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Grades level iconsGrades 5–8
Session time icon60 Minutes
Genre information iconNarrative
Video resource type iconVideos

Climactic Cliffhangers with Mac Barnett

by Mac Barnett
Mac Barnett, a New York Times-bestselling author of stories for children, illustrates how to end a story...or not.
About the Author

Mac Barnett is a New York Times best-selling author of books for children whose work has been awarded two Caledcott Honors, three E.B. White Read Aloud Awards, the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, and has sold more than 4 million copies worldwide. His titles include The First Cat in Space Ate Pizza, Rules of the House, and Count the Monkeys. 

What Your Students Will Learn

Your students will learn the impact of a suspenseful cliffhanger and how to write one.

What You Will Do

Author of books for children, Mac Barnett, demonstrates the impact of a strong cliffhanger ending. This prompt was originally a contribution to 826 National’s A Good Time to Write project, an online resource providing new writing opportunities and encouragement to young people during the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more about A Good Time to Write here. From Mac:  “If you don’t know how to end your story, don’t end it! Today, I want everyone to write a cliffhanger. Write as much suspense, as many exciting things, as wild a situation as you can—something that’s impossible to have your hero find their...

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