From School Library Journal
Grade 2-4-In this companion to
Messages in the Mailbox (1991) and
The Furry News (1990, both Holiday), Leedy focuses on the creation of a book from start to finish. In an easy-to-follow format, she lays out the basics of producing a fiction or nonfiction book, offering practical suggestions and clever ideas that will encourage kids to pick up a pen or pencil and start writing. Following the writing process fairly closely, from brainstorming ideas to binding the book, she takes readers through a step-by-step formula that almost guarantees a successful product. With pages that include discussions of lettering and artwork, this title becomes more than just a "how-to" book; it is a jumping-off point for all kinds of projects. Both teachers and students will find helpful hints here. Lively, colorful illustrations expand and interpret the text, keeping kids entranced with an ever-evolving process. It's difficult not to get caught up in the excitement generated by this creation.
-Jody Kopple, Shady Hill School, Cambridge, MA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
--This text refers to the
Library Binding
edition.
K-Gr. 3. Leedy offers young writers tips for publishing their own works in this informational picture book, which considers everything from brainstorming for ideas, considering possible genres, conducting research (if necessary), and planning the setting, characters, and plot to choosing a title and revising the work. A final section describes various book formats, layout possibilities, art supplies, lettering techniques, and binding methods. With the current emphasis on teaching basic skills, this resource will help teachers engage their students in authentic (as well as fun) activities that impart fundamental rules of rhetoric. The inviting layout, which includes lots of lists, captioned illustrations, and thought bubbles, makes the book accessible even to emerging readers and writers. A list of age-appropriate books dealing with writing and illustration, research skills, and getting published rounds out a welcome resource for teachers and parents with aspiring writers at home, as well as for young authors.
Kay WeismanCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
--This text refers to the
Library Binding
edition.