A Beginning, a Muddle, and an End: The Right Way to Write Writing

by Avi

Avon the snail and Edward the ant are back for another funny--and philosophical--adventure. This time, Avon has decided he wants to be a writer, only to discover that writing is way more difficult than he ever imagined. He finally gets the word Something written down, but there's a problem: What to write next? Luckily, his friend Edward is there to advise. Brimming with wit, wisdom, and humor, this warm and winning tale of two friends on a quest will...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 015205555X
• ISBN13: 9780152055554
• Release Date: April 2008
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
• Length: 164 Pages
• Weight: 0.66 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.7" x 6.9"
• Age Range: 7 to 10 years
• Grade Range: Grades 2 to 5

Customer Reviews

Great for reading aloud

I bought this the other day on a whim, simply based on the title and fun pictures inside. What a treasure I found!! I started by reading it to myself, but after the first couple of paragraphs I would say "hey, listen to this" to my roommates, and after doing that three or four times, I ended up reading almost the whole thing out loud to everyone. This book would be great for children 6-9 (or older if they still like charming books) or anyone who wants to be a writer. This is filled with humorous puns, with the snail always taking everything literally (like in Amelia Bedelia). Some quotes from the beginning of the story: "My apologies, said Edward (an ant)in haste. "I sometimes forget that we ants have a LOT of hands." "I always thought they were legs." said Avon (a snail). "It depends." "On what?" "Sometimes its good to have a leg up. Other times its good to be handy." "My mother thought I was handsome. I've always tried to hold onto that." "Let's agree then," said Edward, "that in regard to this story your writing, if you're about to come to a conclusion, you'll head off in another direction. You might even find your own voice." "It must be strange," mused Avon, "to be strolling about and suddenly come upon your voice just sitting there." "I can only hope," said Edward, "it doesn't speak a foreign language."

A good read for kids

This book is a sequel. My son,who is 8, says this is one of his favorite series of books. It was an easy read for him, not challenging, but enjoyable.

Humorously written... fabulously inspiring...

If a snail can overcome writer's block, then so can I. This book is both funny and inspiring. It a great reminder of the fundamentals of writing and a cute story for children too. I read the book aloud to my wife and children and we all loved it. In fact, we were reading a children's series of books that is a top rated series. I read one chapter of this book to my children and they were asking for more of the ant and the snail before allowing me to go on with the other popular series. That tells you how much children love this book. There are times when the concepts underlying the story may need to be explained, if you choose to use it as a teaching tool. However, if you allow the book to be the story that it is, the lessons will emerge with the maturity of your children. I know we'll be reading A Beginning a Muddle and an End again and again.

What a fun read!

This delightful book is brimming with wordplay that will entertain both young readers and adults. As a writer, I particularly enjoyed the character's struggle to come up with something about which to write. Grab this book for the word-lover in your life. It's really SOMETHING!

A strange bridge between picture books, chapter books, and non fiction.

Write what you know - it's a common proverb told to all writers. "A Beginning, A Muddle, and an End: The Right Way to Write Writing" is a guide designed for all ages to help writers get off on the right foot in creating excellent writing, writing that people will want to read, and how to avoid the common pitfalls that so many writers tend to fall into. Composed in the form of a short fictional story that children writers will be able to relate too, and enhanced with beautiful illustrations by Tricia Tusa, "A beginning, a Muddle, and an End: The Right Way to Write Writing" is highly recommended for writers of all ages and for community library children's fiction sections as a strange bridge between picture books, chapter books, and non fiction.