Pen Commandments (03) by Frank, Steven [Paperback (2004)]

by Frank

Pen Commandments (03) by Frank, Steven [Paperback (2004)]

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction

Paperback

First published August 5, 2003

Reviews

[Amanda Chua · Rating 4 out of 5]

Towards the end it was honestly a bit too much for me because I’m no longer required to write as much compositions now compared to when I was a student many years back...so I skipped past a couple of pages and only stopped when I felt I needed a refresher.

I really like how the book ended—“I keep a journal to keep myself alive, to lock away a memory or a moment in the only vault I know that is immune to time.”

This sentence really reminded me of why I started writing in the first place, not for anybody else but myself. After reading that, I thought about the first journal that I discarded sometime ago. It was filled up from cover to cover and naturally I just stopped writing out in ink and moved to other platforms to spill my thoughts out.

It really is nice to have a “safe space” to let words flow. So now, I go back to write from time to time whenever I need to :)

[Fee Bolden · Rating 3 out of 5]

So far so good

[Mike Duron · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great book for young novice writers. (It may come off as 'cutesy' for an older crowd.)

I would highly recommend this for young people just starting to get serious about writing who are in anything from junior high school to their sophomore year at college. Anything later than that and I would use something else.

This isn't a bad review either. Steven Frank even includes in his title "A Guide for the Beginning Writer." He and Pantheon, the publisher, also include on the cover, "A wise, playful, and immensely readable introduction to writing for teens, parents, and students of all ages." And I would agree with the parents part, in retrospect, though I disagree with the 'all ages' claim.

Almost every paragraph starts with a Mr. Kotter-ish humorous anecdote, and, if you're into that, then this is your book. If not, you'll likely be annoyed.

Though Frank does cover some wonderful ground that I really wasn't even sure English teachers taught anymore, such as the correct use of punctuation, the book is definitely no replacement for a formal guide to grammar or writing, nor is it meant to be! So, with all that in mind, would I buy it for my kids if they were still in high school?

Absolutely.

[Laura Petto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Steven Frank is an English teacher, and he wrote a book about his experiences. Some chapters were very humorous, while the chapter about essays I did not enjoy. His stories and advice helped out a lot, without having to do separate activities for them. Some situations were a bit exaggerated, which made the advice hard to believe.

This isn’t the typical book that I would review, but never the less, I think I would recommend it to most people who read this blog. It’s more about sharing the love of writing to me than actually learning how to be a better writer.

Last year I “led” a little book club/ writing class with my gifted teacher to sixth graders. I found that they enjoyed it more than regular workbook lessons. Unfortunately, only a few of them (from my opinion based on five meetings) seemed to love to write. Therefore, everything was meticulous to them.

The great thing about this book is just being able to pick it up and open it anywhere.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fantastic!! J.K. Rowling has fabulous stories, but Steven Frank *writes* better. It was entertaining all through the entire thing, and when it ended it left with a (figurative) sparkle that left the reader with a feeling of closure and good feelings. The book itself is well-organized, smooth, creative, and fun. I read some of the stories Frank uses to teach about writing to my mom, and now she wants to read it too. I even suggested it to my English teacher. (If she were to teach more like Frank, class would be a joy!)
When I first got the book, I was a bit worried that Frank would treat God lightly, but he didn't. He referenced Bible stories probably three or four times in the book, and all of them were used with respect to both Christians and those of other faiths.
I loved it.

[Marni]

Noticed this at the library the other day. Hooray! A FUN book about writing! Refreshing to come upon something like this and find yourself chuckling your way through. It's written by a high school English teacher, and he reminds me of my sophomore English teacher. A few weeks before Halloween she had us draw a way someone could die out of a pumpkin bucket and write a story around it, then on Halloween with the lights off and a skull lamp glowing on her desk, we read our stories. I've only just begun, and I already want this book.

[Emily D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Someone gave me a copy of this back when I was in college, and I loved it! It's like Strunk & White learned how to be funny, relatable, and easier to understand.

To the non-writers who need to learn how to write for the sake of getting that grade in Lit class, this is the one for you. (It's a painless way to learn, promise!)

And for those of you who love to write, it makes for a refreshing review.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best, best books I have ever read for beginning writers. It covers everything you need to know in writing well. Taught by a former English teacher, it will make writing so much more clear and fun for you.

[Terry · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of those books I like but haven't really worked into my teaching. For young writers, it is a readable guide to the basics of serious writing. If money were no object, I'd love to have this to teach from.

[Salve]

This was a gift from a student, and I now see why she wanted to share it. Contrary to the subtitle, it's helpful even for those who fancy themselves old hands in writing. Mr. Frank gives a lot of help in the writing process --- and squeezes in a grammar lesson or two.

[Marty Fowler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Over the last few years of owning this book I've gone back and read parts of it over and over correcting my poor writing skills. Its fun, interesting and everyone should give this to their teen before entering high school.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a funny read. Highly entertaining.

[Joseph · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had to read this for Honors English. I learned a lot about writing and it was fun to read.

[Claire Binkley · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is nice to review writing. It does its job well. It's not thrilling, but it works.