Creative Writing for Kids

Our second Fall Creative Writing session has begun.

The class was buzzing with 26 creative minds full of inspiration.

Finding joy in writing is something within you, not something taught.  It can be smothered or encouraged-especially in young writers. Give them validation that their ideas are worth writing about. It's all the inspiration they need to keep writing.

They hold the key to a future full of magic and wonder.


Help keep our imaginations thriving by donating a book from our Amazon wish list!

Creating Book Hype for Middle Grade Readers

The biggest challenge I face as a modern day school librarian is getting older kids excited enough about a book to turn off the tv and put down the electronics for a good read.

With younger kids and beginner readers it’s easy: Read them a funny story, maybe about a farting dog or an unrelenting  pigeon who won’t shut up about driving a bus, then point them in the direction of a shelf full of books at their reading level and they're hooked.

Older kids require a bit more motivation.

So the question is: How do I light a spark of book interest in them?

Answer: Roll out the projector, pull down the screen.

I like to use something they love (YouTube) to introduce something they don’t yet realize they love (reading) by showing them book trailers or short interviews with the authors and the results are usually the same: eighty percent of the class wants to read the book I’ve shared.

It’s like kryptonite against their reluctance to reading.

Last year when the Newbery award and honors were announced the kids were so excited to get theirs hands on the books that by the end of the week I had a list for each of the three titles with no less than 75 students waiting. I’m not exaggerating.

The first step in my make-the-kids-fall-in-love-with-these-three-books-plan was to display them and share my own thoughts of the stories. Now, I was fortunate and able to read all three of the books before sharing them with the students…but even if I hadn’t read them I could’ve looked over reviews from other people on Amazon or Goodreads (among many other sites) and shared those with the students.

Then I told them they couldn’t check them out until the following week. (that really made them want to check them out)

Most of the kids who were excited to read these books never would’ve even know they existed if I hadn’t exposed them to the books by talking about the stories and showing the videos of the authors and book trailers.

For Newbery honor El Deafo by Cece Bell I just talked about my own thoughts on the story and flipped through the book showing them a handful of pages (it’s a graphic novel, which is a genre that really appeals to a lot of kids right now) It's a non-fiction memoir about how the author became deaf after having meningitis at four years old. Later on she wore a special hearing aid to school that allowed her to hear her teacher no matter wear the teacher was in the school building..in the office...in the teacher's lounge...even in the bathroom! (yuck!) Anyway-the kids think that's hilarious and they want to read all about it!

For Newbery honor Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson I shared my thoughts, but also this YouTube clip.

And for Newbery winner The Crossover by Kwame Alexander I shared my thoughts, his picture book, Acoustic Rooster (which I read to all the classes at the beginning of the school year with the Michigan Reads Program material-so that was cool) and also this YouTube clip.

Question: How many of you want to read one of these books now?

-Mrs. Hunt

Book Review-I Don't Want to be a Frog

I really like this book because of all the colorful pictures. I think it is funny how the frog doesn't want to be a frog in the beginning of the book, but then at the end he realizes being a frog is actually a pretty good thing. It was published in 2015, so it could win the award for best illustrations. I hope it does. If you want to read a funny book with really nice pictures, then this is a great choice. I liked it so much, I wrote this summary of the story:

-Mia, 2nd Grade

Second Review:

I like this book because it is funny and I like the pictures because they're colorful. Frog would rather be a different animal. He doesn't like being a frog because he wants to be warm. He doesn't like being slimy and wet and eating bugs. A big wolf came over and told him he likes to eat all animals but he doesn't like to eat frogs because they're slimy and wet and eat bugs. Then the frog feels awesome about being a frog. My favorite part is when his dad tells him all the reasons why he can't be an owl.  -Elena, 1st grade