Morrison Students Help Marvin the Dog

Last week, I was invited to come to Ms. Dutka’s class at R.F. Morrison School as a guest editor. The class is writing a very special book together. This isn’t just any book – it’s a true story of how this remarkable class helped save a starving dog discovered in a Winnipeg back lane and give him a new life. Because they are still working on the book, I won’t give away all the details just yet. I will say that the story is full of caring, compassion, creativity…and candy! (You’ll have to read the book yourself to see what I mean!).

The story is very well-written, with lots of descriptive words, and a very intriguing ending. I was impressed to hear how the students collaborated with each other and their teacher to write each page. They brainstormed, listened to each other’s ideas, took notes, and turned their thoughts into a wonderful story. During my visit, we looked at each page of their first draft. I offered a few suggestions to the class based on the rules that I use to make my own writing shine: Get Creative, Get Sense-sational, and Get Loud. We brainstormed together, and the students came up with some amazing ideas for the final draft!

Well done – I am looking forward to seeing the finished book. I know it’s going to be awesome!

Your friend,
Karin