| I Am a Pencil: A Teacher, His Kids, and Their World of Stories Contributor(s): Swope, Sam (Author) |
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ISBN: 0805078517 ISBN-13: 9780805078510 Publisher: Holt Paperbacks OUR PRICE: $21.59 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: July 2005 Annotation: "Swope's marvelous, moving book revives the teaching memoir . . . And takes it to new realms of tenderness, insight and humanity." -Phillip Lopate In 1995, writer Sam Swope gave a workshop to a third-grade class in a Queens school bursting at the seams with kids from around the world. So enchanted was he with his twenty-eight students that he "adopted" the class for three years, teaching them to write stories and poems. "I Am a Pencil "is the story of his years with this very special group of students. It is as funny, warm, heartbreaking, and hopeful as the children themselves. Swope follows his colorful troop of resilient writers from grades three to five, coaxing out their stories, watching talents blossom, explode, and sometimes fizzle. We meet Cindy (whose mom was a Taoist priestess), Brian (who cannot seem to tell the truth), and Lourdes (a wacky Dominican chatterbox). Preparing his students for a world of adult dangers, Swope is astonished by their courage, their humanity, and most of all, their strength." I Am a Pencil "is a book about the power and magic of imagination, providing a unique window on the immigrant experience as seen through the lives of children. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Biography & Autobiography | Educators - Education | Philosophy, Theory & Social Aspects - Education | Multicultural Education |
| Dewey: B |
| Physical Information: 0.8" H x 5.4" W x 8.5" (0.85 lbs) 320 pages |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Swope's marvelous, moving book revives the teaching memoir . . . And takes it to new realms of tenderness, insight and humanity. -Phillip Lopate In 1995, writer Sam Swope gave a workshop to a third-grade class in a Queens school bursting at the seams with kids from around the world. So enchanted was he with his twenty-eight students that he adopted the class for three years, teaching them to write stories and poems. I Am a Pencil is the story of his years with this very special group of students. It is as funny, warm, heartbreaking, and hopeful as the children themselves. Swope follows his colorful troop of resilient writers from grades three to five, coaxing out their stories, watching talents blossom, explode, and sometimes fizzle. We meet Cindy (whose mom was a Taoist priestess), Brian (who cannot seem to tell the truth), and Lourdes (a wacky Dominican chatterbox). Preparing his students for a world of adult dangers, Swope is astonished by their courage, their humanity, and most of all, their strength. I Am a Pencil is a book about the power and magic of imagination, providing a unique window on the immigrant experience as seen through the lives of children. |
Contributor Bio(s): Swope, Sam: - Sam Swope is the author of The Araboolies of Liberty Street, Gotta Go! Gotta Go! and I Am a Pencil. He lives in New York City. |