Friday Writing Prompts: Week One

by Kayla Aldrich, Read to Them staff

Hello, all! We hope you've had so much fun during your first week with Lola Levine is Not Mean! As we settle into Friday, be sure to check out the Character Highlight from Monday and the Out on the Soccer Field piece from Wednesday if you haven't already. You won't want to miss them!

Before diving into the writing prompts, have you delved into the Flipgrid community for Lola yet? It's not too late to join - it'd be a shame to miss this week's bonus activity! You've likely noticed that Lola keeps a Diario aka a diary, right? While you're reading along with Lola, keep your own diary to track your thoughts. It could be what you think of the book or about what happens during your week - you could even add illustrations like Lola if you'd like. However you chose to present your diary, chose one entry to share with the Flipgrid community. (If you'd like to keep your writing private, you're more than welcome to tell us what the experience of writing throughout the week was like.)

Now - what we've all been waiting for - here are five writing prompts for your consideration:

• In her opening diary entry, Lola reveals that she's been teased by her classmates for her haircut, so she tries to cover it up. Have you ever endured something like this? Did you try to cover up or change yourself like Lola did. Write about the experience.

• Lola has a picture of Briana Scurry, a goalie for the US Olympic women's soccer team, on her wall. In 4-6 sentences about someone that you admire enough to have posters of them on your wall. What do you admire about them? Why is this person (or persons) so important to you?

• When Lola tries to prevent Juan from making a goal, she accidentally hits Juan's ankle hard enough to knock him down. Do you think Lola meant for this to happen? Have you ever done or said something that you regretted? What was it? How did the people around you react? Answer these questions in one or two paragraphs.

• Alyssa spreads a nickname for Lola at school: Mean Lola Levine. Why do you think students in Lola's class were so quick to start using this nickname? Why doesn't anyone defend Lola? Imagine that you were in Lola's class and write about what you would've done when this nickname started to spread.

• Lola tells her parents about her week at school, and she realizes that talking about her long week makes her feel better. What makes you feel better after a long week? Write about a time you've helped someone feel better, and what that experience meant to you.

Be sure to share photos with us of you and your family during the reading event on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. See you next week!