Inventive activities give teachers details they need to present engaging lesson on writing an entertaining beginning, building suspense, adding detail, developing story endings and using dialogue effectively. Wake kids up to good writing skills. Illustrations throughout.

Contains lessons and teaching strategies that help students bring organization, facts, and flair to their informational writing.

The best story is one that comes from the heart. The library is having a contest for the best story, and the quirky narrator of this book just has to win that rollercoaster ride with her favorite author! But what makes a story the best? Her brother Tim says the best stories have lots of action. Her father thinks the best stories are the funniest. And Aunt Jane tells her that the best stories have to make people cry. A story that does all these things doesn't seem quite right, though, and the one thing the whole family can agree on is that the best story has to be your own. Anne Wilsdorf's hilarious illustrations perfectly capture this colorful family and their outrageous stories in Eileen Spinelli's heartfelt tale about creativity and finding your own voice.

Teachers can bring out the artist and writer in every student with projects such as Alphabet Alliterations, Textures Tell Tales, and Whirly Kite Legends! In this easy-to-use book a classroom teacher describes 20 of her favourite art projects with prompts that inspire children to write poems, short storie, descriptions, and more. Children will build skills in writting and enjoy the creative process; families will treasure the results.

Contains activities that analyze the characters in favorite children's books to inspire students in the creation of characters in their own writing.

Replete with strategies, examples, and reproducibles, this guide is invaluable for any teacher who wants to boost student achievement in writing for any subject or grade level!