“Read, read, read and write, write, write. You cannot be a good writer without first being a good reader. Read broadly and deeply because every genre has something to teach you. And write voraciously because writing is a muscle that needs to be exercised. Otherwise, you won’t grow as a wordsmith or a storyteller.” —Nikki Grimes, Awarding-winning Author
Did you know that April 10th is National Encourage a Young Writer Day? Most aspiring young writers often seek advice from accomplished writers or published authors. The end goal for many may not always be to win an award or author a best-seller. Sometimes just telling their story is fulfilling enough. Whatever the goal or dream for writing is, the featured list of books/journals are great guides that will engage and encourage young writers to find their voice. One of the books, The Write Thing: Kwame Alexander Engages Students in Writing Workshop, is a resource for educators that “teaches…how to move students step-by-step from ideas, to drafts, to finished works.” Why not give a book or two to the educators or young writers in your life?
1. Kwame Alexander’s Free Write: A Poetry Notebook
Kwame Alexander | Sourcebooks Wonderland | November 3, 2020 | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
2. Write Yourself a Lantern: A Journal Inspired by the Poet X
Elizabeth Acevedo | HarperCollins | April 7, 2020 | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
3. Find Your Voice: A Guided Journal for Writing Your Truth
Angie Thomas | Balzer + Bray | March 3, 2020 | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
4. Becoming: A Guided Journal for Discovering Your Voice
Michelle Obama | Clarkson Potter Publishers | November 19, 2019 | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
5. Find Your Voice: A Guide to Self-Expression
Zetta Elliott | Independently Published | June 1, 2019 | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
6. The Write Thing: Kwame Alexander Engages Students in Writing Workshop
Kwame Alexander | Shell Education | July 2, 2018 | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
7. Just Write: Here’s How!
Walter Dean Myers | HarperTeen | April 24, 2012 | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
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