The readers I taught were the age of the characters I’d create. With bookshelves along every wall of the classroom, I was literally surrounded by children’s literature. I found that I’m good at discovering new skills and interests by stumbling into them.) I was in the right place at the right time to turn an idea into a book. (Neither teaching nor sign language interpreting had been part of my plan either, but those were two careers I’d taken on. I’d never thought about being an author and didn’t know how to go about writing a book and getting it published, but I’d figure that out. I kept thinking about this story, and started thinking maybe it would have a broader appeal than just my classroom. As much as I love elephants, this is one way we shouldn’t emulate them (if they really do give up forever after failing at something).Īs I wrote that first book, one chapter at a time, I thought about what would keep my students turning pages. At first, I was thinking I’d like to write a story about a captive elephant and read it to my students. Decades later, that same rope or chain still holds the elephant in place because it doesn’t know it could easily break free having failed before, the elephant won’t try again. But when it finally gives up, it gives up forever. I got the idea for my first novel, Chained, after hearing that a captured elephant calf will struggle at first to break free from its ropes or chains. If our time together taught these reluctant readers to enjoy reading, that’s my greatest accomplishment as a teacher. I knew by their faces and the pleas for “just one more chapter” that they loved the reading experience. I don’t know how many Margaret Peterson Haddix books I read to the students, but they were always ready for more. Through read-alouds, we did get to enjoy some stories together. I loved introducing students to some of my favorite books and discovering new favorites with them. Then the students would scatter and find a place to read the book they’d selected, and I’d make my rounds to conference with each student about their reading. We’d spend a few minutes discussing how to choose a just-right book or what to do when you don’t understand what you’ve read, for example. The class period started with the group all together, for mini lessons about skills every reader needs. Because the reading levels in the class ranged from kindergarten through third grade, I had each student choose a book to read and discuss with me, rather than doing whole-group lessons about one book.

Chained book by lynne kelly