Mary Quattlebaum, Children's Literature

"Young wordsmiths can turn to Writing Smarts for great tips on penning poems, stories and school reports. Each section deals with an aspect of writing: Gear Up, Express Yourself, Poet's Workshop, Story Catcher, Write for School, Get-It-Right Guide (punctuation)Creative Sparks (discovering ideas). Kerry Madden's lively writing and Tracy McGuinness's whiz-bang illustrations elevate this how-to to a how-to-enjoy—without sacrificing important information. For example, youngsters learn to carefully consider character, setting, plot and theme when writing book reports and to back up opinions with facts when crafting persuasive letters."