If your child is a writer at heart, these authors inspire
A Boy Called Dickens
Author: Deborah Hopkins
Illustrator: John Hendrix
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade Books
Recommended Age Range: 4 to 9
Website
Any Questions?
Author: Marie-Louise Gay
Illustrator: Marie-Louise Gay
Publisher: Groundwood Books, House of Anansi Press
Recommended Age Range: 6 to 9
In many ways, this book is two stories in one. The first story is true and shows the writing process through wonderful drawings, questions, and ideas. The second story is made up and comes from all the questions (and hard work) in the first part of the book. Of course, your child is invited to participate and, together, your child and the author create a wonderfully silly story to enjoy again and again.
Awards: White Raven Recommendation, International Youth Library, 2015; NCTE Notable Children’s Book in the Language Arts, 2015; Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator’s Award, 2015
Help! We Need A Title!
Author: Herve Tullet
Illustrator: Herve Tullet
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Recommended Age Range: 4 to 8
We all know authors write books, but are they ever actually in them? Well, in this case, yes and it works brilliantly. Herve Tullet, the extraordinarily talented author of Press Here and Mix It Up! has done it again, but this time you and your child are the audience. Full of surprises, including an unfinished story; a “not quite ready for prime time” cast of characters; and a very reluctant author’s “help,” you will love watching (and reading) Help! We Need a Title!
Awards: NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) Notable Children’s Books in the Language Arts
How to Bake-a-Book
Author: Ella Burfoot
Illustrator: Ella Burfoot
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, an Imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc.
Recommended Age Range: 3 to 6
With a splash of this, and a dash of that, this is writing at its creative best! Using all the elements of a story – big words and small; creative characters (cookies, of course); action (in this case, “the filling”); some good and some bad; and, of course, punctuation (it holds it all together), this author delivers one delicious book!
Ike’s Incredible Ink
Author: Brianne Farley
Illustrator: Brianne Farley
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Recommended Age Range: 4 to 8
Website
Ike is determined to write a story – the only problem – what to write? Deciding that he needs to make the perfect ink first, his adventure begins and what an adventure it is. In fact, it is so amazing that, at the end of the day, he just might have an idea for one “incredible” story. A great read!
Awards: A 2014 Ridgway Honor Award Winner
Little Red Writing
Author: Joan Holub
Illustrator: Melissa Sweet
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Recommended Age Range: 5 to 8
Website
A brilliant book that takes the story of Little Red Riding Hood and turns it into an incredibly enjoyable language arts lesson. When the main character, a pencil – albeit in a red hood – begins to write a story, she has no idea what awaits her, including an overload of adjectives; a big, bad pencil sharpener; adverbs that save the day; and a very brave woodcutter, just to name a few. I hope this is the first in a series. It is terrific!
Awards: A Booklist Best Book of the Year; A Kirkus Best Book of the Year; School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus
Author: Jen Bryant
Illustrator: Melissa Sweet
Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, an Imprint of Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
Recommended Age Range: 7 to 12
Website
This is the story of Peter Roget – a man who loved words so much he made lists of them. And what did he discover? How much he loved finding “the right word.” Of course, the thought that there could be a book that allowed everyone to find the word they were looking for encouraged him to keep creating lists – even with a family and career as a doctor. With wonderful facts and child-like drawings, this is a wonderful introduction to an inspired individual and a living piece of history.
Awards: ABC Best Books Catalog (American Booksellers Association); Booklist’s 2014 Lasting Connections; Booklist Editor’s Choice List – Books for Youth; Caldecott Honor Book; CLSC Young Readers selection for 2015; Elizabeth Kennedy’s “Best Illustrated Children’s Books of 2014” (About.com); Eureka Honor Award, 2014; Horn Book Magazine’s Best Books of 2014; The Horn Book Fanfare 2014; Huffington Post Best Picture Books of 2014; IRA Reading Today Online Best Picture Books of 2014; Junior Library Guild Selection; Kirkus Prize Finalist, 2014; Kirkus Review Best of 2014 – Children’s Books; Maine Lupine Book Award; Nerdy Book Club’s 2014 Nerdy Awards for Nonfiction Picture Books; New York Times Notable Children’s Books; 2014 Orbis Pictus Honor Book 2015 (NCTE); Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal; Publishers Weekly Best Books of 2014; SCBWI Golden Kite Award for Illustration; School Library Journal Best Books 2014; Society of Illustrators Original Art Exhibit 2014 selection; Texas Bluebonnet Master List for 2015-16