The Fruit Bowl Project

by Sarah Durkee

Book Overview

Call it six degrees of separation. The kids in 8th Grade Writer's Workshop are awestruck when their teacher announces that through her husband's cousin, she's met rock superstar Nick Thompson and has invited him to their class. He's come to talk about writing and he's even cooler than they imagined. Nick, known for his music as well as his lyrics, tells the kids his secret: A song is just a bowl of fruit-one must figure out how to paint it. Words...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0385732899
• ISBN13: 9780385732895
• Release Date: January 2006
• Publisher: Delacorte Press
• Length: 154 Pages
• Weight: 0.64 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.9" x 8.6"
• Age Range: 10 to 13 years
• Grade Range: Grades 5 to 8

Customer Reviews

An exceptional, fun book about writing

As a public middle school teacher, I was lucky enough to have come across this gem of a book while preparing to teach a new writing class. I found it to be a delightfully written, brilliantly fun examination of the concepts of genre and style, cleverly disguised as an entertaining story about a rock star's visit to high school and his assertion that writing is "like a bowl of fruit" that can be painted an infinite number of ways. Inspired by this, the students set out to tell a single, absurdly simple story in as many ways as they can--to wonderfully amusing results. The Fruit Bowl Project turned out to be the perfect spark to my class. Every single student, down to the most stubbornly reluctant writer, loved reading it--indeed, they devoured it. Inspired by Durkee's book, we set out to produce our own "Fruit Bowl Project," which we did, with fantastic results. I have before never had the absolute pleasure to guide a class that was so enthusiastic, inspired, and joyful about writing as this one was as a result of sharing this book--and along the way we learned a lot about style and genre too. I would recommend The Fruit Bowl Project without reservation to ANY teacher, though especially to teachers of literature and writing. But I would also recommend it to any middle-school-through-high-school aged student who's looking for an entertaining, slyly humorous, and wonderfully-written book to read for the sheer fun of it.

Middle grades will relish The Fruit Bowl Project

Middle grades will relish The Fruit Bowl Project, which focuses on different ways to tell the same story when students at a hip Manhattan school in a writer's workshop receive a special surprise. A song, Nick explains, is just a bowl of fruit - one must have to figure out how to paint it, and it's up to the students to take their literary bowl and run with it. A fascinating, modern story evolves.

Take a Bite Out of This!

I read the Fruit Bowl Project last night in one fell swoop and it left me hungry for more. Forget that Fruit Bowl can be a great teaching and learning tool for middle schoolers and aspiring writers alike. What I liked the best is that it is laugh-out-loud funny. Don't believe me? Try getting through the "Chatty" entry without spewing drink out of your own nose. Durkee really knows how to tell a story and her feel for her middle-school audience is right on the mark. She has written a very playful book that made me feel like I was in the middle of the hubub that is an 8th grade class. Great concept well executed.

More than a good story

My 11 year old daughter and I read this together and loved the concept and the execution tremendously. We laughed, we talked about the characters, we read all the stories and picked favorites. It was more than a good story, it was an experience. Reading this book led us to discussions about writing styles as well as about 8th graders vs sixth graders and other middle school issues. The author captures the middle school attitudes and styles in a provocative way, fruit for thought by child and adult! The many characters in the class were colorful and we enjoyed looking back into the text to find more info on the students who wrote a particular story. In addition there were lots of fun references back in time for adults. As an educator and parent, I highly recommend this book to students, parents and teachers.

The Bookinator Review

The Fruit Bowl Project is a book like no other. Where i live a nasty stomache flu is goin' around and i caught it! I was lying on my couch for the 2nd day in a row when my mom came and starting reading this book. We are friends with Sarah Durkee and we wanted to read her book. We know how witty and funny she is so Mom and I expected the book to lift our spirits. And it did... no suprise. This story is witty, funny, and great anyone! (just not too young) It is a unique way to get kids to write... after rerading i wanted to write a story using those elements! It was a blast reading all the stories she came up with... and the best part is they all had a different theme! Horror, a screenplay, an instant message, a fairytale! it was great to hear some styles of writing i could never think of! At the end of every great book i read/listen to, i always think the same question... how in the world did she come up with this idea! its a great, wacky, fun plot that you when you are done you ask yourself why you cannot come up with ideas as good as these! Here are a few of the stories i reccommend... 1. Chatty This story is HILARIOUS! it had me laughing and laughing! when my dad read it he couldnt get through one sentence without cracking up! 2. Instant Message This was a cute one! it made you want to read it. you didnt have to start it to know it was good like some books. It's IMing! anyone can relate to it! a great way to grab the reader's attention! 3. The Musical This was clever! it shows the theme as a broadway musical! it even has songs! to take Sarahs fun and wild idea even farther, get some friends or family, or just you, and block out some of the scenes, or try to come up with a tune for the songs it's really, really fun when you try it! I reccommend this book to adults, children, and anyone else who enjoys a fun, good read! Hope ya like The Fruit Bowl Project! I know you will! Your Reviewer, Kate