Mad libs are so much fun, especially when Newberry honor, Sheila Turnage, is involved. She is the author of two nonfiction books, one picture book, and four middle-grade novels. Today Sheila is here to have a little writing fun with us by playing Mad Libs.
How Does It Work?
In groups of four, have students write a short summary of one of the chapters they have already read.
- After the teacher has approved the summaries, the students will erase at least 10 words and replace them with blank lines.
- Underneath each line, students should write the part of speech of the missing word.
- Groups will trade summaries and play Mad Libs.
- Students may read them aloud to class.
Integrate this activity with technology! Use this site to generate Mad Libs on the computer. Most importantly, have fun with writing!

Authors: Showcase a reading skill through your novel or a tip that develops writing skills. Click here to fill out the form.
Teachers/Media Specialists: Do you have an inspirational story, survival tip, organizational tip, engaging material, or a way to connect with students? If so click here to sign up.




























The author Flipgrid has had an enormous impact on my students and has made them eager to explore novels. They are amazed that published authors take the time to share their books and connect with them on such a personal level. It really does mean the world to them! There is now a remarkable interest in the books written by authors featured in our FlipGrid because they are connecting directly with our children. Students want to try new books and explore new genres because of the author videos. In addition, I have never had so many students recommending books to one another. Students will ask me for a book recommendation and another student jumps right into the conversation with, “Have you watched the flipgrid video on this book?” They have the book in hand and are eager to share with their peers. The author videos just spark a whole new level of excitement in middle school. My fifth graders, a class of eighty-two students, have almost read 1,000 novels this school year thanks to this new project. We talk about, celebrate, and discuss books more than ever, and for middle school students that is a big deal!
This new project has taught me that stepping out of my comfort zone and trying something new opened up a whole new world for my students as well as myself. The connections I have formed, the books I have learned about, and the students who have found a true love of reading this year, would not have been possible if I did not start this Flipgrid page. When I first started out, I hoped to get one author video because I was not sure how this idea would go over. I quickly learned that most authors were eager to have the chance to connect with students, and they were excited to try to create a video. Currently, the author flipgrid is close to hitting fifty videos! To be honest, I am just as excited when a new author video appears on our grid as the students.





Have you found it useful to getting teens excited about books?














