Going Back Home is a book that tells the story of artist Michele Woods' search for her family's history in the South. When Michele first began painting pictures about her family, she did not know much about their lives. But she started to ask her elders questions and, through their stories, she created images that depict their lives as sharecroppers in the Mississippi Delta.

While Michele painted the pictures in Going Back Home, I wrote the words in the book. You might ask, "Why didn't Michele write the words herself, since she gathered her own family stories?" Well, the reason is that Michele expresses herself best through her art, so she needed a writer to help tell the same stories in words. Just like Michele talked to her family to learn more about their stories, I interviewed Michelle to learn about her history and her paintings.

In this workshop, you will produce a children's book just like Going Back Home, based on your family's history. You will either collect or create the pictures, and you will write the words. In other words, you will be both the artist and the writer. By the end of this workshop, you will have produced a book about your family history, which your family will treasure for many years. Here are the steps to follow:

1. You will need to start collecting as many pictures as you can that show your family's past. Begin by talking to your mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, aunts, uncles, cousins, godparents, and family friends—all of your elders who are willing to talk with you about their lives and what things were like when they were growing up.
2. Ask each of your elders for old photographs of them or their family when they were young. You will need 5 to 7 photos total. Tell your elders not to worry—you will return the photographs when you are done and they won't be damaged in any way.
3. If you can get some of these old photos, use them in interviewing your elder. Ask them about each photograph. For example, you might ask:
   • Who is in the picture?
   • Are they friends or family? Explain the relationship of the people in the photo to each other. How are they related to you?
   • When and where was the photo taken?
   • Is the place where this picture was taken still there?
   • What were the people doing?
   • If the people in the picture are celebrating, what is the occasion?
   • What was going on in the world at that time?
   • Do you remember what you were feeling when the picture was taken?
   • Tell me about the way the people dressed. Did everyone dress that way back then?
   • What kind of music was popular when that picture was taken?
   
   Add any other questions you have—get creative!

4. If you can't get any old photos of your family, you can still interview your elders. Ask them questions such as:
   • Where were you living when you were 12?
   • What was life like when you were 12 years old?
   • Did you like school? Do you remember your teachers? What was your favorite subject?
   • What was your home like?
   • Did you have other family members living with you?
   • Did you share a room with someone? If so, with whom?
   • What was your favorite thing to do when you were 12?
   • What were you good at?
   • What did you dream about when you were 12? Who did you want to be when you grew up?
   • What were you afraid of most?
   
   Make up your own questions ahead of time to add to this list.

5. During your interview, make sure you take notes about what your interviewee said. Tell the person you are interviewing about the project you are working on and let them know that you will show them the book when it is finished. Try to interview as many people as you can (you should interview at least two people).
6. Once you have all of your notes, decide how you will order your story. Decide what part should come first and what should come at the end. If you have photographs, use those to help you break the story into pages. If you don't have photos, think about where there are breaks in the story that could help you start a new page. Then start writing!