Part instructional, part inspirational, this writing primer is a good first stop for budding young scribes.
Soup-to-nuts overview on all aspects of developing a writing career, from picking a genre to publicizing a finished work.
The thing that sets Hambleton and Greenwood’s upbeat how-to for aspiring young scribblers apart is its myriad interviews, not only of established professionals such as Wendelin Van Draanen and Todd Strasser, but of young writers who may not be as familiar. Additionally, the authors sample some of these young wordsmiths’ work, which, although it stops the narrative flow, gives readers both a taste of their material and the feeling that this is something that’s achievable. The tone of the book is positive and self-help-y, but the advice is straightforward and practical. It includes quizzes, writing exercises to loosen up the brain and a handy section on further resources as well as a (too) short glossary of terms that all professional writers should know. Because it’s aimed at word slingers of all types of material and genres, some which the authors define and explain, the information is by necessity somewhat general and superficial, and writers seeking to work in specific genres will have to do further research.
Part instructional, part inspirational, this writing primer is a good first stop for budding young scribes. (Nonfiction. 8-12)Pub Date: May 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-58270-359-6
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Beyond Words/Simon Pulse/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: March 20, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2012
Wonders indeed on every hand, not to mention rich inspiration for budding curio collectors and naturalists.
Stashed on shelves or behind dozens of lift-the-flap “drawers,” a cornucopia of monsters, miniatures, and other marvels from museum collections worldwide.
Arranged in 12 thematic collections, the curiosities—over 100—range from a preserved body louse in extreme close-up (“That red stuff is human blood”) paired with a glimpse of “Sue,” the renowned T. Rex fossil, in the “Monster Hunter’s Cabinet” to a “Tailor’s Cabinet” of outré historical fashion. There are also a variety of elaborately carved masks and creepy puppets or dolls, Tippoo’s Tiger (a toy tiger ravening a British soldier with a toy organ inside to emulate human moans), a matchstick model of the Titanic, gems, gold coins, and the world’s largest playable tuba. Each item comes with a short descriptive note and a museum (or other place, such as “On your head” for a head louse) where it can be viewed. Though most of the material has been gathered from the U.S and the U.K., institutions on every inhabited continent are represented. Different illustrators have designed each “cabinet” with a distinctive look and architecture, and the flaps vary in size from full-page gatefolds on down to slightly larger than postage stamps.
Wonders indeed on every hand, not to mention rich inspiration for budding curio collectors and naturalists. (Informational novelty. 8-12)Pub Date: Oct. 17, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-78701-104-5
Page Count: 28
Publisher: Lonely Planet
Review Posted Online: Oct. 27, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
Quibbles aside, this engaging volume’s strength—homing in on plants’ specific regenerative properties—should spark STEM...
In this companion to The Nitty Gritty Gardening Book (2015), Cornell offers 12 gardening projects for preteens, focusing here on the regenerative power of plants and their parts.
An introduction provides garden basics: the needs of plants, the role of pH, U.S. plant hardiness zones, and pollination. The four subsequent chapters are organized by type of propagation: sprouts from root ends; roots from cuttings; fostering growth from tubers, bulbs, and rhizomes; and planting saved seeds. Projects include sprouting romaine lettuce leaves, rooting herb cuttings, planting a ginger rhizome, and starting pepper and pumpkin plants from saved seeds. Ten nicely chosen (and delicious-sounding) recipes incorporate project ingredients—though most will require additional, store-bought items. Attractive photographs and clear drawings highlight step-by-step processes and the often modest growth of the propagated plants. (Cornell encourages patience; many projects require several weeks of monitoring.) A few missteps affect the overall package. State boundaries are difficult to discern on the hardiness map. While recommending organic produce (which is free of chemicals that inhibit sprouting), Cornell omits any discussion of hybrids, which, if propagated from seed, won’t likely resemble the parent. Recipes lack yields and sometimes omit cautions regarding knife use.
Quibbles aside, this engaging volume’s strength—homing in on plants’ specific regenerative properties—should spark STEM projects and home gardening fun, whether in a backyard or on an apartment windowsill. (glossary, print and web resources, supply sources, index) (Nonfiction. 8-11)Pub Date: April 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5124-3065-3
Page Count: 68
Publisher: Millbrook/Lerner
Review Posted Online: Feb. 2, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
