cover image How to Write Your Best Story Ever! Top Tips and Trade Secrets from the Experts

How to Write Your Best Story Ever! Top Tips and Trade Secrets from the Experts

Christopher Edge, illus. by Nathan Reed. Barron’s, $12.99 paper (128p) ISBN 978-1-4380-0909-4

In an enthusiastic guide to story making, Edge (the Penelope Tredwell Mysteries) explores the essentials of plot, characters, settings, action, and dialogue, followed by a look at writing within specific genres, as well as combining them (“How about a science fiction mystery, an action-adventure comedy, or a spy romance?”). Reed’s cartoon artwork is joined by numerous sidebars to create a highly visual presentation: in addition to the main narrative, Edge includes creative prompts, “inspiration station” bursts featuring excerpts from classic and contemporary writers, explanations of various aspects of grammar, and “word webs” that aim to help readers find the right words and phrases for various aspects of the stories they are building. A dynamic introduction to creative writing, filled with thought exercises and imagination-sparking ideas to get readers well on their way to becoming writers. Ages 7–11. (Aug.)