Customer Reviews

The ABCs of Writing for Children: 114 Children's Authors and Illustrators Talk About the Art, the Business, the Craft & the Life of Writing Children's Literature

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Expertly compiled and painstakingly organized by Elizabeth Koehler-Pentacoff , The ABCs Of Writing For Children: 114 Children's Authors And Illustrators Talk About The Art, The Business, The Craft And The Life Of Writing Children's Literature is a comprehensive reference focusing on diverse aspects writing books and stories for children of various ages, including the business aspects of being published in various forums and formats. Providing especially informative interviews and commentaries from such expert and seasoned published authors of children's literature as Ted Arnold, R.L. Stine, David Greenberg, Alexis O'Neill, Richard Peck, and so many others, The ABCs Of Writing For Children offers a complete grasp and all-inclusive analysis of the literary art and practical business of writing for a juvenile readership ranging from preschool to young adult. Included are lists of recommended books and periodicals, a glossary, resources, and an extensive index. A core addition to personal, professional, and scholastic "Writing & Publishing" reference collections and supple-mental reading lists, The ABCs Of Writing For Children is very strongly recommended for all aspiring children's authors whether they are writing poetry, short stories, novels, or other forms of creative literature for young readers.

Anyone who is thinking about writing for children can glean enough encouragement, inspiration and advice from Koehler-Pentacoff's compilation of author insights and anecdotes to get that writing engine started. As a wannabe children's author, I found direction within the pages that helped me to be both more realistic and hopeful about taking on the challenge. Helpful hints intermingle with humorous vignettes in an easily palatable format that can be digested nugget by nugget at numerous sittings or all at once. Reading about the experiences of published authors gives the novice writer a view into the process and offers other published authors pieces of wisdom and support.

As for the editing (slammed by another reviewer), I found it neither as neglected as suggested, nor as well done as one might desire; however, I feel only an editing elitist would allow this to interfere with the positives that can be gained from absorbing the content. Read this and reap...motivation and enlightenment.

If you've ever wanted to learn from the experiences of successful children's authors, here's your chance. Elizabeth Koehler-Pentacoff has interviewed 114 authors about everything from coping with writer's block and rejection to author-editor relationships to funny and touching experiences in interaction with children and teachers. The interviews are grouped by subject, so that you can read everything this diverse group said about ways to start a story (for example) in one place. There are several great resource lists. There's also lots of encouragement for finding ways to write that are right for each individual. As I read The ABCs of Writing for Children, I felt as if I were right there with these friendly, genuine, enthusiastic people. This book is a wonderful inside look at the life and work of children's authors, packed full of information, support, and inspiration.

Any author, children's or adult, would want to have this book on their shelves. It's got the best writing advice I've ever seen. After all, who knows better than children's authors how to write clear, concise, and vibrantly? In addition, it's delightfully funny. Don't miss the chapters on school visits and letters from kids. Lee Wardlaw's list of things children's authors hate to hear is worth the price of the book by itself.

All the things the previous reviewer said are true. The resources in this book are wonderful and the advice from children's authors is absolutely engaging--and useful. However, the copy-editing for this book is non-existent. It is replete with grammatical errors as well as spelling errors and inconsistencies (different spellings of the same word and name throughout). I'm not one of the "grammar police." I can put up with a few errant typos. However, the number of errors present in this book is disturbing. I would have rated it higher for content, but, whether intentional or not, such glaring lack of editing can signal a disregard for the readership and so three stars is as high as I'll go. I hope these problems have been fixed in the paperback edition.