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kelly_may's review against another edition
4.0
I loved many of the stories in this collection and look forward to using this anthology with my middle school classes this year. I am sure they will enjoy the stories and the “peek behind the curtain” the personal accounts before each story gives.
suzannedix's review against another edition
For students looking for inspiration on how to write better stories, this is it! Edited by middle school English teacher and writer Mike Winchell, this collection of short stories has a topic for any reader: peer pressure, the push and pull of friendship, coping with loss and learning to take risks. Each author, from greats like Jane Yolen, Grace Lin and Gary D. Schmidt, tells two fast-paced stories. The first is the real story that actually happened to them as a child. The second is the story that was created and inspired by that experience. Readers can better understand the concept of “write what you know” by following along with these short episodes. Reluctant readers will love the brevity of the stories and impassioned writers will see how different techniques are used to craft a well-told tale. This is truly a fun read with stories that will keep readers turning pages.
Grades 5 and up.
Grades 5 and up.
falconerreader's review against another edition
3.0
I love the idea of this book, and the inspiration it provides, more than I actually love the stories themselves. Seeing how the author's memories and experiences can be slightly changed, radically changed, or thematically expanded upon is interesting, as is the way that the life experience could show up in a graphic novel, novel in verse, sci fi story, historical fiction, multiple POV story--many different formats, not just the straight narrative I might have expected.
cjeziorski's review
4.0
This would be a good mentor text to use with upper elementary and middle school students to show how authors use events from their lives to inspire their writing.
mrskatiefitz's review
5.0
Been There, Done That is a unique collection of stories which blends fiction and non-fiction together in order to explore how authors get their ideas. Each of the 20 authors included in the collection has written two pieces: a short, true story from his or her real life, and a fictional story based on the real-life experience. Editor Mike Winchell has organized the stories thematically, dividing them into sections such as "Follow the Leader?" (about peer pressure) and "Things Will Never Be the Same" (about change) and he includes a short introduction for each section explaining the connections between the pieces that follow. Authors include Grace Lin, Linda Sue Park, Jane Yolen (and her daughter, Heidi E.Y. Stemple), as well as Adam Rex, Chris Rylander, and Gary D. Schmidt.
Like all short story collections, this one provides a great opportunity for kids to be exposed to a variety of authors and genres without having to commit to reading an entire novel. Many types of stories are represented here - fantasy, realistic fiction, historical fiction, science fiction - but all are grounded in the real-life experiences that inspired their creation. Any time I've ever been to an author visit, the most popularly asked question from kids is always, "Where do you get your ideas?" This book draws on that sense of curiosity, and really emphasizes how personal even the most far-fetched story can be.
Though this book might appeal to that rare kid who aspires to be a writer, it is more likely to serve the needs of middle school language arts teachers. (The editor is himself an English teacher.) The concept of the book could easily become the basis for an entire unit on creative writing, and the examples of real-life inspiration would be especially helpful for students who suffer from writer's block or feel that they have nothing to say in their writing. The fictional stories also make great read-alouds, and some of them, like Kate Messner's sci-fi contribution about aliens, would give students a lot to think about and discuss as a class. If I were still working in the library, I'd be adding them to my read-aloud repertoire for class visits, alongside my favorites from the Guys Read collections.
Like all short story collections, this one provides a great opportunity for kids to be exposed to a variety of authors and genres without having to commit to reading an entire novel. Many types of stories are represented here - fantasy, realistic fiction, historical fiction, science fiction - but all are grounded in the real-life experiences that inspired their creation. Any time I've ever been to an author visit, the most popularly asked question from kids is always, "Where do you get your ideas?" This book draws on that sense of curiosity, and really emphasizes how personal even the most far-fetched story can be.
Though this book might appeal to that rare kid who aspires to be a writer, it is more likely to serve the needs of middle school language arts teachers. (The editor is himself an English teacher.) The concept of the book could easily become the basis for an entire unit on creative writing, and the examples of real-life inspiration would be especially helpful for students who suffer from writer's block or feel that they have nothing to say in their writing. The fictional stories also make great read-alouds, and some of them, like Kate Messner's sci-fi contribution about aliens, would give students a lot to think about and discuss as a class. If I were still working in the library, I'd be adding them to my read-aloud repertoire for class visits, alongside my favorites from the Guys Read collections.
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