TEACHING A CLASS?
Ten minutes to make a story.
Try a three-picture story for sequencing. Children can draw, dictate or direct; quiet ideas count too.
The full lessons include a goal, an adult script and ways to adapt.
FOR TEACHERS, LIBRARIANS & READ-ALOUD GROWN-UPS
Give their imaginations something to do.
Free creative activities, book companions, and a live author reading with character voices and acting games.
K–2 and early-elementary library groups · Low-ink printables · Free resources need no email or purchase
01 / FREE CREATIVE ACTIVITIES
Read it. Play it. Make it your own.
Choose one useful activity, not another whole project. Read the instructions online, use plain paper, or print only the pages you need.
10–15 MINUTES · 2 MINUTES TO PREP
The Sock on the Chair
A clean sock, a chair and paper. Children separate what they can see from what they think it means. No book or printer needed.
PLANNING LIBRARY STORYTIME?
Start with play, not a worksheet.
Try a five-minute picture mystery with a book you already have, or a 15-minute kind-improv game.
Invite caregivers to join. For a drop-in table, use the drawing prompts; taking a sheet is always optional.
Browse all six ready-to-use lessons and printables →
Want the whole shelf? Download the free 45-page collection ↓Story Studio + all six lessons. Keep one adult copy; print selectively.
02 / BOOK COMPANIONS
The book-companion shelf.
My Dad the Werewolf
Read, notice, wonder. Then make a case file or take a werewolf home to color.
The read-aloud needs the book or a review copy. The object games, drawing and coloring work on their own.
20-MINUTE PLAN · SIMPLE PREP
The educator pack
A book, pencils and one chosen activity sheet.
- Classroom: a flexible 20-minute plan
- Library: a 25–30-minute storytime or a drop-in option
- Discussion, vocabulary and participation tips
- Six activity pages, including a take-home coloring sheet
10-page PDF · US Letter · Black-and-white friendly
3–15-MINUTE ACTIVITIES · PRINT ONE
Children’s activity sheets
Skip printing the grown-up notes. Choose a sheet for your group.
- Your own detective case file
- “I notice / I think / It could also be”
- A playful sound and expression game
- A three-picture mystery to draw
- Werewolf Dad to color and take home
- Two copy-saving family activity slips
6-page PDF · US Letter · Draw, point, tell or write
5–10-MINUTE FOLLOW-UP · PRINT ONE
Quick-start companion
Only need a few read-aloud prompts and a case file? The original compact companion is still here.
A simple choice for home reading or a short classroom follow-up. Print page 2 for the child’s case file.
Download quick start2-page PDF · US Letter · Guide + drawing activity
Print at actual size on US Letter, or select “Fit” on A4. In the full pack, pages 1–4 are for adults and pages 5–10 are for children and families. The small line drawings and white pages keep printing simple. For most sessions, one activity is plenty.
Which pages should I print?
Keep one adult copy of pack pages 1–4. The page numbers below let you choose just what your group needs.
| Activity | Full pack | Sheets PDF | Allow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your turn, detective | 5 | 1 | 5–10 min |
| What do you notice? | 6 | 2 | 5–10 min |
| A few good noises | 7 | 3 | 3–5 min |
| Two take-home slips | 8 | 4 | Adult cuts |
| A mystery in three pictures | 9 | 5 | 10–15 min |
| Werewolf Dad coloring | 10 | 6 | 5–10 min |
Want only the coloring page? Download the one-page take-home. The quick-start companion has one adult page and one case-file page. All activities welcome drawing, talking or adult scribing.
Need the plan as well as the pages? Open only what helps your group.
Classroom plan: a 20-minute mystery
A PLAN YOU CAN MAKE YOUR OWN
Twenty minutes.
One good mystery.
Suggested timing, not a stopwatch. You’ll need the book or a review copy, pencils and one chosen activity sheet.
Preview the book and read its grown-up note silently to yourself before the session. Check that the monster imagery and playful sounds suit your group.
If the story needs longer, keep reading and save the drawing for later.
- 0–2 MIN
Notice
Show the cover. “What do you see? What do you think might happen?” Separate what children notice from what they guess.
- 2–10 MIN
Read
Leave time to inspect the pictures. Pause at one or two clues and invite an optional “Suspicious. Very suspicious.”
- 10–13 MIN
Think again
Choose a clue. “What did the children think it meant? What else could it mean?” Make room for more than one idea.
- 13–18 MIN
Make a case file
Draw a clue, give a first guess and try another explanation. Children can dictate their words to a grown-up.
- 18–20 MIN
Share
Invite volunteers, not a round of compulsory answers. “A good detective can change their mind.”
Library storytime, drop-in tables and classroom adaptations
SAME BOOK. DIFFERENT ROOMS.
Make it work where you read.
IN THE CLASSROOM
Talk first.
Pencils second.
Use one clue to practice noticing, explaining an idea and considering another possibility. Choose two discussion questions rather than turning the story into a quiz.
- Point to the picture that helped you.
- “I think… because…” is a useful starting phrase.
- Draw, speak, sign or use familiar communication supports.
- For more challenge: which explanation fits best, and why?
Ages 5–7 is a starting point. Adapt to your group; independent reading and writing are not required.
AT THE LIBRARY
A storytime.
Not a school assignment.
The pack includes a suggested 25–30-minute program with a welcome, a read-aloud, a short family conversation and an optional drawing table.
- Invite caregivers into the refrain.
- Let families listen without taking a worksheet.
- Offer a quiet way to join the sound game.
- Send a small detective activity home with the take-home slip.
For a drop-in table, use a safe everyday object and a case-file sheet. No copy of the book is needed.
Try a simple object mystery without the book
TRY IT TODAY, EVEN WITHOUT THE BOOK
A lunchbox.
Two explanations.
Hold up a closed lunchbox. “I notice a lunchbox. I think there might be a sandwich inside. But it could hold crayons.”
Invite another possibility, then open it. Use an ordinary object you’ve checked first, without tasting, allergens or a surprise scare.
That’s enough to begin. Children can draw what they noticed and tell you their ideas.
Reading with your own child? Visit For parents →
Get the activity sheets →Meet the free take-home Werewolf Dad coloring page
ONE LAST THING FOR THE BOOK BAG
A very hairy
what-if.
Send a friendly werewolf Dad home to color. His plaid shirt, scruffy shorts and very important mug leave plenty for little artists to make their own.
A short “one more little case” prompt invites a child and grown-up to keep wondering together. The website and a QR code for grown-ups lead straight to the free family bonuses: a fresh copy to color again, a first case file and quick games to try together.
An imagined extra, not the book’s ending. If a child prefers an activity without monsters, send the object-based take-home slip instead.
Download Werewolf Dad to color1-page PDF · Black-and-white line art · Free copies for your group
BEFORE YOU PRINT
A few practical answers.
Can I copy these for my class or library?
Yes. These free educator resources may be copied without charge for noncommercial classroom, library and home use, including a closed class learning platform. Keep the credit and website link. For public sharing, link to this page rather than republishing the files. The permission covers the companion, not the full book or a recorded reading of it.
Do we need the book first?
The six Classroom Adventures lessons and Story Studio work without a C. J. McGuire book. The Werewolf story-based session needs the book or an educator review copy. The object game, case-file drawing, voices, picture mystery and coloring page can be used on their own now. My Dad the Werewolf is in illustrated reader review; publication details are still to come.
Ask about an educator review copy →What if a child doesn’t enjoy spooky stories?
Preview the book’s monster imagery and surprise sounds before choosing it for your group. Offer quiet participation or a different activity. Don’t spring a scare on the listeners. The object-and-drawing activities work without the story or any monster voices.
Is this a tested or standards-aligned curriculum?
No. These are author-created resources for educator review, with opportunities to practice observation, discussion and considering another explanation. They have not been independently evaluated or mapped to curriculum standards. Your classroom and library feedback will help shape future versions.
Were AI tools used for the illustrations and resources?
C. J. McGuire writes the stories and directs the creative work. Book illustrations are AI-generated under his creative direction.
P. W. Quigley is the name used for that illustration process, not a human illustrator. The educator resources were developed with AI assistance.
In Story Studio Live, C. J. performs in real time and the children help direct the voices and story. The workshop draws on his acting and performance experience.
03 / STORY STUDIO LIVE
Thirty minutes, already planned.
C. J. reads the story, then the children join the fun, trying character voices and giving him playful directions as he acts out their ideas.
A free introductory 30-minute Zoom workshop for a class or library group. No book purchase or classroom copies needed. The reading and games fit inside the same 30 minutes. C. J. brings the book and optional take-home printables; your teacher or librarian stays and hosts the room.
IN-PERSON SCHOOL & LIBRARY VISITS
Give C. J. a good reason for a vacation.
Give your group a complete read-aloud, character voices and a turn directing the author, all in one 30-minute visit together.
Somewhere lovely? C. J. is listening. Tell him where your school or library calls home.
Ask about an in-person visit →Prefer email? hello@cjmcguirebooks.com
A NOTE TO C. J.
Tell C. J. about your group.
Choose a visit or an educator review copy. Your note is saved privately for C. J. Free introductory 30-minute Zoom workshops are subject to availability. Visits are confirmed by email; in-person fees and travel are agreed there too.
This is not a newsletter signup, and a review copy never requires an Amazon review.
Prefer email? Email C. J. directly.
Tried an activity?
Tell C. J. how long it took, where your group needed help and which prompt started the best conversation.
Thank you for making room for their ideas. Your feedback helps make this shelf more useful.
General observations are plenty. Please don’t send children’s names, photographs or identifiable work.
OPTIONAL BOOK NEWS
A note when the books are ready.
Occasional book news and publication updates from C. J. The activities above stay free, whether you subscribe or not.