Making It Up as You Go Along: A Children’s Guide to Writing Stories

Gr 3-7–Irish poet laureate Forde has created an upbeat love letter to the act of creative writing, covering all aspects of fiction writing from worldbuilding to character development to editing for late elementary school and early middle school students. At the same time, she provides writing tips and creative exercises from which even adult writers can benefit. The simple yet expressive illustrations by Murphy give readers an accessible experience akin to reading Diary of a Wimpy Kid or Timmy Failure. In addition to Murphy’s work, side panels and other visual elements keep each page from becoming a static wall of text. The book does focus specifically on Irish writing, featuring frequent letters to readers from Irish authors (including big names like Eoin Colfer), and occasionally uses Gaelic phrases and names. Country-specific nature aside, it’s an excellent resource for any Language Arts curriculum.