondering if kids will “get it,” take the risk!


Bio: Molly Ippolito is an elementary educator and mama to two beautiful girls. She’s a member of SCBWI and co-host and founder of the #KidLitVibes writing contest. She has words in the Spring ’22 issue of Little Thoughts Press and is actively seeking agent representation for her lyrical, non-fiction, and humorous stories. Molly’s also set out on a new business venture–creating educational resources for authors to promote their stories. She’s a licensed K-9 educator with a Masters Degree in Digital Literacies. The educational resources she creates are aligned to Common Core State Standards & Next Generation Science Standards. She also offers web design and logo creation services. You can check out her creations on her website (mollyippolitowrites@gmail.com).


Social Media Links


Prize: Winners choice of: (1) an educational resource to help promote the launch of a newly published or soon to be published PB, (2) a new author logo design, or (3) a PB critique (Non-rhyming, less than 1,000 words)


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NOTE: As you comment on each post, please note whether you have shared this post, bought the book for yourself or as a gift, whether you have followed our guest blogger or Rate Your Story on social media (and where), as well as whether you have left a review of the guest blogger's book (and where) for extra entries (for each show of support) and to be eligible for surprise prizes.


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