In Word After Word After Word, by Newbery winner Patricia MacLachlin we meet best friends Lucy, Henry, Evie, Russell and May. The five fourth graders are spellbound by the engaging Ms. Mirabel, an author who spends a few weeks with their class. She introduces them to the magic of words. "I, myself, write to change my life, to make it come out the way I want it to," she tells them before encouraging them to find their own reason for writing.
The story is short, covering just a span of a few weeks. Yet we learn so much about each of the budding young writers. One must deal with the illness of a parent, while others deal with changing families. With Ms. Mirabel's encouragement and daily meetings under the lilac bush at Henry's house they find their own magical words to tell their stories,
This short, quick read provides not only an interesting story, but a lesson in creative writing. Reluctant readers will enjoy the shortness of the book while being engaged by the characters. Readers who dream of being an author themselves will be inspired by the writing process outlined in the book.
This book is a gem: one that will appeal to boys and girls as well as teachers.
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