If You Were a Writer

by Joan Lowery Nixon

Book Overview

Melia wants to be a writer just like her mom. She's not exactly sure what a writer does, though. She sees her mom staring at the typewriter and then she sees her opening up boxes of books. But what comes in between? With some help from her mom, Melia begins to learn the tools of the trade. She learns how to make pictures with words, how to search for ideas, and, of course, how to start a story. Before she knows it, Melia's creating her own spellbinding...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0689719000
• ISBN13: 9780689719004
• Release Date: March 1995
• Publisher: Aladdin Paperbacks
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.1" x 8.0" x 10.0"
• Age Range: 5 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Grades 1 to 3

Customer Reviews

A "must have" for every elementary school teacher.

If You Were a Writer is read and reread several times throughout the year as I teach writing to my Second Graders. The story gives a simple but clear description of what a writer does. It is my point of reference as I introduce each trait of a writer. The children can easily identify with the main character who watches her mother at the typewriter and discovers that she too is a writer. A classroom full of children who believe they are writers, what more can a teacher ask for! This book is a "must have" for every elementary school teacher.

If you were a writer, this is what you'd do

This book begins with the statement that "Melia's mother was a writer,' and Melia wants to be one, too. Her mother explains to her the kind of things she would do if she were a writer. She would work with words and think of the right ones to use. She would *show* a story, not tell about it. She would let the storyline gell in her mind before writing it down. Melia's mother also gives her some tips on how to get started and how to get ideas from the world around her. By the end of the book, Melia practices doing each task and is on her way to becoming a writer. "If You Were a Writer" could be put into the hands of grade-schoolers who show affinity for writing or who need some guidance in beginning to write on their own. Older students may feel as though the author has oversimplified the writing process and that there's much more to it than is expressed here. This offering is just a beginning.

If I Were A Writer

This story is about a young girl who's mother is a writer. The girl watches her mother work and picks up pointers on things that writers do. The girl then starts some writing of her own. As a teacher, I have found that, this book inspires my students to become writers and it is wonderful to use with "writer's workshop."