Characterization: N/A
Merit: Very Good
Level: Middle Grade, Upper Elementary
Recommend: YES

This book was adorable. Jack Gantos's voice really shown through and gave this little nonfiction gem the heart it needed to be an interesting read. This should be put in the hands of any kiddo that is interested in sharing her own story! Jack leads the reader through process of starting a journal (a la Harriet the Spy!), what to write in the journal, what to pick out and tweak for a story from your journal. I think the personal stories of how Jack got his own start writing stories in elementary will be very inspirational for your writers. I think this book is adorable and perfectly accessible for our young readers and future writers! ( )

I don't know what to think of this book, it does give plenty of advice about becoming a writer, but for myself, as the reader, I found his "examples" to be a bit long winded and perhaps unnecessary. But that depends on what you expect to get out of this book. Gantos loves to write about his own life, and his stories in this book are as entertaining as ever. But it reads more as a memoir than the advice book it portends to be. Are their lessons to be learned from those anecdotes? No doubt. But, considering what the title promises, there could definitely have been bit more focus on the mechanics of writing than Gantos antics. It was fun to read, but it was not as advertised. ( )