From: Paula Morrow <pmorrow23>
Date: Tue, 17 Apr 2007 21:51:20 -0500

Well, if you don't mind my expanding the definition from children who want to be writers and make it simply kids who write ...

Last year, The Book of Story Beginnings by Kristin Kladstrup features a boy who finds an old notebook in the attic with a half-finished story in it, sits down, and starts writing ... unaware that whatever he writes will come true. It's an adventure story, only peripherally about writing, but it can be taken as a unique gloss on the power of words.

In The Book of Everything by Guus Kuijer, translated by John Nieuwenhuizen, a boy named Thomas records his life and thoughts in a book he is writing, appropriately titled "The Book of Everything."

Then there's The Slightly True Story of Cedar B. Hartley (Who Planned to Live an Unusual Life), text and illustrations by Martine Murray, in which Cedar tells her own story and intersperses little line cartoons, almost as if she's doodling in her diary. At one point, her friend Oscar lets her read his "commonplace book," a notebook of his own drawings and writings.

Reviews of these books (and others) are posted on my web site, http://PaulaMorrow.com.

And I can't resist mentioning an old favorite, Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary. Again--the power of words!

Enjoy!

Paula
Received on Tue 17 Apr 2007 09:51:20 PM CDT