Today I’m delighted to be talking with author Renée M. LaTulippe. What do you hope your young readers will take away from your book?
I’d be thrilled if LIMELIGHT sparks young people’s curiosity about theater, particularly about all the many roles one can play, both on and off stage. It’s such an inclusive art form—there’s space for everyone in the theater!
What are your book’s hooks for teachers, librarians, and community leaders?
Here are some ways I see LIMELIGHT being used/useful:
Teachers
- writing mask poems
- introducing poetic forms
- visual storytelling
- Poetry Month (April)
- performance: poems can be simply dramatized in a classroom setting, or the entire book can be staged as a production, with each poem performed as a monologue
Librarians
- genre-blending appeal for reluctant readers
- strong collection value
- built-in opportunities for programming such as poetry workshops, theater tie-ins, and arts-themed displays
Community
- use book as an anchor for inclusive arts and literacy events like poetry slams, readings, or youth theater collaborations
- community connection through the arts
Can you share an exercise or activity that teachers can do with students after they’ve read your book?
Sure, I can share a LOT of them! Teachers and librarians are welcome to download my free 22-page study guide for LIMELIGHT. They’ll find activities for different modes of learning, including discussion, writing, and performing.
Click to Download Teacher’s Guide
The publisher, Charlesbridge, has also put together a page where you can download a book poster, a discussion guide, and several other activities.
Click for more downloadable activities
You can also share a video of “Betty’s Tap Shoes” here:
About the Author
About the Author: Renée M. LaTulippe is the author of Limelight: Curtain Up on Poetry Comics!, The Crab Ballet, and a forthcoming free verse picture book with Creative Editions, and has poems published in many anthologies. She is the founder of The Lyrical Language Lab and the Peek & Critique YouTube channel. She lives by the sea in Italy with her husband and three children. Visit her online: https://www.reneelatulippe.com/
