Learning | Weird Writing Tips from Dan Gutman

 

If you are around books for school age children much, you have probably seen Dan Gutman's popular series, My Weird School. If you have seen them, you have probably laughed at some of the silly titles in the series, like Miss Mary is Scary! or Mr. Granite is From Another Planet!

I am pleased to say that Mr. Gutman has a new nonfiction book out, called My Weird Writing Tips. What can I say about a book whose introduction has the headline, "Don't be a dumbhead?" That's a pretty good tip right there. The characters from the My Weird School series are used to teach writing to kids, in cartoons to show which word to use when. There are even quotes famous people like Henry David Thoreau, Mark Twain, and P.D. James--all of whom know a thing or two about writing.

I like his discussions of where to get ideas for topics, the importance of taking the time to write something all over again the right way, and to keep studying the best writers. 

The cover of the book is says it's for ages 8 to 12, but I always look at such labels as guidelines.  I think I picked up a tip or two for my own grownup self here. 

4 Children | Batter Up

It's October and that means baseball playoffs and the World Series. If you're a baseball fan like me, here are some great books you've got to check out:

Heat by Mike Lupica is the story of pitching ace Michael Arroyo who has been banned from Little League because rival coaches don't believe he is only 12 years old. He's also an orphan, so he doesn't have any parents to prove his age. All he wants is to be able to pitch in the Little League World Series.  This book will grab you; you'll have to read it to find out what happens!

If you like time travel books, you don't want to miss Dan Gutman's Baseball Card Adventures. In Shoeless Joe and Me, young Joe Stoshack travels back to 1919 and meets Shoeless Joe Jackson. Young Joe travels back in time to try to change the infamous Black Sox Scandal. Can he really change history? Read it to find out!

One of my favorite books is Bat 6 by Virginia Euwer Wolff. It's 1949 and two girls' softball teams are ready for the annual Bat 6 softball tournament. Each chapter is told from the point of view of one of the girls. While the softball story is really good, what will really grab your heart is the treatment that Aki, a Japanese-American girl who plays first base, endures upon returning to town after spending several years in an internment camp. I can't tell you how it ends, but I can tell you that you'll definitely be moved by this story.

These books are available for checking out at any SSJCPL library!  (And if the one you want to read isn't on the shelf, ask library staff how to request it!) Read and enjoy! And by the way, what's your favorite baseball book?

Batter up!