Write out of the Oven! Letters and Recipes from Children's Authors [Paperback]

Josephine M. Waltz (Author), Christine Mix (Illustrator)

Book Description

Connect children in grades 5-8 with their favorite literary heroes! A collection of letters and recipes from more than 50 well-known and award-winning children's authors provide insights into their lives, advice to the children who wrote to them, and personal information. Each entry includes the student's letter to the author, the author's response, and a recipe from the author. Appendices include helpful cooking terms and measurements. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book goes to a children's literacy foundation. Contributing authors include: Judy Blume, Natalie Babbitt, Theodore Taylor, Karen Cushman, Brian Jacques, Meg Cabot, E.L. Konigsburg, Phillip Pullman, T.A. Barron, Cynthia Voight, Richard Peck, and more.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

When a sixth-grade class wanted to raise money for CLiF, a childrens literacy foundation in Vermont, they began crafting letters to their favorite authors, discussing their favorite book and asking that the author donate a favorite recipe. This resulting book offers a unique glimpse into the personalities and culinary habits of more than 50 childrens authors and the often astute observations of student writers. Heres a sampling of an engaging letter to T. A. Barron: I truly believe that I was meant to read it after nearly pulling down an entire shelf of books and was only able to catch one, which was none other than The Lost Years of Merlin. Theres no better sell for a good book than a recommendation from a true fan. Dick King-Smith adds sweetness and spice with a letter about his writing habits, his past life farming, and a favorite cat who had 104 kittens in her lifetime. The cookbook is arranged by categories such as dips, breads, breakfast foods, and main dishes. There are cooking safety tips; a complete index of student and professional writers, as well as an index of recipes. It is doubtful that any gourmet chefs will be born as a result of this compilation, but these young people promise to be wonderful writers themselves. Such a rich and sumptuous dialogue is substantial fare, a feast for hearts and minds.–Teresa Pfeifer, Alfred Zanetti Montessori Magnet School, Springfield, MA
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Review

"This book is a new twist to a long-standing language arts strategy. Waltz put together a cookbook of authors and their favorite recipes to raise money for a children's literacy foundation. Students in her sixth grade class wrote to their favorite authors expressing their opinion of a classic book they read, and asked the author to send them their favorite recipe….The student and author letters are the most appealing to use in the classroom to motivate reading. Teachers can use the letters from students and authors to introduce books to their classes, show letter-writing examples, and discuss opinions of various books that will offer insight into how and why the author wrote the book. Other strategies could include math integration by making some of the recipes in class to practice measurement and to follow directions. Recommended."

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Library Media Connection

"[O]ffers a unique glimpse into the personalities and culinary habits of more than 50 children's authors and the often astute observations of student writers….It is doubtful that any gourmet chefs will be born as a result of this compilation, but these young people promise to be wonderful writers themselves. Such a rich and sumptuous dialogue is substantial fare, a feast for hearts and minds."

–

School Library Journal

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 162 pages
• Publisher: Libraries Unlimited (January 30, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594690081
• ISBN-13: 978-1594690082
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,903,614 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars My teacher, March 3, 2009

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Write out of the Oven! Letters and Recipes from Children's Authors (Paperback)

My teacher wrote this and she is an excellent writer. She is always trying to make us as good of a writer as she is. I've never read it but she has shown it to us and it seems great!

5.0 out of 5 stars My teacher, March 3, 2009

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Write out of the Oven! Letters and Recipes from Children's Authors (Paperback)

My teacher wrote this and she is an excellent writer. She is always trying to make us as good of a writer as she is. I've never read it but she has shown it to us and it seems great!

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A review from an active student of the author, June 9, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Write out of the Oven! Letters and Recipes from Children's Authors (Paperback)

I have not actually had a chance to read this book, but my favorite teacher wrote it. She showed it to me and it is REALLY NEAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I even know some of the kids from my brother's band concert!!! The kids wrote letters to their favorite authors and the authors wrote back with a recipe and a letter! It is a really interesting piece of literature!!!