Blog

Previous Posts

• Our new look
• The contest entries are in!

Yes, kids can write books too!

July 19, 2010

When friends or colleagues ask what I've been doing during the summer, and I tell them I've been teaching children to write and illustrate books, I see them force Cheshire cat smiles. I hear them say, "How nice. I bet their books are really cute." Their demeanors reveal the prevailing attitudes of "little heads, little minds." I'm sure they envision stories of gingerbread men and childish cartoons.

The more honest ones come right out with it. "What on earth would children have to write about?" they bluntly ask.

The answer is simple and direct--children and teenagers write about the very same things adults write about. Better still, they write about the same topics professional writers write about. In fact, their skills in writing often match the standards of professional writing and their insights are just as profound. When given the freedom to explore, without hesitation, young people tackle any genre in both fiction and non-fiction.

They write adventure stories, fairytales, mysteries, fantasies, horror stories, biographies, autobiographies, westerns, sports stories, historical dramas, romance novels, whodunits, psychological thrillers, self-help books and plays. They write of social problems, ecology consideration, racial injustices and periods of self-evaluation. They examine political issues and write about the rights of the handicapped and the courage of the individual.

From Written and Illustrated by... a book by the late author/illustrator David Melton.

Labels: redbook

0 Comments:

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home