Product Description
The fun and easy way to write a childrens book that will impress any publishing house

The childrens book market can be difficult to crack for first-time authors. This friendly guide shows would-be J. K. Rowlings how to maximize their chances of success, offering practical, proven tips on developing book ideas, attending publishing conferences, writing a winning proposal, finding an agent, submitting to the right publisher, working with an editor, and more. It describes the differences between various types of childrens books and explains exactly what it takes to make the grade with each, including savvy advice on honing voice, descriptions, characters, plot, and pacing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (53)

Good read, great help!
This book covers it all if you are a first time children's book writer. I thought I was going along pretty good on my own, but this book pointed out my errors and things that I looked over entirely. Now I'm more confident in my work and I can see and read the difference from my original draft to the draft I've rewritten with the aid of this book. Excellent reference tool. The authors covered it all. I'll recommend to anyone brave enough to take a stab at writing children's books.

So you want to write a childrens book
There are a few things that really helped me, and they were in areas I did not expect. I particular was the section on what you do after you actually finish the draft of your book. They did a pretty good job about how to promote the book and get it published.

A solid grounding in the subject
I've had this book now only for a couple of weeks, and it's already looking a little tattered from the amount I've thumbed through it. It gives a solid and accessible grounding in the subject of writing for children, and despite the title, it doesn't dumb down its advice.As you'd expect, it covers character, plot, pacing, voice, and so on, but also gives you ideas for how to plan your writing time and avoid distractions, how to test your work with the relevant age group, and a list of places to get plot ideas (in case you're asking yourself that perennial reader's question, "But where do authors get their ideas from?") There's also a handy reference card in the front giving a summary.I'd recommend this for the shelves of any aspiring children's writer.

Warning: Do not attempt to write a children's book without reading Writing Children's Books For Dummies!

This book contains an abundance of information for both aspiring and seasoned writers on the craft of writing children's books.Award winning and best selling authors, Lisa Rojany Buccieri and Peter Economy, reveal key components imperative for creating a story that will surely appeal to kids and turn publishers' heads. There are great tips for firming up your plot, voice, dialogue, and style as well as the do's and don'ts of writing for children.Writers will benefit from a myriad of interviews with leading industry insiders. You will gain valuable insights on what editors, publishers, and buyers look for in a book.There is an illuminating section on acquiring agents and ultimately being published as well as great marketing tips.All this valuable information is delivered in an attractive layout that is both comprehensive as well as motivational.Writing Children's Book for Dummies is undoubtedly the best book I've read on the subject.

-Lorraine Florido
Author of Dezzer the Gasser and Hugo the Punk

A Great Easy-to-Use Reference Tool
This book has a great writing style that makes it both informative and enjoyable to read. The lists and sidebars summing up do's and don'ts make it easy to digest the information, as well as to flip through to find the issue you need help with. All aspiring children's book writers should keep this book by their keyboard! ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (5)

An excellent resource book for both the novice and professional!
As a final year student with a interest in writing and illustrating children's books, this product has been one of the best reference materials I have purchased to date. The book is separated into 6 chapters, each broken down to deal with topics such as idea formulation to idea development all the way to store and illustration structure. There are even chapters that handle the non-fiction market, media and techniques, as well as professional advice for interested writers/illustrators in this particular genre. I've been carefully reading it since I've received it, and it has been a great help to me as a student. If you're putting together a reference list on writing or illustrating books for children, this publication is a must-have. I heartily recommend it.

Absolutely Amazing - GET THIS BOOK.
I just got this book today and I just had to run on to give it a five-star review immediately.

First of all - this book is INCREDIBLY well-designed. I cannot stress this enough. There are so many how-to books about art that apparently don't put a lick of thought into their own design, which I hate. This book is just a pleasure to look at and absorb. Fun little fact boxes, doodles, notes, and examples decorate each page.As soon as I opened it, my first impression was: "Yes. Yes, this person knows EXACTLY what they're talking about." That's incredibly rare to find in an instructional book, I'm afraid.

I'm already a sequential art major in college, so there was a lot in this book that I was already familiar with - but I can say that the advice they're giving you beginners is absolutely dead on the money. Drawing from life, carrying a sketchbook around,and even talking about how to research or come up with idea. Spectacular! And even though I knew a lot of the beginning section, I enjoyed starting the little practice activities that they suggested on every page. There's even a colour wheel and guide that reminds me of my Colour and Comp clasess!

This book takes you from the first step (an idea, learning how to DRAW even) and walks you all the way to copyrighting and commission work, with EVERY step in between. They even have a few photoshop tutorials and a development guide for babies, which is super useful! So even if you already know how to draw or build characters, this book still has TONS for you. Story structure, age groups, POV, graphic novels, storyboarding - this book is basically a crash course in a Bachelors of Fine Arts, illustration focus.

With so much information crammed into one little 160 page book (it feels much lighter than I expected it to) - it's obviously not going into incredible depth. But make no mistake, at the end of every section they have recommendations to learn further in the subject. I already own several of the books they recommend, and they're absolutely fantastic! Raymond Briggs, Helen Oxenbury, Quentin Blake and many other fabulous well known illustrators are referenced and displayed in blooming lovely colour. These people OBVIOUSLY know exactly what they're talking about, and I can assure you that if you go out and buy the books THEY talk about - you'll be satisfied.

This book is absolutely incredible, you MUST get this. I am definitely going to look at the other books in this series, if they're anything at all near this quality - it's something special!

Visually fun and very informative
I wish the publisher of this book would allow Amazon to show a peek of what's inside. I've purchased many books on writing and illustrating children's books, but was wary about purchasing this one because only a cover illustration is shown. While the illustration shown is good,it's not in my style, so I was unsure if the contents would just be more of the same. Let me assure you there are a variety of styles shown. This book is fun to read and fun to look at, with plenty of illustrations and photos. As an encyclopedia, it is not an exhaustive "be all to end all" study of each topic, but rather it is chock full of introductory information with plenty of sidebars containing tips, exercises, and references to other books for further reading. Here is a copy of the table of contents:

*Introduction

*Chapter 1: Creating Children's Books
--The idea of a picture Book
--Target Markets
--Themes
--Coming Up With an Idea
--Research

*Chapter 2: Developing an Idea
--Sketchbooks
--Observing Children
--Media and Drawing Styles
--Developing Your Own Style
--Developing Characters
--Proportion
--Expression
--Movement
--Babies and Toddlers
--Boys and Girls
--Adults
--Anthropomorphism
--Figure and Ground
--Frames and Borders

*Chapter 3: Telling the Story
--Story Structure
--Writing Dialogue
--Avoiding Patronizing the Reader
--The Writer's Voice
--Point of View
--Beginnings
--Endings
--Age Level
--Novels
--Graphic Novels
--Page Dynamics
--Pace and Flow - Storyboarding
--Dummy Books
--Color Theory
--Designing with Color
--Paper Engineering (Reviewer's Note: Pop-up books)
--Novelty Books
--Book Jackets

*Chapter 4: Nonfiction
--The Nonfiction Market
--Illustrating Nonfiction
--Writing for Different Ages
--Creative Nonfiction

*Chapter 5: Media and Techniques
--Gallery of Techniques
--Translucent
--Line and Wash
--Dry Color
--Black and White
--Mixed Media and Collage
--Digital
--Making a Dummy Book

*Chapter 6: Professional Practice
--Working Life
--Copyright and Licensing
--Showing Your Work
--Getting a Commission

*Glossary
*Index
*Credits

The authors of this book are Welsh and the book was originally conceived, designed, and produced by Quarto Publishing in London. However, this is not a "Market Guide" for the United Kingdom, so if you don't live anywhere near the U.K., do not let that deter you from this book. Some reference books cited for further reading are U.S. published, and some are U.K. published. This book is a wonderful introduction to anyone interested in writing and/or illustrating a children's book. For example, basics such as "How to write a story plan" and how to incorporate "page turning appeal" are applicable to any writer. Most topics are given a two-page spread, but the six-page photo spread entitled "Making a Dummy Book" is great for first-timers. I recommend this book for beginners and for any children's book writer and illustrator who is a visual learner and, like me, is interested in amassing a huge library of reference books.

Perfect for the Aspiring or Beginning Children's Book Author/Illustrator
Most parents who have sat with a child on their lap (or in my case, two children) for story time have probably considered writing their own children's book. After all, it can't be all that hard - most of them are only 32 pages and just a sentence or two on each page, right? But when it comes to putting pencil to paper, the idea just seems to slip away. /The Encyclopedia of Writing and Illustrating Children's Books/ just may change that. It is very well organized, starting with how to come up with the concept and market, developing your ideas and art, how to tell the story for different ages, write dialogue, use points of view, and how to begin and end your story. There is a chapter on writing for the children's nonfiction market, what sorts of media to use, and even the basics of paper engineering. The final chapter on getting and protecting your work will be highly helpful to new authors trying to sell their first book. The book is well developed, highly illustrated, and contains lots of useful examples from published books. If you ever want to go from thinking "I could do that" to "I did that," here is your guide.

Like a treasure chest
This book is full of wonderful surprises! I have many books of this sort but this one tops them all! It is inspiring, good information, each chapter includes things you can do to further your understanding or hands on experience with that chapter's theme. You will not be disappointed in this book.
I especially like that the word magical is in the title because this books is just that. My own book, Fantastical Tales for the Heroine's Quest has no pictures butit is also magical--as are all the best books for children. ... Read more

Product Description
Writing books for children is both art andbusiness. If you dream of becoming a children's author -- or even ifyou're well on your way -- this handbook can help you in writingsellable stories, getting them published, and promoting yourbooks.

Topics include common myths about children's writing, children's bookcategories, elements of successful stories, manuscript format,submission strategies, contract negotiation, the publishing process,career building, and children's writer resources. Also included arespecialized subjects such as querying for multiple manuscripts,promoting a first book, and designing a Web page.

Read The Business of Writing for Children to learn the secretsyou might spend years discovering for yourself. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (30)

New in the business
I'm a beginner children's writer, seeking helpful advice on how to get started, and greatly appreciated Aaron Shepards book 'The Business of Writing for Children'.It's a cogent effort, packed with uselful information for both beginners and non-beginners alike.For a non-fiction book, I found it to be quite the page turner.

Add this book to your library before you submit your manuscript!
I found the writing tips Aaron lays out in this book, regarding how the beats of a sentence should be, in a children's book, to be very helpful. I also appreciated his description of what to submit to publishers, and how to go about marketing your book. Thanks for demystifying the process. Now it now sounds more fun than scary. ~Teresa, Aspiring Children's Author

A great beginning
The author of over fifteen picture books based on legends and folktales and a children's playwright as well, Aaron Shepard knows the business side of writing for children and he's shared some of his "tips of the trade" in this concise, useful guidebook (ISBN 0-938497-11-1).

Shepard provides some unique advice about submitting manuscripts. Once again, the advice is simple and concise but offers the type of "out of the box" suggestions that only an experienced published author can present. He gives a quick run-down on the types of publishers to approach and guidance for how to negotiate your own contract. A clear explanation of the types of distribution channels for books is presented as well (one of the most confusing areas of the business for beginning writers). Another valuable tip appears later in the book as Shepard provides his template for how to submit what he calls the "picture book query." If you've decided to submit your first manuscripts without an agent, this book will get you started.

But it's not all business. Shepard's love for his craft shows in the second section of the book as he describes how to script your story and the rhythm and rhyme that make for a strong picture book. He also discusses his specialty area of folktales, so if you want to write in this area this book will be particularly valuable to you.

He wraps up the book with a section on ways for authors to promote their books and themselves. Shepard provides some great resources at the end of the book--a bibliography, list of online resources including his own website [...], and a list of organizations for children's writers.

I thought this guidebook was a valuable introduction into the business side of children's writing for the newbie and I'd love for Shepard to add more to his next edition with articles from other children's writers about their experiences entering the world of children's publishing.--Annamaria Farbizio, Writing for Children, BellaOnline.com

Positive Advice!
Aaron Shepard gives positive, uplifting and practical advice on what works. Many similarly targeted books tell you what not to do. His focus on the positive was very refreshing after reading all of the negative aspects of the industry from other resources. If nothing else, his can-do attitude will lift your spirits and encourage you to keep at it!

Straight to the point of writing. . .
I found this book to be helpful and informative.I think no matter where you are in the writing process, you will benefit from this book.Thanks Aaron! ... Read more

Product Description
In this ground-breaking book, best-selling and award-winning author Nancy I. Sanders shares insider's tips and explains the secrets to landing a contract before you write one word of your manuscript -- even if you're an inexperienced or unpublished children's writer.

Whether you're just starting out or have numerous published credits to your name, Nancy teaches you how to manage your time and focus your energies so that you are writing each day with purpose in order to get published, earn an income, and satisfy your personal fulfillment as a writer.

Follow Nancy's step-by-step instructions, and you, too, can establish the foundation for building a successful career as a children's writer. Yes! You can. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Worth getting!
The book was a quick read and it approached writing as a freelance business. Practical and helpful.

You can, too
I love the positive "yes, you can" attitude and the kind, encouraging tone of the book. However, I was almost insulted by the simplicity of her message. She's saying a lot of things I already knew, or painfully obvious stuff, over and over again. And the force of the repitition emphasised the simplicity of her message. Heck, by mid-book, I knew I could even write a book like this one if I would just get off my bum and do it. Well, writing does involve a lot of sitting, so I found myself getting on my bum and writing my blog every day. And the new commitment to writing that Ms Sanders' book inspired has started a major rehaul of my writing life. Yay!
I am really grateful for the practical, practicable advice, the almost irresistible challenge to just do it (because, yes, I can), as well as the inherent acceptance and acknowledgement that each reader is at a different stage of her development. I'm not sure seasoned professionals would benefit much from the tips for professional wriers as they seem pretty basic to me, but for developing and beginner writers, this book is great. Then again, my favourite writing mentor Hope Clarke of Fund for Writers recommended it, so I take back what I just implied about it not being much for pros.
Thank you Nancy Sanders for this inspirational book--and to the Amazon folks for delivering it in record time: two months ahead of the initial estimated delivery date!!! Hooray!

A 366-page compendium of insider information, tips, tricks, techniques, tactics and strategies
It is every writer's dream to have their book sold to a publisher before it is even written. But that's no pipe dream! Not with "Yes! You Can: Learn How To Write Children's Books, Get Them Published, And Build A Successful Writing Career". This is a 366-page compendium of insider information, tips, tricks, techniques, tactics and strategies that can be readily adopted by anyone seeking to establish themselves as professional authors and earn their living by writing books for young readers. "Yes! You Can" is more than just a 'how to' instruction manual for beginning children's books authors, it is a combination workshop, seminar, tutorial, professional reference, career guide, and inspiring motivational. Replete with practical, real-world, insights into how publishing works and how writer's can best advantage themselves within the industry, "Yes! You Can" also delves into writing as a business, including such aspects as publicity and marketing. Of special note is the bibliography of recommended professional books for children's writers and a glossary of specialized terms. "Yes! You Can" is especially recommended for anyone aspiring to successfully write and have published books for young readers, and has a great deal of background value for writers in other fields seeking successful publication for their work.

Learn about The Triple Crown of Success
The first of a projected series that will include titles on how to write beginning readers and chapter books, middle grade fiction and children's nonfiction, this volume supplies the very basics a beginning writer ought to know before blasting off into the world of fame and fortune available to those who write for children. Unlike other titles in the genre (Ann Whitford Paul, Tracey Dils, Barbara Seuling, Aaron Shepard, Nancy Lamb, Jean Karl, Uri Shulevitz, Harold Underdown, Lesley Bolton, ) on how to write, illustrate, and sell your book for children, Nancy Sanders take the approach that you need to sell the title before you've written it. She repeatedly emphasizes what she calls "The Triple Crown of Success: Using three separate strategies to meet three separate goals" q.v writing for personal fulfillment, writing to get published, writing to earn income. This, she says, is her "super-duper extra-special million-dollar secret." She encourages aspiring writers to sort and set priorities and to establish serious goals in terms of time-per-week devoted to the objective of getting published. She does cover most of the basics--how to write a query, how to write a cover letter, how to write a proposal. Mentions of SCBWI, Write4Kids, Children's Writer, and other helpful organizations are listed in the index and embedded in the text, with websites listed. There are lots of references to Eve Heidi Bine-Stock's books on writing for children (perhaps because she is the publisher). All in all, it's an easily read volume with lots of practical suggestions that will empower and connect beginning writers to their target: getting published. One of the ways Sanders suggests for writers to do so is to set up a "writer's pyramid"; she assures the reader that "those who implement this model into their own schedule see valuable results." In the Writer's Pyramid are layers she calls the "no-pay/low-pay markets you submit to relentlessly to build experience and clips; the "income" you build by targeting a publisher, studying its website, and brainstorming ideas that would fit into their product line; and then always working on "your own manuscript for personal fulfillment", your magnum opus. The Writer's Pyramid, Sanders says, "helps you manage your time and focus your energy on very specific purposes each day in your writing week as you pursue the Triple Crown of Success." This formula is repeated throughout the book in subsequent chapters, sometimes verbatim, which may be a really good idea for beginning writers. The goal of the book is to have the reader shout, "Yes I Can!" and fearlessly make it so. This would be an excellent title to choose if you work with aspiring young writers who want to try their hand at children's books. Includes list of recommended books, index, books by the author, glossary.

This will turn your writing career around!
If you're serious about writing for children, get this book! It's filled with clear direction, tips, and strategies that will as Nancy Sanders says, "Take your writing career to the top!" I have NEVER read a book as informative as this one on how to build a career in writing for children. This author of over 70 books knows her stuff.
... Read more

Product Description
Writing picture books is not easy. Picture books are a unique form of writing with a large audience of 2- to 8-year-olds, and they must appeal to both the adult purchaser and the child listener/reader. They are generally 32 pages long and must be tightly focused and told partly through illustrations. And novice picture book writers make a lot of mistakes--and get a lot of rejections from publishers flooded with inappropriate manuscripts. From this book these writers will learn the writing and revision process that will lead them to creating more salable picture book manuscripts. Ann Whitford Paul covers researching the picture books market, creating characters, point of view, plotting, tips on writing rhyme, and more?all the lessons writers need to write great picture books that will appeal to both editors/agents and young readers/parents. She uses a mix of instruction and hand-on exercises, often asking readers to cut, color and paste their way through revision. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

Inspiring, Informative, and Enjoyable
My first guidebook on the journey toward becoming a published writer.So glad I bought it.The book is not only informative and encouraging, but also quite enjoyable to read.

Thank you, Mrs. Whitford Paul!

A note to the publisher: this book is full of silly typos!The author and her audience (i.e. your customers!) deserve better!

Read twice and need to read again
I want this book to become part of my DNA. This book is a "must-have" reference for the
children's writer.
--Annamaria Farbizio, Writing for Children, BellaOnline.com

Nuts and Bolts for Picture Book Dabblers
Food to eat while reading: Nuts and Bolts Snack Mix([...])

What I liked:

The author has an easy style that makes reading a how-to book pleasurable, in fact, I set aside my current novel to read it.

Each chapter has an exercise that you can use to strengthen your work in progress, using the tools from that chapter.

This book allowed me to look at all of my WIP with a fresh perspective. The writing advice Paul gives is universal and helped me look more simply at the YA novel I am working out.

Paul gives picture book examples to help illustrate each writing tip.

I love the instruction on the rhythm in words and how poetry can help us with our prose.

What I would have changed:
Nothing, really. It's a pretty straight-forward book with great advice.

The verdict:
Aspiring writers who have no idea where to begin will devour this book, and those who are looking for a fresh way to spruce up their writing will benefit from the exercises.

Just What the Writer Ordered!
I am an "out of the box" person. This book is a great reality check.The conversational tone and the step by step directions, really got me to Revise! Revise! Revise! This is a good writing course to take in a dismal picture book market. The advice to read as many picture books as possible and really get to know your characters via studies of their personal traits helped me immeasurably. We all think that writing pictures books is very easy - wrong!It is a specialized craft that must be refined.This publication is a must for anyone who is serious about the genre.

Recipe for Writing Picture Books
If writing a PB could be reduced to a recipe, Ann Whitford Paul knows the "secret" ingredients. However, at the outset, Paul acknowledges that PB writing can't be reduced to a single, fool-proof recipe. (Words, plots, and characters can take wing--seemingly by themselves, or go underground--refusing to appear in your conscious eye.) Nevertheless, Paul has written a book covering the fundamental ingredients necessary for producing a PB. This book is laid out in a logical, step-by-step manner. She provides exercises and to do lists for each chapter. She covers the structure of a picture book, storytelling techniques, plotting, character development, poetry, rhythm, diction, syntax, and the critique process. Then she covers the submission process and the follow-up work you need to do once you land a contract. And she provides exercises to generate more story ideas.

Also, Paul is like a friend who leads you through the attitude adjustments necessary to become a professional writer. I especially appreciated her openness about the pain of waiting for a response from a publisher, dealing with rejection, and dealing with marketing. This is a PB workshop in book form. It is the most comprehensive book I have read regarding picture books. (And I have read several writing-for-children books.)

Due to economic cutbacks, I do not buy books as often as I used to. But I consider my money well spent on "Writing Picture Books: A Hands-On Guide from Story Creation to Publication". I would not be surprised if this book becomes THE reference for PB writers.

... Read more

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Customer Reviews (3)

A must have
This is a must have reference book.If you are new at writing reports, this book will give many brilliant ideas as to how to go about it.On the other hand, if you have been writing reports for a long time and may feel tired of the same, you will find that this book is full of ideas, terms, and different ways of saying what you want to say.I really loved it!It was everything I was expecting.

Very Useful!
This book has wonderful templates for structuring a psychological evaluation or assessment report. It will save you a lot of time, and will help you use client-friendly language.

highly recommended

Practical and useful
This has been a long-awaited book for educational psychology students and educational psychologist. It is practical and the guidelines and examples make report writing a pleasure. ... Read more

Product Description
Anyone wishing to create children's books will learn how to tell a story visually; build a storyboard to plot the flow of a book; prepare pages for a printer; and go about finding a publisher. Step-by-step sketches provide insights into drawing characters and developing settings. The works of such renowned illustrators as Beatrix Potter, William Steig, and Maurice Sendak are used to demonstrate a visual approach to storytelling. 10 color and 600 b&w illustrations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

the bible
This has all the fundamentals in it for the aspiring and working children's book writer.the only reason i give it 4 instead of 5 stars is because the print quality is not so hot...

BUT still absolutely worth it for the wealth of knowledge contained therein :)

Awesome
I have learned a lot from this book.It gave me answers to questions I didn't even know to ask.That's how much I like this book.Good stuff.

Very useful but also quite dated
I chose this book (largely based on reviews here) since I'm beginning work on writing and illustrating children's books.

I've learned a lot of solid and useful relevant information from the book, hence the 4 stars.However, be aware that despite the 1997 publication date the text actually dates from the 80's according to the in-book publication data and I found the material very dated in some chapters.

For example, I found absolutely no mention of anything related to digital techniques.Even the laborious chapter on color preseparation gives the reader any clue that this type of work is nearly obsolete and vastly better and more precisely with software.

I was also disappointed that there was not more variety amongst the hundreds of example images throughout the book.A very large portion of them are repeated or very similar images from Uri's own talented hand.A wider variety of illustrations in the examples and more use of and discussion of color would improve the book.

Highly recommended for new writers/illustrators!
I am completely new to the world of writing and illustrating children's books.This book is very easy to understand, provides a lot of detail for the beginner and held my interest very well.Recommended for those with little or no experience/training/education as a children's author.Very enjoyable and informative.

I rate it a five!
The author has written his presentation in story form It is a story of how to expertly create stories. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (8)

Learning About Mentor Text
I love this book! Any teacher who is struggling with teaching writing to their students, needs a deeper understanding of the value of mentor texts, and how to use them should have this book.It is worth every penny.

Mentor Texts: Teaching Writing Through Children's Literature, K-6
I am so glad I purchased this text.No matter how often you hear about mentor texts you can never hear enough.Reading this book has enabled me to fill in all the missing pieces.It has also given me the confidence to implement this method of teaching writing.I am grateful to these ladies and their interest in sharing their ideas.Thank you.

Great Book for Elementary Classroom Teachers
Mentor Texts: Teaching Writing Through Children's Literature, K-6

This book has lots of ideas to create great lessons.Definitely a better way to learn about grammar and writing than just teaching rules through worksheets.Teachers can choose books their students pick to incorporate into the lesssons, but one of my favorite features of the book is the huge list of books that are put into categories of what they can be used to teach.

Great for Writing Teachers
This is a very teacher friendly text.You can pick the lessons you want to teach and go from there.

A Must- Have for Writing!
This book is an excellent resource for anyone teaching writing to children (K-6).It has easy-to-read formatting and has lots of examples woven throughout.It has lists of mentor texts that can be used to share the craft of writing and show children how authors use writing for many different purposes.The books and strategies in the book lend themselves to helping students take risks in their writing.Great book! ... Read more

Product Description
There is no skill more important for a child to master more than writing - and none more difficult or fraught with anxiety. Peggy Kaye, renowned teacher and author of the widely praised Games for Math, Games for Reading, and Games for Learning, now gives parents more than fifty ways to help their children become skilled, confident, and enthusiastic writers.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Great book
This book is full of fantastic ideas, the author is creative, smart, and funny.Tons of fun for the kids.

Great resource for learning disabled child
My daughter is 8 and has only just learned to write her name.She has short term memory problems and motor planning trouble.This book, and the others by Kaye offer so many fun easy ideas that give her the repetitive practice she needs but with variety and interest.Also, many of the games get at some of the developmental skills she missed out on, and teach to other senses than simple visual.Awesome!

Couldnt be happier about this book
My second grader son was having a REALLY hard time writing.. after a week playing games from this book, his teachers and I are completely amazed with the change; he woke me up one morning to show me the poem he had written for me!! and he is writing a lot (his own initiative).
He wants me to take the book, paper and a pencil everywhere (restaurants, etc).

I couldnt be happier about this book...HIGHLY recommended

Fabulous!
We absolutely LOVE this book.I pulled my son out of Kindergarten to homeschool him because he was miserable with all of the worksheets and it made him hate writing!This book saved us.These games are fun and it doesn't really even feel like "work".Writing doesn't have to be boring.He has improved 100% and no longer complains about writing...It's even fun for me!

Great book for a writing workshop!
This book has lots of good ideas that can be implemented in writing workshops for any age. ... Read more

Product Description
From a certified teacher and founder of an online tutoring website-a simple and effective guide for parents and students to learn writing at home. Over and over, studies show that parental involvement results in better grades, higher test scores, and better chances on future academic success. Tutoring has proven to be an effective way to improve grades.But, few parents realize that they can, in fact, be their child's best tutor.It's Stuart Ackerman's goal to get parents to understand curriculum documents to help their own children at home.Ackerman - who has been a regular guest on radio and television - gives families the tools they need to 'self-tutor' their own children.The book gives parents practical and fun writing ideas for their children at home.Learn'Em Good also makes it easy for parents to understand what teachers are looking for when marking and assessing writing.Parents will learn how to easily help their children with writing assignments at home.This book also has a bonus section containing the most important writing lessons from Tutorgiant.com.Inside this book, you will find a 50% off code for any Tutorgiant.com membership. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Great Help For My Grand daughter
This book has come too late for me and my kids. But for my Grand daughter it is going to be a lot of fun. I'm not that creative in finding ways to help her in her writing and this book has solved that problem for me.
There is a lifetimes worth of great tips to teach children the skills of writing. I'm still not sure I like the Title (Hence 4 stars) but don't let that put off this book. Good quality content from an expert.

User-friendly and well-structured
This is the second book I have read from this author (the other one being "Learn 'em Good Math") and I am impressed.Having once been a private tutor for nearly ten years, I can say that once again Ackerman shows that he knows his stuff.This book presents a variety of ways to engage kids in creative writing no matter where their interests lie, and Ackerman provides clear grammatical notes to enable parents to help their children without becoming overwhelmed by English's many confusing rules.This one is well worth the price.

Great for the kids
I am quite pleased with this book.The first section contains 26 ideas to help your child write at home.What I like about the ideas is that they make a lot of sense.They are real life skills that my child can use.The second section is a treasure full of skills that I wasn't aware of such as: writing a paragraph, linking words, and how to write a descriptive essay to name a few.This is a great resource for parents who want to help their child improve their writing skills.Well worth the price.

Great Book!
My child was having difficulty writing. I found this book to be clear and concise with easy to understand directions. Once I started implementing the suggestions in this book to showed a dramatic improvement in my child's writing skills. Thanks!!!!!!! ... Read more

Product Description
THE MOST TRUSTED GUIDE TO THE WORLD OF CHILDREN?S PUBLISHING

If you write or illustrate for young readers with the hope of getting published, 2010 Children?s Writer?s & Illustrators Market is the resource you need. Whether you create picture books or young adult novels, fiction or nonfiction, books or magazine articles?the 2010 edition tells you who to contact and what to send them. You?ll find:

• Complete, up-to-date contact information for hundreds of book publishers, magazines, agents and art reps, as well as listings for organizations, contests, and conferences that offer important networking opportunities.
• Interviews with and articles by industry insiders including prominent editors;National Book Award finalist Sara Zarr; Nick & Norah?s Infinite Playlist author Rachel Cohn; bestselling author of The Spiderwick Chronicles Holly Black; authors Lisa Yee, Ellen Hopkins and Mitali Perkins; plus interviews with four debut authors who share their stories and offer advice.
• Nearly 200 pages of informative and inspirational articles on children?s publishing topics like getting through your first draft, revision, naming characters, writing humor, the acquisitions process, writing GLBTQ books, graphic novels, and more.
• And?new this year?access to all Children?s Writer?s & Illustrator?s Market listings in a searchable online database!

Customer Reviews (17)

good but lacking in some areas
This is a big book with information that is good and useful, but I also have found there are other books that would be more helpful in what I was trying to learn.I wasn't familiar with some of the terms used and it made it hard to understand some parts.I needed more examples, especially when it came to picture book writing. It may be better for someone writing chapter books or young adult books.

Great information.
This book contains great information for not only where to mail a story or book for publication, but also information regarding the writing of a children's story.I am sure I will be using it a lot.It was in great condition.

Great advice and info
I am finding the book most informative and helpful. I havn't even got to the lists of publishers and agents yet.
Big thumbs up from me.

2010 Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market
This is an excellent book for anyone that is interested in entering the children's book market. Agents and publishers come and go so quickly and it is wonderful to have a resource that is in touch with the industry. I highly recommend it.

Any aspiring writer should buy this book!
Extremely helpful.Tons of publishers, editors, and what they're looking for in this book.If you're trying to get published, you NEED to get this book.Not sure about the word count?if they send your dummy book back?what publishers are looking for?does a publisher accept multiple submissions? how many 1st-time authors a publisher accepts each year?Almost EVERY question you need to know can be found in here.This book also includes some great tips and articles for aspiring writers to read.You need this book.Informative and extremely helpful! ... Read more

Product Description
Surefire techniques to help you top the bestseller list!

Whether you’re already published or just an aspiring writer with a dream, the children’s book publishing industry can be one of the toughest to crack. The Everything® Guide to Writing Children’s Books is the perfect handbook if you’re looking to create a successful children’s book. From generating a sellable idea to turning in your manuscript, The Everything® Guide to Writing Children’s Books is packed with information that can help your publishing dreams come true.

The Everything® Guide to Writing Children’s Books includes all the necessary facts you need to conquer the children’s book industry, including tips on getting started and hints on writing to the correct age group. In addition, the book features up-to-date information on publishers that specialize in children’s books, writing workshops and seminars, and marketing and publicity.

The Everything® Guide to Writing Children’s Books helps you:

·Formulate an idea

·Create an outline

·Write the book

·Find an illustrator

·Design a proposal

·Negotiate a contract

The Everything® Guide to Writing Children’s Books is a must-have for aspiring writers everywhere! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Review for Everything Guide to Children's Writing
I LOVE THIS BOOK!

I am just getting into writing professionally and this book is the perfect resource.

I stumbled upon the book while at the library, but I realized quickly that I needed to purchase this book so that I could refer to it as needed.

Highly recommend it!

The Everything Guide to Writing Children's Books
Excellent book. Arrived promptly.I read this book (from the library) before I bought it, and I knew it would be worth having!

Very disappointed
Unfortunately, the book was too vague to really assist novice writers. Also, what should have been most valuable, the list of Publishing Companies, was very outdated.
This was a waste of my money.

Not worth buying
This book gives you very basic information on how to write and publish a children's book. There are much better books out there that are more comprehensive. I could only suggest this book as an introduction, if that, to the world of children's book writing.

A really wonderful resource for novice writers!!!
I have always loved creative writing, and I think that like me, anyone who enjoys writing entertains the thought of writing a book at one point or another. I began thumbing through this at a bookstore one afternoon and was sold on it in about 30 seconds.
The authors of this book are realistic - they know that when people sit down and begin to write, the journey begins to look quite daunting and many give up after a few lines or pages. There is a lot to learn, to think about, to research. They want you to give it the old college try, as they say, so this book is here to help you and make it a bit more fun along the way! This "how to" helpers guide gives tips on making your own space to write in, finding your "voice" and genre, keeping journals for ideas and to fan those artistic flames, literary terms, and even some writing seminars to attend and publishers of children's literature.
The tone of any advice in this book is firm but reassuring. Don't expect to get overnight results or quit your job for instant fame and success, but DO work hard and have fun while you're crafting your masterpiece, and something great may come of it. With any luck and this book by my side, who knows? Maybe I'll turn out the next "Harry Potter" series. :o) ... Read more

Product Description
Keeping in mind the many demands on kindergarten teachers' time, Arlene C. Schulze outlines current research and best classroom practices for implementing writing workshop in your classroom. Chapters are rich with student writing samples and offer a daily kindergarten schedule, a description of the stages of kindergartners' written language development, outlines and lesson plans, writing workshop minilessons, and assessment tools.

Plus, appendixes offer a wealth of information to supplement your instruction, such as phonemic awareness activities, booklists, word lists, sample letters, and reproducible forms.

Although this book focuses primarily on kindergarten students, the ideas and advice it contains are also appropriate for those working with preschoolers and first and second graders.

The International Reading Association is the world's premier organization of literacy professionals. Our titles promote reading by providing professional development to continuously advance the quality of literacy instruction and research.

Research-based, classroom-tested, and peer-reviewed, IRA titles are among the highest quality tools that help literacy professionals do their jobs better.

Some of the many areas we publish in include:

-Comprehension
-Response To Intervention/Struggling Readers
-Early Literacy
-Adolescent Literacy
-Assessment
-Literacy Coaching
-Research And Policy ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

FINALLY!!!A book on how writing is the developmental avenue to reading!
From my perspective as a university literacy instructor, Arlene Schulze has written a practical hands-on resource for preserviceteachers.Her book Helping Children Become Readers Through Writing is used in my reading methods and language arts courses.The what, why and how of emergent literacy is presented in classroom-tested instruction and activities that lead all emergent learners to literacy through writing and reading workshops.Preservice teachers are able to draw on Arlene's extensive research, years of application, and invaluable insight concerning writing as an integral part of learning to read.

My preservice teachers especially enjoyed tracking their students' written language development by utilizing "The Five Different Stages of Written Language Development"---a feature unique to Arlene's book.Being able to make these assessments proved most useful in helping my preservice teachers retain a focus on a student's strengthsto teach to their weaknesses---known to unknown--a concept Arlene's book promotes.

Clearly, all teachers, parents, teacher-educators and preservice teachers should know how young children acquire literacy in their first years of schooling and Arlene's book provides the knowledge and know-how through practical, applicable methods that even the most novice teacher cou

An invaluable tool for teaching children to read
As the parent of an active preschool-aged boy, I have used this book as a tool to help him to attain early literacy.My son is very energetic and has always struggled to sit still for the reading of short story books.However, he has enthusiastically participated in the active writing processes described in this book, and I have subsequently noticed his new appreciation and recognition of words in his story books.He will be entering kindergarten as an early reader, thanks to this book.

Great Practical Ideas for a Quick Reference Guide!
As a veteran Denver Public School teacher and former literacy coach, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Arlene Schulze's book.I felt as though I was conferring with a colleague and gaining new insights on teaching kids through writing and writer's workshop.There were a few "Aha!" moments.It was a woderful feeling to learn that I do some great things for young learners already.I gained a deeper understanding of the stages of writing and spelling development that I plan to share with parents.This understanding helps me in planning lessons.I am also much more strategic in my delivery of information and skills.I have implemented many of her ideas right into my current Writers' Workshop.The lessons align perfectly with district expectations with very little tweaking.The phonemic awareness lessons and chants are priceless.They are quick, easy and meaningful for me and my students.Mrs. Schulze's book is a great user friendly resource to keep on hand.

Mrs. R. Chip
I thought this book was an excellent literacy resource that can be used not only for teachers but also for parents.Arlene Schulze does a great job explaining the process of development that children use for both veral and written language (which I found fascinating) and how these strategies carry over into reading.As a parent, I especially liked how well this book was organized, with great use of pictures to explain ideas.It is not only filled with vital information but is one of the few that gives practical application (with activities listed for each topic) as well.This is a wonderful book that both parent and teacher would benefit from reading!

A must read for Early Childhood Educators
From the perspective of a Language Arts and Early Childhood professor, I feel that Arlene Schulze has written an extremely valuable guide and resource with her book, Helping Children Become Readers Through Writing.

This book was written from the point of view of a veteran teacher researcher and literacy coach.In her book, she not only discusses the stages of developmental spelling and writing, she delves into how written language emerges and strategies to enhance growth.She designs a comprehensive program of writing workshop and mini lessons, and student oriented assessment techniques.She concludes with teacher reflections on this program.

The author states the reason for writing this book is a description of 'why' and 'how' young children become readers (and writers). I feel that kindergarten, primary teachers, and teacher educators would greatly benefit from Mrs. Schulze's extensive research, clearly designed programs and activities, and her insights into teaching young children to read through writing workshop.

Professor of Early Childhoos and Language Arts ... Read more

Product Description
This volume examines a variety of utopian writing for children from the 18th century to the present day, defining and exploring this new genre in the field of children's literature. The original essays discuss thematic conventions and present detailed case studies of individual works. All address the pedagogical implications of work that challenges children to grapple with questions of perfect or wildly imperfect social organizations and their own autonomy. The book includes interviews with creative writers and the first bibliography of utopian fiction for children. ... Read more

Product Description
Writing for children - whether it's in the form of picture books, beginning readers, chapters books and novels, or nonfiction - requires a unique skill set: the ability to speak to children on their level. "You Can Write Children's Books, 2nd Edition", provides readers with the instruction and exercises they need to shape their ideas, develop their writing, and sell their work! This revised edition keeps the book relevant and increases its value as a resource for writers. It provides readers with: updated information on changes in the publishing industry related to children's book writing; new techniques and exercises for writing children's books; new instruction for submitting work online; an updated look at publishing methods and opportunities; like traditional, online, print on demand; and, online promotional opportunities that didn't exist when the first edition of this book was released. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Good stepping stone book for new writers
This is a good book to start you off understanding the writing environment for childrens books. I highly recommend you get this one.Tracy Dils explains it clearly and simply.

Advice and inspiration for success
I had the pleasure of editing this book. Tracey Dils offers the inspiration and know-how for you to write and publish for kids. She breaks down information by age and type of book and provides comprehensive information on each type of book. I love Tracey's warm, friendly tone.

Good, solid advice from someone who knows how
Tracey Dils has written a comprehensive, yet accessible book for anyone who's interested in breaking into children's literature. Her examples are clear, to the point, and helpful, and her exercises are dynamite, opening readers up to new ways of thinking about writing for children. She explains the various types of children's books, which helps readers learn how to identify and classify just exactly what publishers mean when they talk about leveled readers, picture books, beginning readers, chapter books, young adult literature, and all the rest. The appendices and resources are excellent, as are her tips on manuscript preparation. I recommend this book without reservation. ... Read more

Product Description
The Craft of Children's Writing provides an invaluable resource for both teachers and parents by actually showing the reader how to discover what young children know about writing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Learn how children tackle language through writing
This book explais how children become writers. It has a case study which outlines the stages a child might undergo to become a fluent communicatorof written language. Very insightful for teachers and parents alike. ... Read more

Product Description
A reissue of the now-classic anthology (with more than 60,000 copies sold) of deeply moving testimonies by survivors of child sexual abuse--with a new afterword by Ellen Bass, co-author of The Courage to Heal. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

Totally Honest
The writings in this book are totally honest, eye openning and a must for anyone struggling with the memories of sexual abuse.This book can open the doors in your healing process and lets you know that you are not alone in your journey to a healthy emotional life.

Worth reading
Good information, helps those who are affected by the abuse to know you are not alone.

I Never Told Anyone
As an adult survivor of sexual abuse I found this book to be interesting but not really what I expected.The book is comprised of stories from abuse victims.I expected the stories to deal with the emotional aspect of overcoming the abuse however this book was mostly vivid accounts of the abuse itself and most of the accounts were from the 1950's or earlier, some of them even dated back as far as the 1800's.

Childhood Sexual Abuse Stories
This material is timeless, in that the stories will always be relevant, though the problem with this book is that most of the stories are very dated in terms of the time in history that they occurred.My wife as a victim of childhood sexual abuse, would be a better story reference than someone from the 20's, 30's, 40's, or 50's... as the treatment of women during those decades was viewed completely different from the 60's going forward.Still a worthwhile read for women who need to understand they are not alone in this suffering, but it could do with some updated stories and references to more modern women.

Thanks.
Lynn

Book for molested and raped females to know they are not alone.
If you are a male that was molested, this book may not help.The book also has overtones that males are all bad because of their sexual drive and females are predominantly victims of being primarily sexual objects.If you are looking to get over sexual abuse, this book does not seem to provide answers for how to find a cure. ... Read more

Product Description
Newly revised and expanded, Writing Poetry with Children makes it easy to teach these poetry forms: couplets, cinquain, haiku, limericks, shape poems, and acrostic poems. You get more than 30 reproducible writing forms to showcase poems and lots of ideas for interesting ways to display and share student poetry in grades 1-6.

Each poetry lesson provides samples of the poetry form. Step-by-step lessons on three levels of difficulty are provided:
Level 1-students are guided through all the steps to write a poem
Lever 2-students are guided through the first few steps and then complete the poem independently
Level 3-students write independently, following the guides on a "How to" chart and a reproducible step-by-step form.

This three-level approach gives teachers the versatility to meet any student's needs. Subjects for poems include The Sun, Birds, Rain, A Clown, Bubbles, Kittens, Motorcycle, Cowboy, Space Alien, and many more to which students will readily relate.

Ideas provided for displaying and sharing student poetry include display boards, charts and banners, a newsletter, a program for a poetry reading, and a portfolio - each with complete instructions and, where needed, reproducible templates.

Each poetry form is illustrated with engaging line art. All 96 pages perforated for easy removal. $10.95 each. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Makes writing poetry easy
This is a great tool for teaching children how to write poetry.Good explanations of the types of poetry and fun pages on which to write poetry.The kids keep asking, "When do we get to write more poetry?"

Great book
I homeschool my 12-year old son and it was difficult finding anything on line about poetry.This book covers couplets, triplets, quatrains, cinquains, haiku, limericks, shape poems and acrostics.It has plenty of template pages and we have both enjoyed working from this book.I wish I had reproduced the pages before we used them, as you could write different types of poems on each of the templates.I would highly recommend this book if you want to cover basic poetry.

Fun Book!
My family is having lots of fun learning the forms in this book.Easy to understand and any child who can read and write can do it.This book helped me interest my children in writing, and sometimes I find them doing it on their own now! ... Read more

Product Description
Twenty years after Don Graves first guided you to new, more effective, and more professionally satisfying practices, Heinemann celebrates his continuing influence with a special 20th Anniversary Edition of Writing, the book that revolutionized literacy teaching. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

It's the words, stupid
I just read a somewhat negative review of this classic book...The words are what make this book special! Graves has a vision of writing and writing instruction that is insightful and inspiring, if one actually reads the words. No pictures in this book, that is true. Graves' book is a must have for serious writers and teachers of writers.

Good info but boring presentation
This book has a lot of great information, but the way in which it is presented is quite dull.It is just page after page of words. Nothing really jumps out and grabs the readers attention. ... Read more

Product Description
Nowhere will you find a more comprehensive, current, and detailed writing course designed specifically for writing children's and teen books, written by an author who is in the field today. WRITING FOR CHILDREN AND TEENS: A CRASH COURSE is a ten-step course that relays all the nitty-gritty details of the business, beginning with how to evaluate your book idea all the way to pitching your book to editors and agents.

Within each step, you'll find clear and specific information covering topics such as the children's book market, manuscript format, revision tips, finding the right agent or publisher, submission etiquette, and common faux pas to avoid. This book will even tell you what kind of paper you should use and exactly how you should write your letters to editors and agents.

Bonus materials include templates for all of your submission needs as well as examples of real-life editorial letters sent to authors from editors today. You will get a complete inside peek to the children's fiction writing market for those who want to write picture books, easy readers, chapter books, and middle grade or teen novels. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Great book!
If you're looking for a long wordy book about finding inspiration and lots of anecdotal stories about plot development etc... then this book is not for you.

If you want a concise reference book you can use to find the rules of writing and detailed guidelines on publishers, how to interact with them, what sort of lingo they use, etc... Then this book is for you!

I bought several books on children's book writing before finding this one. The information is simple. Some of it I already knew. But this is the only book I could find that was willing to fill me on on the secret lingo of publishers and how to talk to them. Every occupation from movie director to literature professor comes riddled with special lingo and insider terms. This book helped me get inside the head of a publisher more than any other.

Some of the info is so simplistic you'll find it annoying, but if you find info here you didn't already know, it's gold.

Unimportant
This is the by far the worst book I've purchased on writing for young adults. All the information in this book can be found in any other writing book not geared towards YA. I didn't find anything useful I didn't already know by reading other books on craft or writing. It was simply a waste of time, storage and energy. I bought this book some time ago and I've never picked it up again after reading it the first time. In an industry where you like to hone your craft, writers tend to review their books over and over again for tidbits, inspiration or how-to's, this is a book that just takes up space.

If you desire a book on writing for young adults, I suggest "Writing and Selling The Young Adult Novel" by K.L. Going, it's much more detailed and gives you a perspective on writing for YA from a young adult view. It has excerpts from young adults on what they like and why they like it.

Writing for Children & Teens
Cynthea Liu book is more like a private conversation between two friends than a text book "how to". I especially value the chapter on self-editing. Cynthea gives you all you need to know to get your book on the market.
Kathlyn Fauchon
[...]

Disturbingly Inspirational
Unlike most readers of this book, I have no desire to write books for children or teens because I much prefer to READ books written for children and teens and occasionally to wax analytically (and at horrendous length) about same on Amazon.Thus, I was far more interested in Ms. Liu's other two books: The Great Call of China (S.A.S.S.) and Paris Pan Takes the Dare, but I needed to buy something else in order to get free shipping on my order, and I WAS a bit curious.Normally an author waits to, you know, actually PUBLISH a book or two before she presumes to tell you how to do the same, but Ms. Liu published this book on writing for children and teens over a year before she published her first book for children or teens.

What could such a newbie have to teach?

Quite a lot it turns out.

I was simply stunned by how logical, how useful, how educational, and how well written this book was!I found myself either nodding in agreement with her or thinking how much sense she was making!I know I have a much better understanding of how books get written and published than before, and I thought I was pretty well informed before.

And along the way something else was happening...

I started thinking, "I could do this."

Now, I can assure you that I have no intention of following up on this thought!I'm a firm believer in the old adage:

"Those who can, write; those who cannot, review,"

and I am quite content with the delusions of adequacy that allow me to write reviews; I don't need the delusions of grandeur that would lead me to writebooks, thank you very much!Besides, I lack the critical first step Ms. Liu identifies to writing and publishing a book for children or teens:

an idea.

But ideas or at least pieces of possible ideas have been popping into my head with increasing frequency since I started reading this book.

Now, confidentially, I don't intend to act upon anything I've learned from this amazing book, but if Ms. Liu can almost inspire ME into writing for children and teens,...

what might she do for YOU?

On another point I think this raises the bar on Ms. Liu's other two books.If she can write this well ABOUT writing for children and teens, then she ought to write pretty darn well FOR children and teens.

We shall see.(Insert evil laugh here.)

This Is What You Need To Write Well And Get Published
The number of books lining the shelves on writing for children is mind boggling.This is THE ONE you should pick up.Cynthea teaches the ins and outs of writing strong books for children with humor and excellent examples.Though this kind of expression may usually be reserved for novels, it is appropriate to say that this book is a page turner.Once you start you can't stop reading it.And when you've finished it's a great reference.As an added bonus: it didn't break the bank to buy it. I highly recommend Cynthea Liu's book. If you're reading this you're already serious about wanting to write for children -- so what are you waiting for?Go order it! ... Read more