Angela's Notebook
Grades 1-5 and 6-9, Language Arts; Ten 30-minute episodes.

Episodes #101-106 are for elementary grades, and #107-110 for middle and high school grades. Lesson Plan and Bibliographies for suggested readings are available at www.divapro.com.

Children have become more and more interested in the writing process and they love the whole concept of making a book. Because of the movement in education to introduce trade books, there's a hunger to know what "real" writers and illustrators do. However, due to limited budgets, very few schools have the resources to bring in an author or an illustrator to speak to their students. ANGELA'S NOTEBOOK provides a way for children to "meet" authors and illustrators and submit questions via letters and emails that they'd like Angela to ask during the ASK AN AUTHOR/ASK AN ILLUSTRATOR segment.

ANGELA'S NOTEBOOK provides viewers with a behind-the-scenes look at every aspect of writing, from novels to graphic novels, sports writing to playwriting, and every genre in between. Almost everything springs from a written idea. Movies and songs both start out in a written format. Every part of the writing process, from the research involved in writing a non-fiction novel to the inspiration behind a comic strip or popular children's movie, will be explored on ANGELA'S NOTEBOOK.

#101: THIS IS YOUR LIFE!: Writing Autobiographies, Biographies and Non-Fiction
Angela Shelf Medearis, the host of ANGELA’S NOTEBOOK and an award-winning children’s author, talks about writing her published works based on her life, famous people, and non-fiction subjects. Angela explains how children can write their own autobiographies, and provides tips for writing biographies and interesting non-fiction pieces for elementary school class assignments.
Guest author, Elaine Scott, explains how she writes her fascinating biographies and non-fiction picture descriptions books. Featured Book: POLES APART by Elaine Scott.

 #102 Painting a Picture With Words
Angela talks about the process she uses for writing picture books, talks about the history of children’s literature, and provides tips for creative writing. Guest author, Lynne Cherry, explains how she writes and illustrates her award-winning picture books, and displays the artwork and stories she created as a child. Featured Book: THE SEA, THE STORM, AND THE MANGROVE TANGLE by Lynne Cherry.
 
#103: WHAT DO ILLUSTRATORS DO?: Creating Book Illustrations
Angela explains the history of picture book illustrations, discusses how she works with the illustrators who create the pictures for her books, and interviews award-winning illustrators Don Tate and Tom Shefelman in their studios. Featured Books: BLACK ALL AROUND illustrated by Don Tate, and THE PEDDLAR’S DREAM illustrated by Tom Shefelman.

#104: WRITER UP!: Writing about Sports
Angela explains how writing about sports is one of the best creative exercises a budding writer can undertake. She interviews sports writer Kirk Bohls in his newspaper office. Mr. Bohls explains how a sports writer uses description and exciting adjectives to involve a reader in a story and to interpret a sporting event. Featured Book: AMERICA’S CHAMPION SWIMMER: GERTRUDE EDERLE by David Adler.

#105: A WORLD OF STORIES: Storytelling and Folktales
Angela explains the importance of storytelling in history and in writing. She explores the evolution of folktales and interviews award-winning author, Diane Stanley, and folklorist, Bryce Milligan. Featured Book: SAVING SWEETNESS by Diane Stanley.

#106: WHAT’S BEHIND THAT DOOR?: Writing Suspenseful Stories
Angela provides examples of “edge of your seat” narratives and the importance of using descriptive writing. Author Mike Thaler provides tips for writing suspense stories. Featured Book: THE PRINCIPAL FROM THE BLACK LAGOON by Mike Thaler.