You Have to Write [Hardcover]

Janet S. Wong (Author), Teresa Flavin (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2002

You have to write! It's a class assignment. But you have nothing to write about. All the other kids seem to have something to tell because they start in right away. What can you do? Stop and think. No one else can tell your stories -- about your family, your dog or cat. No one else can tell how it was when your library book got soaked in the rain.

But what if you don't like what you write? There are all sorts of ways to change it, to make it better. Keep on playing with your words, putting them together in different ways. You want whatever you write to be good. It will get better and better as you work on it.

This is an encouraging book, sympathetically illustrated by Teresa Flavin's charming pictures, for all young readers who worry when they're told to write something.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-5-This book's gentle but direct approach to creative writing may not appeal to all youngsters, but it may help some students to address some common struggles and to find their own voices. Through free-verse poetry, Wong targets a group of youngsters looking for good topics for a writing assignment. "You want it to be good, to make us cry or bust up laughing when the room is quiet." They are encouraged to look around, and not to be discouraged by the worldliness or experiences of others. "Wait. Did you forget who you are? Who else can say what you have seen? Who else can tell your stories-." A photo albumlike page shows a variety of pets, holidays, hobbies, vacations, and family outings that could be possible topics. "Reach inside. Write about the dark times. -Write about the bright times. -Take your mind for a walk back to this morning, back to yesterday-." Examples are given of parents fighting, a wet library book growing mildew, childhood fears of storms, and taking out the trash. For "Weave them together- half of Draft 1, a word from Draft 4, a whole line from number 5. Try. Because you have to write, and you want it to be good," the illustration shows each child laying out stretches of many drafts on the floor. The simple realistic gouache paintings are rather ordinary but appropriate for the "writing from life" philosophy that is espoused.
Adele Greenlee, Bethel College, St. Paul, MN
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 2-4. It's the dreaded class task: write something! "You have to write. You hate to write." Wong's poetic text, which encourages kids to use their own experiences, is practical and also sometimes amusing. The with-it rhymes set the tone while gouache illustrations depict four diverse kids as they sift through the advice, thinking and envisioning. One scene shows the students at their desks picturing different locations they might write about. A variety of page compositions effectively exemplify various choices by using overlapping scenes and albumlike framed images. "Take your mind for a walk" and "think about the plain, the everyday." The direct, you-can-do-it approach will stimulate kids to write and also help them with that dismaying assignment. Lots of classroom teachers will find this a great motivator. Julie Cummins
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books; 1 edition (July 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689834098
• ISBN-13: 978-0689834097
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 7.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #370,709 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Janet S. Wong (www.janetwong.com) is an award-winning author of 23 books for young readers and teens. One of the most distinctive things about her body of work is its variety: from picture books about family (THE TRIP BACK HOME, BUZZ) to poetry books about yoga and driving (TWIST and BEHIND THE WHEEL) to chapter books about friendship (ME AND ROLLY MALOO, MINN AND JAKE) to a "Meet the Author" book about writing (BEFORE IT WRIGGLES AWAY). Her fans span the entire age range, from toddler to adult.

Janet Wong's latest projects are eBooks designed specifically for the Kindle. Janet is particularly excited about eBooks because of their affordability and also because they make poetry easy to find. "Poetry is buried in the 811 section of the library," Janet says, "where you're not likely to stumble on it. But you can type 'poetry' into your Kindle and dozens of titles (with free samples, even) will magically appear." Her first eBook is ONCE UPON A TIGER: New Beginnings for Endangered Animals, which features illustrated poems and nonfiction notes about familiar animals such as the tiger and also unusual creatures such as the axolotl. Her second eBook is a group effort, a forthcoming anthology called POETRY TAG TIME (to be available in April 2011) which she compiled with children's literature professor Sylvia Vardell. It features a connected chain of 30 poems by 30 of the best poets in the world.

When Janet Wong is not writing, speaking at teacher conferences, or sharing writing tips with children in schools, she spends most of her time trying to grow blueberries at her home in Princeton, NJ.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must have for classrooms, April 28, 2003

By 

Adrienne Navarre "mommy and teacher" (Toledo, OH United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: You Have to Write (Hardcover)

I used this book in a 3rd grade classroom where I am student teaching. The students hate to write, but they loved this book. They realized that they really do have a lot to write about. We brainstormed a list of possible writing ideas for the days when they are stuck. They love to get out their list and pick something to write about. This book is a must have for any classroom!!!!!!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Elementary Writing Workshop Mini-lesson, March 26, 2008

By 

L. Nelson - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: You Have to Write (Hardcover)

You Have to Write is a great book to use to encourage young writers to look at their own experiences as the launching pad for their writing. Uses kid language and thought to stimulate ideas.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You Have To Write, June 24, 2008

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Petra Siprian "book lover" (Villa Park, IL United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: You Have to Write (Hardcover)

You Have to Write is a must for every teacher who teaches writing. It is perfect for generating ideas. Students will identify with the struggle of what to write.