Jean Harkin's Blog - Posts Tagged "katherine-applegate"
Grownup Kid Lit and Writer's Block
Ten-year old creative writers might not experience writer’s block, but other problems can arise. My granddaughter Gwen provides an example: Although having a vivid imagination, a new idea every minute, a wide-ranging vocabulary, and writing talent, her most disappointing result in fourth grade was in creative writing.
Gwen explains what happened: “I start out with a great idea for a story and start writing. But by the next day I’m tired of it, and I get a new idea. Then I start writing that story, and again—the next day I have a much better idea and start writing that one. Soon I’m tired of that story, too, and tear it up, then start a new story.
“Last year I got to the last days of school and knew I had to hand in a completed story, so I wrote one really fast and turned it in. I hated it! My teacher gave me a C minus.”
I don’t know where Gwen gets her story ideas, but she is a prolific reader; she was on the second-place team in her school’s book-reading competition, beat by a fifth-grade team.
She has recommended many middle-grade books to me, which I’ve greatly enjoyed. I feel that adult readers miss out on some marvelous literature by skipping over “kid lit.” Award winners in this category are examples of excellent writing, technically and stylistically. First-rate character and plot development draw the reader to keep turning the pages. Factual information is presented gracefully within the story’s context.
For instance, I have posted 5-star reviews here on Goodreads of “The One and Only Ivan” and “Wishtree” by Katherine Applegate, “Out of My Mind” by Sharon Draper, and “Out of Left Field” by Ellen Klages.
Recently I’ve begun reading middle grade novels written in verse form. “Out of the Dust” by Karen Hesse reveals the extreme trials of a year in the life of a 14-year old girl living through the Dust Bowl in Oklahoma. “Inside Out and Back Again” by Thanhha Lai is the first-person account of a 10-year old Viet Nam refugee who starts her life over in 1970s Alabama.
The free verse style of these novels draws the reader in close to the thoughts and experiences of the young narrators. Separate chapters, written in vividly-worded images, focus on independent factors of the plot, yet all combine to effortlessly advance the story.
I would love to write a novella for adults in this beautiful, intense writing style. It will take some study and further reading, but I could put heart and soul into this possible new path for escaping writer’s block.
Note: All of the above-mentioned books are reviewed by me here on Goodreads.
Gwen explains what happened: “I start out with a great idea for a story and start writing. But by the next day I’m tired of it, and I get a new idea. Then I start writing that story, and again—the next day I have a much better idea and start writing that one. Soon I’m tired of that story, too, and tear it up, then start a new story.
“Last year I got to the last days of school and knew I had to hand in a completed story, so I wrote one really fast and turned it in. I hated it! My teacher gave me a C minus.”
I don’t know where Gwen gets her story ideas, but she is a prolific reader; she was on the second-place team in her school’s book-reading competition, beat by a fifth-grade team.
She has recommended many middle-grade books to me, which I’ve greatly enjoyed. I feel that adult readers miss out on some marvelous literature by skipping over “kid lit.” Award winners in this category are examples of excellent writing, technically and stylistically. First-rate character and plot development draw the reader to keep turning the pages. Factual information is presented gracefully within the story’s context.
For instance, I have posted 5-star reviews here on Goodreads of “The One and Only Ivan” and “Wishtree” by Katherine Applegate, “Out of My Mind” by Sharon Draper, and “Out of Left Field” by Ellen Klages.
Recently I’ve begun reading middle grade novels written in verse form. “Out of the Dust” by Karen Hesse reveals the extreme trials of a year in the life of a 14-year old girl living through the Dust Bowl in Oklahoma. “Inside Out and Back Again” by Thanhha Lai is the first-person account of a 10-year old Viet Nam refugee who starts her life over in 1970s Alabama.
The free verse style of these novels draws the reader in close to the thoughts and experiences of the young narrators. Separate chapters, written in vividly-worded images, focus on independent factors of the plot, yet all combine to effortlessly advance the story.
I would love to write a novella for adults in this beautiful, intense writing style. It will take some study and further reading, but I could put heart and soul into this possible new path for escaping writer’s block.
Note: All of the above-mentioned books are reviewed by me here on Goodreads.
Trees and Their Stories
Portland, Oregon was hammered mid-January by a 30-60 year snow, ice, and wind storm that resulted in literally tons of downed trees, damage to property, and loss of human life. It was beyond sad, tragic really. But I’m still a tree hugger, knowing how hard trees work to sustain themselves and benefit life on the planet—bringing us joy and sustaining our environment. I urge everyone not to let fear of the power of trees overwhelm our appreciation for their wonder. After all, it wasn’t the trees’ plan to topple into chaos. It was the storm—the power of Nature, and let’s hope a “perfect storm” like that won’t happen again.
Coincidentally, I just finished reading “Witness Tree” by Lynda V. Mapes. She is an environmental writer who spent an entire year living in the Harvard (research) Forest in Massachusetts. Ms. Mapes is a storyteller of a reporter, whether she’s writing about the science of trees, the history of the landscape and its settlers, or her climbing experiences as she gets to know her “witness” red oak. See my complete review on Goodreads.
This book brought to mind Katherine Applegate’s novel, “Wishtree” in which another red oak named Red narrates its own story of hopes fulfilled and racial prejudice averted in a community. If only climate change can end in as happy a way for the earth! Shall we also hang our wishes on trees?
There are many wonderful tree-focused books out there, both scientific and fanciful and some in between. Two that I liked and reviewed on Goodreads are as follows: “The Overstory” by Richard Powers is a novel that shows people at their best when standing tall with trees. “Harry’s Trees” by Jon Cohen has a shade of magic realism in a forester’s story of love and loss. “Trees of Greater Portland” has been a helpful local guide, published 1993.
Meanwhile, my own pet tree, a 110-year-old Camperdown elm, saved from development, continues to witness and span the seasons of our lives on Northwest Cornelius Pass Road in Hillsboro, Oregon.
Happy Lunar New Year to Friends of my Goodreads blog! It’s the year of the green wood Dragon. Perhaps this might inspire you to read more books about trees and some fantasies containing dragons.
Coincidentally, I just finished reading “Witness Tree” by Lynda V. Mapes. She is an environmental writer who spent an entire year living in the Harvard (research) Forest in Massachusetts. Ms. Mapes is a storyteller of a reporter, whether she’s writing about the science of trees, the history of the landscape and its settlers, or her climbing experiences as she gets to know her “witness” red oak. See my complete review on Goodreads.
This book brought to mind Katherine Applegate’s novel, “Wishtree” in which another red oak named Red narrates its own story of hopes fulfilled and racial prejudice averted in a community. If only climate change can end in as happy a way for the earth! Shall we also hang our wishes on trees?
There are many wonderful tree-focused books out there, both scientific and fanciful and some in between. Two that I liked and reviewed on Goodreads are as follows: “The Overstory” by Richard Powers is a novel that shows people at their best when standing tall with trees. “Harry’s Trees” by Jon Cohen has a shade of magic realism in a forester’s story of love and loss. “Trees of Greater Portland” has been a helpful local guide, published 1993.
Meanwhile, my own pet tree, a 110-year-old Camperdown elm, saved from development, continues to witness and span the seasons of our lives on Northwest Cornelius Pass Road in Hillsboro, Oregon.
Happy Lunar New Year to Friends of my Goodreads blog! It’s the year of the green wood Dragon. Perhaps this might inspire you to read more books about trees and some fantasies containing dragons.
