Alexa told me about the novel she wrote last year. I asked if it was in November, and it was. I then showed her the Ted Talk with Matt Cutts where he talks about writing a novel in 30 days each November. It was a pleasant surprise. After introducing Alexa to the textbook and online component, and affirming that we will read The Book Thief, we worked on a bit of grammar/punctuation (coordinating conjunctions), and then brainstormed ideas for short stories or future novels. We have a growing list. Homework -- write two paragraphs on TedTalk -- summary, and what you would do for 30 days and why.