Reviews are gifts to authors. This is paraphrased from a post Carolyn Howard-Johnson wrote: Great Marketing, Networking, and the Gift of Surprise.
In this spirit, for the time being, Fridays will be for book reviews. I'll be posting ones I've done for others, ones others have done for me, and if you would like to guest post with your own reviews, let me know. Just please read the Guest Post Guidelines on the specified PAGE here.
Okay, kicking off Summer Review is:
Early American Poetry “Beauty in Words” (Poetry Rocks!)
Title: Early American Poetry “Beauty in Words”
Author: Stephanie Buckwalter
Publisher: Enslow Publishers, Inc.
ISBN: 13: 978-0-7660-3277-4
ISBN: 10: 0-7660-3277-9
Reviewed by: Karen Cioffi
Early American Poetry “Beauty in Words” explores poetry in America from colonial days to the end of the nineteenth century. It is a wonderful stepping stone for children to journey into the world of verse. Illustrations and pictures of the authors lend an air of informality to the book while the poems, facts, information, and descriptions enlighten the child to poets such as Anne Bradstreet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Edgar Allan Poe, Emily Dickenson, and Walt Whitman to name a few.
In a complete package, Buckwalter includes the elements of poetry, such as stanzas and poetic meter. She also includes explanations of words and terminology featured in the poems and the corresponding time periods. Along with this, there are very interesting, yet brief, biographies of the poets, along with details of their writings, bringing to light the hows and whys of the poems. In addition, Buckwalter sheds light on romanticism, reality, and poetic license and technique. This detailed analysis is provided in easy to read content.
As an added feature, at the end of each poets section, Buckwalter provides further reading resources. This is a valuable tool for the child who is sparked by a particular poet and wants to learn more.
I fondly remember as a youth reading a couple of the poems Buckwalter dissects in Early American Poetry “Beauty in Words.” Without this type of children’s book, our youth would miss out on learning about a beautiful form of writing and a certain perspective of the world around us.
In the introduction, Buckwalter explains: “Poets often see the world differently from most people. Some can see things hidden in the mundane; others scale lofty heights of philosophy. They all take words that capture ideas, feelings, and truth, and arrange them in ways that illuminate those realities.” I love this explanation; it’s simple, yet profound.
I highly recommend this book for children in the grade levels recommended.
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Want to learn how to write for children? Check out:
Fiction Writing for Children: Learn How to Write for Kids, Learn How to Submit a Book, and Learn about Book Marketing
http://karencioffifreelancewriter.com/books-on-writing/fiction-writing-for-children/
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Writing Articles:
Fiction Writing for Young Children – 10 Rules
Writing Fiction: Character Believability and Conflict
Write a Novel That Sells
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By: Karen Cioffi,
on 6/18/2012
Blog: Writing for Children with Karen Cioffi (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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Fiction writing for young children is probably a more scrutinized genre in that there are a lot of things to watch for.
Here is a list of 10 rules to refer to when fiction writing for young children:
1. This is probably the most important item: be sure that your story does not suggest dangerous or inappropriate behavior.
Example one: The protagonist (main character) sneaks out of the house while his parents are still sleeping.
Example two: The main character is alone in the street or a vacant lot.
This is a no-no!
2. Make sure your story has age appropriate words, dialogue and action.
For more information on age appropriate words, check out: Finding Age Appropriate Words When Writing for Children
3. The protagonist should have an age appropriate problem or dilemma to solve at the beginning of the story, in the first paragraph if possible. Let the action/conflict rise. Then have the protagonist, through thought process and problem solving skills, solve it on his/her own. If an adult is involved, keep the input and help at a bare minimum.
Kid’s love action and problem solving!
4. The story should have a single point of view (POV). To write with a single point of view means that if your protagonist can’t see, hear, touch or feel it, it doesn’t exist.
Example: “Mary crossed her eyes behind Joe’s back.” If Joe is the protagonist this can’t happen because Joe wouldn’t be able to see it.
5. Sentence structure: Keep sentences short and as with all writing, keep adjectives and adverbs to a minimum. And, watch your punctuation and grammar.
6. Write your story by showing through action and dialogue rather than telling.
If you can’t seem to get the right words to show a scene, try using dialogue instead.
7. You also need to keep your writing tight. This means don’t say something with 10 words if you can do it with 5. Get rid of unnecessary words.
8. Watch the timeframe for the story. Try to keep it within several hours or one day.
9. Along with the protagonist’s solution to the conflict, he should grow in some way as a result.
10. Use a thesaurus and book of similes. Finding just the right word or simile can make the difference between a good story and a great story.
Using these techniques in your fiction writing for young children will help you create engaging and publishable stories.
Another important tool to use in your writing tool belt is joining a children’s writing critique group. No matter how long you’ve been writing, you can always use another set of eyes. If you’re a beginning writer and unpublished, you should join a group that has published and unpublished members. Having published and experienced writers in the group will help you hone your craft.
Are you really interested in writing for children? If you answered yes, check out:
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