If You Were a Writer [Hardcover]

Joan Lowery Nixon (Author), Bruce Degen (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 30, 1988

Melia tells her writer mother she'd like to be a writer too, and as the day progresses she receives many helpful suggestions.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

When Melia begins to ask her mother questions about what she does, her mother has all the answers. "A writer doesn't work just with a typewriter. A writer works with words. If you were a writer, you would think of words that make pictures." Later, Melia discovers that her mother asks, "what if," when she sees a scene, how she might expand on the story ideas around her, how she gets readers to want to keep reading more, and how she begins with a character and a problem to solve, and then thinks of interesting ways for that to happen. The fundamentals of creative writing are passed along, even the adage to "show, not tell" the story, but much of this is wordy. And using the girl and her mother to stage a discussion still has all the trappings of didacticism. Degen's pictures lighten the atmosphere of learning, offering neighborhood scenes of a writer's life at home. The work, despite shortcomings, will be of value to readers, for it gives serious answers to the question of what a writer does. Ages 5-8.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Bruce Degen has illustrated all the Jesse Bear books. He is the author and illustrator of Jamberry, and the illustrator of the acclaimed Magic School Bus series. He has taught courses on art and the writing and illustrating of children's books to children and adults. Mr. Degen, his wife, and their two sons, Benjamin and Alexander, live in Connecticut in a renovated farmhouse with ducks on the pond, bats in the barn, and a family tree that Jesse Bear himself would love to climb.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers (October 30, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0027682102
• ISBN-13: 978-0027682106
• Product Dimensions: 0.5 x 8.5 x 10.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,526,339 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If I Were A Writer, July 12, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: If You Were a Writer (Paperback)

This story is about a young girl who's mother is a writer. The girl watches her mother work and picks up pointers on things that writers do. The girl then starts some writing of her own. As a teacher, I have found that, this book inspires my students to become writers and it is wonderful to use with "writer's workshop."

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A "must have" for every elementary school teacher., November 2, 2007

By 

Jean S. Casamassima - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: If You Were a Writer (Paperback)

If You Were a Writer is read and reread several times throughout the year as I teach writing to my Second Graders. The story gives a simple but clear description of what a writer does. It is my point of reference as I introduce each trait of a writer. The children can easily identify with the main character who watches her mother at the typewriter and discovers that she too is a writer. A classroom full of children who believe they are writers, what more can a teacher ask for! This book is a "must have" for every elementary school teacher.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars If you were a writer, this is what you'd do, October 21, 2004

By 

Corinne H. Smith (Athol, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: If You Were a Writer (Paperback)

This book begins with the statement that "Melia's mother was a writer,' and Melia wants to be one, too. Her mother explains to her the kind of things she would do if she were a writer. She would work with words and think of the right ones to use. She would *show* a story, not tell about it. She would let the storyline gell in her mind before writing it down. Melia's mother also gives her some tips on how to get started and how to get ideas from the world around her. By the end of the book, Melia practices doing each task and is on her way to becoming a writer.

"If You Were a Writer" could be put into the hands of grade-schoolers who show affinity for writing or who need some guidance in beginning to write on their own. Older students may feel as though the author has oversimplified the writing process and that there's much more to it than is expressed here. This offering is just a beginning.