March 2026 Slice of Life, No. 2
EM came over with her daddy to show me her newest creation–a handmade book with a hard cover.
Daddy said it was all her idea, even how to make it. He only helped where her little hands were not strong enough to bind with yellow yarn.
Amazing. I already knew I have a little author. But bookbinder? That I didn’t know.
(Confession: In my first draft I wrote “bookmaker” . . . it passed several edits and then it stopped me cold. Nothing like choosing the wrong word.)
She showed me all the features. She was especially quick to point out the title: Ethan’s and Emma’s Trick Book.
( I was proud of her possessive forms.)
“So, EM, this title tells me this is a book of tricks. Where did you get that idea?” I ask.
She tells me about a trick she played … one with two hands behind her back, one that you have to guess which hand has the pink candle. The secret to the trick? She holds a blue candle in each hand.
She hugs the book to herself, “That is the first trick that is going to be in our book.”
“So, you are going to draw pictures to show me how to do the trick?” I ask in the form of a statement.
She looks at me, a bit indignantly, tosses her head so her long blonde hair swings, and laughs, “No Gramma, I’m going to write it.”
“Oh, with words?”
She responds, “Uh huh! It’s a BOOK!”
Book Front with Title
Inside Book
Book Back with Binding
Thank you Two Writing Teachers
for hosting Slice of Life Story Challenge
where Alice Nine teaches language lessons that
Empower Students to Read and Write
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I just love this, especially, “No Gramma, I’m going to write it. It’s a BOOK!” I thin you may have a future slicer there.
I love to listen to young children explain their thinking. It can be so insightful.
Alice,
This is so precious. I love the dialogue. Thank you for sharing the photos. When I was in my MA program, I took a research class that also included much bibliographic history. I learned about Elizabethan era printing and bookbinding. That led to a book-making and paper folding project w/ ninth graders when we studied Romeo and Juliet. The kids loved the project, and it created more enthusiasm for the play. I can see your granddaughter learning those techniques as her interest in bookbinding grows. .
Thanks, Glenda. EM loves writing and she has a way with words; she delights a writing teacher’s heart.