A review by cherylrainfield
S Is for Story: A Writer's Alphabet by Esther Hershenhorn

5.0

S Is for Story: A Writer's Alphabet
Written by Esther Hershenhorn, illustrated by Zachary Pullen
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press, December 2009
ISBN-13: 978-1585365111


My rating: 5 out of 5 stars




One of the things I wish I'd done much younger, when I knew I wanted to be a writer, is read about writing technique. I got so much praise from all my teachers about my writing, that writing and art were the two things I knew I did well. It took me a lot longer than I'd like to get into reading about writing technique, to seriously make my writing much better.

S Is for Story: A Writer's Alphabet is a book I wish I'd had as a child and teen. It diffuses an incredible amount of valuable writing technique and advice into short, pithy paragraphs. If a reader isn't yet ready to listen seriously to writing advice, or doesn't want to take the time, there are short verses on every page that sum up some of the advice. But if a reader does read the text on each page, they will absorb a LOT about how story works, and how to make it better.

The first two pages are more about history--of the alphabet and books--but then, starting with the third letter, C, we get into Character, including a reminder that it's the character who pulls us in and keeps us reading; characters need to be rounded, not flat; a writer needs to know their character from the inside out, and much more. The text is not simplified by taking out important information, but rather imparts deep information in easy-to-understand text. The entire book delves into techniques that make a story work. The book is also an alphabet book, which can be read with just the simple rhyming verses for a younger child, or explored more with the paragraphs of text with an older child or mature reader.



Read the full review on my blog