This is me

Summer 2020

http://www.francisart.com/my-blog

The Plastic MIrror

What do you see when you look in the mirror?
Are you happy?
Do you expect to see your reflection looking back at you?
Aubrey Vale doesn't see things the way we do. At least, not today. As she faces the social pressures of middle-grade school, she certainly doesn't expect to see a boy looking back at her when she escapes for that one brief moment inside her locker.
This is where the story unfolds, and takes us on a wild journey.

That Thing in the Sky

To students who are reading, "That Thing in the Sky". I would love to hear from you.

Please share any thoughts or questions and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.

~ Christopher

Every Friday evening, I teach a writing class at the Creative Hub in Waterdown, Ontario. The goal of the course was to support the students as they developed a children's book or novel. The idea that the students would possibly have a printed copy of their stories excited them, and it didn't take long for the young authors to dig deep into developing their characters and plots. However, as the weeks past, I couldn't help but notice the level of passion decline.
I didn't understand.
I spent hours reading their work and providing them with new ideas while editing their grammar, punctuation and spelling.
But the energy simply wasn't there anymore.
What was the reason?
Finally, after the fifth week, I began providing the students with 'sentence starters' - where the students were given an opening sentence and had seven minutes to create a paragraph, short-story...anything.
Upon completing their short 'works', I took turns reading their creative texts in front of the class - with energy and excitement.
The students instantly wanted more.
"Can we play that again?" a girl suggested. She never spoke in class - at least not until then.
By the seventh week, I was doing three sentence starters a session, along with other writing activities where their 'works' would ultimately be read in front of the small audience of peers.
It was at that time I realised where my course needed to shift gears. Writers want to be 'heard' - they want their 'voice' to be shared - they crave feedback and praise.
Don't we all?
So, why am I sharing this? Why do I want you to follow my brainwave all the way down your digital screen?
Because I want to 'play' with you!
If you have seven minutes in your day this week, can you please share a creative text that starts with the following sentence:
"I rubbed my eyes and glanced up at myself in the mirror--only the reflection staring back wasn’t me."

When finished, please post - I'd love to read and comment 

Self-Publishing - How I found some success--but still itching for more

About ten years ago I decided to extend my illustrating hobby and explore the idea of writing children's books. I spent a year working on a middle-grade book (Solving Damian Dermite) while working part time as an educational assistant and attending McMaster University.
Unfortunately, I was rejected by many literary agents simply because my story (at the time) was too 'telling' and wasn't what the publishing houses were looking for.
No worries, I was lucky enough to find some success in Newspapers in Education and Solving Damian Dermite and the next two sequels landed in the hands of thousands of children all over North America.
Yay me.
But there were still the 'rejections' lingering over me and it took a while to realize this was just another invitation to explore other genres and age groups.
And then it happened--
One day, I decided to create a DIY children's book titled, "How to Sneak your Monster into School."
I created a book trailer on Youtube and linked it to my website. Somehow, the video reached thousands of viewers and it wasn't long before I started making sales through my website. As months went by, I realized my target audience were teachers, looking to launch a language unit on procedural writing. At this point, I changed the title of my YouTube video to "Procedural Writing." I then created a private full video of the book that can be ordered along with a PDF/Ebook.
I also published the book on Blurb and TeachersPayTeachers, where sales continued to increase.
At this point, I'm selling roughly 40 books/month, which may not sound like a lot, but for me, it is a success.
What is your success story?

ASK THE AUTHOR!

 Dear Teachers, Students and Parents,

Welcome to my Blog - Below are the first four Serial Stories available to you.  Being a teacher and an author, I would be delighted to hear from you. As you read these stories, feel free to send me messages, ask me questions, or simply say hello. You can also reach me at chris@nextpagestories.com.

Regards,

Christopher Francis
www.nextpagestories.com
www.francisart.com

 When eleven year-old Alex Thomas meets a new boy in his class named Henry Greenfield, Alex’s wild imagination gets the best of him. Convinced that the new boy will steal his chances of becoming popular, Alex decides to humiliate him. In the process, Alex finds himself dealing with socially awkward situations that begin to spiral out of control. However, everything changes when Alex finds Henry on the playground being picked on by Damian Dermite, the meanest boy in school. Alex is suddenly inspired to do the right thing and stick up for Henry, even if it means getting himself suspended. Ultimately, Alex learns vital lessons about respect, friendship, and himself.

An impulsive eleven-year-old boy named Alex Thomas has just angered Damian Dermite. Sadly he realizes he will likely have to spend the sixth grade finding clever ways to escape the vengeful bully. Alex soon discovers that hiding in the boy’s bathroom, stinking up the cafeteria, pulling the fire alarm and running away, are not the answers. When he finds himself standing with no clothes on in front of the entire school, Alex quickly realizes things have gotten way out of hand. With help from his brother, and a calculated plan in place, Alex faces his greatest fear...and finds the giant inside himself.

Haunted by a boy named Riley Grayson, twelve year-old Wesley is suddenly confronted by three things he fears the most in life: Love, Bullying and Ghosts. 

While on a grade eight camping trip at Lake Stoneway, Wesley struggles with his fears, trying to find ways to get the attention of Michelle Heartly while stopping his best friend from picking on a new boy named Simon.

Thinking the world is coming to an end, Bailey and Margaret watch a strange object hurtle from the sky. The two nervously investigate the mysterious crash and discover an alien has landed on earth. A teenage farm boy named Sheldon joins them as they try to help the lost creature return to its home. However, they soon realize this alien is not alone. This story highlights friendship, loyal, respect and leadership.

Top 10 reasons not to read my books

Top 10 reason why nobody should read my books:

10: The messages in all of the stories are too important which promotes character development 
9.) There are too many cliff hangers in the chapter stories making me want to read more 
8.) The stories focus on personal events and experiences rather than cheese and cliches
7.) The characters are too easy to connect with 
6.) There are too many illustrations in the picture books
5.) The author gets too many of his ideas from his own students
4.) The writing shows the reader what is happening, rather telling the reader
3.) The author is secretly trying to get your to read this top 10 list so that you will actually want to read his books
2.) The author's website is too cluttered www.francisart.com
1.) Christopher Francis spends too much time interacting with his readers (answering questions and engaging in general conversations about writing)

Madelyn Featherton

Latest Book Bubble for "Remembering Kaylee Cooper"

http://bit.ly/1NoWOWl

Remembering Kaylee Cooper

Top Ten Books I read as a Child

10.) A Wrinkle in Time
9.) The Magic Far Away Tree
8.) The Twits
7.) The Secret Island
6.) Fantastic Mr. Fox
5.) The Giving Tree
4.) The Velveteen Rabbit
3.) Calvin and Hobbes Series
2.) Tuck Everlasting
1.) Asterix and Obelix Series

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Francisart's TOP TEN MOVIES of all time

Top ten movies that I can watch more than once - for the enjoyment of the characters and the events. The plot isn't essential in what makes up a great 'picture' - it is the connections you make with the people and their experiences. So for this top 10 list, I'm putting the 'plot' to the side.

Hitting a variety of genres and ages groups:

10.) Stand by Me
9.) Gladiator
8.) Coach Carter
7.) Shawshank Redemption
6.) Big
5.) Remember the Titans
4.) Unbroken
3.) Lucas
2.) Ferris Bueller's day off
1.) The Goonies

Procedural Writing Grades 1-3

Grade 1 to 3 Procedural Writing:
- Identify Specific elements of text and explain how they contribute to the meaning of the text.
E.g., Explanation of a procedure, procedures to be explain.

Great way to introduce this unit:
HOW TO SNEAK YOUR MONSTER INTO SCHOOL

Children's books for the Classroom

Children's Books for the Classroom

 I was ten feet away from him now, inching closer. His face had no shadows - no detail. Somehow, the light pushed out from inside him.

Working on a new 'ghostly' story -

A group of kids filtered out of the Archery pit across the road from us. They marched out with their instructor, holding onto their big plastic bows.

Simon looked out at the group and stood up. His hands shook and his face turned white.  “I gotta go.”

“Wait,” I said, grabbing his arm. “What’s the secret?”

I stood up with him and noticed Brandon walking over to us. I forgot he had archery as his first activity.  He strutted over with his shorts halfway down his legs. I hated his walk. He looked like a penguin with a baseball hat. “S’up, Ryan.” he said, pulling the string back on his bow.

I wanted to tell him to get lost, but I knew if I started anything with him, it would ruin the rest of our trip. Brandon was the type of guy that would hold a grudge for weeks. “S’up,” I replied.

Brandon pointed his bow at Simon and pretended to fire an arrow at him.

I half grinned and followed Simon over to the road.

“Whatcha doin?” Brandon dropped his bow down to his side, dragging it in the sand. His weasley little eyes looked at Simon as though he were the scum of the earth.

“We were just heading back to the hill,” I said.

“Got it,” Brandon replied.  He spit at Simon’s feet and tucked the bow under his arm. “Enjoy hanging out with your new friend.”

Brandon’s grudge over Simon had been advertised all over school and online for the past year. Brandon doesn’t really talk about it much with me, but it had something to do with a disagreement with their dad’s. All I know is that Simon is living with a foster family as a result. Brandon makes a point of reminding the guy just how much he hates him. It’s just too bad no one has the guts to tell him to leave the poor kid alone.

That night the grade eights were invited to hangout by the fire pit to roast marshmallows and play trivia games with the instructors. Chaz and a girl instructor named Roxanne hosted the evening entertainment. They had pulled out a sound system and blasted music for the first twenty minutes while we all chatted with each other, taking turns dipping our marshmallows into the flames.

I sat with Brandon, Clay, Markus, Gus and Michael. We located ourselves near the back, of course, and picked pieces of marshmallow from our collection and tossed them at some girls near the front. I knew Brandon liked one of them, but he never wanted to make it known to us.

“Okay folks, before we start our trivia game, I have a cool story I want to share with you.” Chaz turned off the music and stepped through the crowd and sat down next to Michelle and her ex-friend Sarah Livingstone. “Raise your hand if you have heard of Riley Grayson.”

We all shot up our hands and muttered to one another. I think everyone had a different version of what happened to Riley. All I know is that he was here - somewhere, stuck in some sort of limbo.

“This is gonna be lame,” Brandon muttered. He slipped on his earbuds and plugged it into his phone. “Let me know when it’s finished.”

I shook my head and focused back on our lead instructor.

“The year was 2013, on a cold September night,” Chaz began. He wore a green wool sweater and a white baseball hat. “I had just started working here after spending the summer travelling overseas. I couldn’t sleep and decided to go for a walk along the beach. The lake was calm that night, like a black sheet glistening from the full moon. A gray fog hovered just over the surface.  I had lots on my mind that night and needed to get out of those stuffy cabins. After about half an hour, I sat down on that rock over there." He pointed to a large object about fifty yards away. The light from the fire bounced off its jagged edges. He stood up and walked back down to the table and put the microphone down. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

     "What's he doing?" Gus whispered beside me.

      "Dunno," I replied.

       Chaz turned to us and continued. "I still get shivers when I think about this next part." He picked up a stick and poked the logs in the fire. "I, I must have been sitting on that rock for about ten minutes when I saw it. At first it looked like a candle floating out in the water, as though someone had placed it on a tiny raft. But when I looked again, I could see something else."

       "What did you see?" Megan Riversley asked. "Was it Riley?"

“I wasn’t sure. At least not at that moment. I had to get closer. So, I grabbed a canoe from the dock and paddled out to the point.”

The fire crackled and snapped as one of the logs shifted under the glowing embers. I looked around at my friends - at the rest of the grade eights - at Simon Partridge. Everyone’s eyes were glued to Chaz.

I tapped Brandon on the arm and waited for him to take his earbuds out. “You might want to listen to this,” I said.

Chaz looked out at the lake and pointed to a cluster of rocks. “That was where I paddled to,” he said. “That was where I saw it - him.” He stepped toward the water. “I reached my paddle out and guided my canoe along the rocks. Under the water, a strange blue light radiated up from below. Around me was nothing but darkness. I couldn’t take my eyes off the light, as though I was in a trance.”

Brandon slowly tucked his earbuds into his pocket. He leaned forward.  

Chaz walked back over to us, stepping through the crowd and sitting back down beside Michelle and Sarah. “I leaned out over the canoe,” he said. “dipping my hand into the warm water. The light grew brighter, shining up through the fog and into the trees around me. For some reason I had trouble breathing, as though the air was being sucked out of my lungs. Below me, a young boy lifted out over the water, pulling himself onto the rocks in front of my canoe. The blue light glowed around him. I knew right away who it was. I looked right into the boy’s eyes. I had seen his picture in the paper, on the news - he was all over the internet. I can still remember his face, like I had a photograph stuck inside my head. There he was, he was real, only...he wasn’t. For the first time, but not the last, I was looking directly at the ghost of Riley Grayson.”

The Whispering Tree

I've created this site so that we can talk. Please feel free to ask me any questions or leave any comments. I hope you enjoyed reading "The Whispering Tree"

Looking forward to chatting with you,

Chris Francis
www.francisart.com

Inferring - Teacher lesson for elementary

INFERRING

Inferring is a method of drawing a conclusion based on facts, observations and logic. Attached is a video I made for teachers to share with their students about a boy who can't stop growing. Students will draw conclusions from the images and the text, and decide for themselves what is truly bigger than Alexander. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UU30-0J-Iw

New cover for "Respecting Mr. Ravi"