Project involving guest speakers

1. Kai Strand’s Worth the
Effort: Ella’s Story
LET’S PREPARE OUR INTERVIEW!

2. Fun Facts about Kai Strand
 She reads over 100 books a year (and calls it
research)
 She has lived in the states of Wisconsin, California,
and Oregon
 She spent six weeks in France when she was 13
 One of her favorite benefits of being a writer is
working in her pajamas
 Her favorite food is pizza, favorite season is spring,
favorite music – anything by Mozart
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Kai in August 78 with her friend
under the Eiffel Tower 

3. Kai Strand
 Kai Strand writes fiction for kids and teens. Her debut novel,
The Weaver, was an EPIC eBook Award finalist. King of Bad
soared to the publisher's #1 spot its second month. She is a
(very lucky) wife and the mother of four kids. The most
common sound in her household is laughter. The second
most common is, "Do your dishes!" Kai and her family hike,
geocache and canoe in Central Oregon, where they call
home. (Source)
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4. Her works and awards
 The Weaver, EPIC eBook Award finalist
 Worth the Effort (series)
 The Weaver Tales (series)
 Super Villain Academy (series)
 Beware of the White
 Finding Thor
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5. The excerpt: chapter 10 from Worth The
Effort: Ella’s Story
I turn down a side street, which leads to the alley. It isn’t as well lit as Tower Street. I speed
walk, both because of the cold, and because of the dawning of my vulnerability. As I leave the
glow of the main street, shadows in doorways appear more ominous, and the darkness behind
light posts seems to shift like phantoms. It draws my eyes from one to the next, until I know I
look scared and paranoid. My feet feel numb, though whether from the cold or from fear I’m
not sure.
When I turn into the alley, coldness creeps under my collar and teases the back of my neck.
It oozes up under the cuffs of my coat and snakes along the sleeves of my sweater, dipping in
through the large cable knit. Goosebumps rise across my skin, even under my heavy layers of
clothing.
I run the half a block to reach the back door of Read Between the Beans, hissing, “Ayden.”
There’s no response. I search the shadows beyond the pale light over the restaurant door,
but there’s no sign of him.
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6. Analysis : reminder
Annotate the excerpt! devices,
 Themes,
 Motifs,
 Tone, diction, syntax,
 Allusions,
 Imagery and
 Symbolism…
 Jot down your notes on this Google Doc.
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7. Focus on the following questions…
 This is an excerpt from a genre we
have not studied.
 What is the genre of this novella?
 What must have happened before the
passage?
 Imagine what is going to happen just
after the passage: write a 10-line
paragraph. You need to study the
author’s original style in order to copy
it. Share your work on this Google
Doc.
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8. Skype Interview
 Prepare questions about
 Kai Strand,
 Her influences,
 Her creative process,
 The excerpt you have studied…
 Be creative, original and personal!
 Share your questions and ideas on this Google doc.
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9. Bibliography
 http://www.kaistrand.com/
 https://www.facebook.com/KaiStrandAuthor/
 https://twitter.com/KaiStrand
 Whiskey Creek Press
 Blog post
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