Gifts for the Budding Writer

Writers can find daily inspiration with 365 questions and room to imagine and grow their skill, perspective, and voice. Each daily entry in this stylish journal features engaging prompts designed to help writers think about their process, observe the world around them, and focus on the act of crafting thoughtful, beautiful writing. 368 pages, hardcover. 

Add doodles and drawings to your journal with techniques from professional illustrators. Fifty lessons, curated from Flow Magazine's two special drawing issues, show how to render the kinds of things we see every day: a bouquet of flowers, a beloved teacup, colorful mittens, the kitchen table, a bike, jam jars, a cat, an apple tree. Along the way we learn about color, materials, perspective, tools, and negative space. With its bound-in paper goodies, like DIY postcards and specialty art papers, this book is also a canvas for artistic exploration—reminding us of the mindful pleasure of doing creative work. 256 pages, softcover.

Master the magic of storytelling with 100 creative, short fiction prompts for young writers.  Whether your child is just getting started or has already written a ton of stories, practice makes perfect when it comes to writing. Build skills the fun way with Secrets of Storytelling, packed with dozens of writing prompts, brainstorming activities, and plenty of space to write. There are also simple strategies for crafting strong storylines, and pointers for overcoming writer’s block, editing work, and more. Help your child step up their storytelling skills and unleash their inner author! 196 pages, softcover. Grades 4 – 6.

Everyone loves a good story, but how do you turn a fun anecdote into one for the books? Whether you’re hoping to impress others during a job interview, trying out stand-up, or giving a hilarious wedding speech, The Storytelling Code provides step-by-step help on crafting your narrative, as well as simple exercises to put those public speaking skills into practice.  Master the art of storytelling using 10 easy-to-follow rules to help you shape your story and share it confidently. Humorous advice will give you the courage to tell stories in your everyday life, and the unique exercises will demonstrate how to set a goal for each tale, gather the best materials, keep your audience engaged, and more. Fill-in writing prompts and insightful checklists help you prep you for everyday storytelling situations. 124 pages, softcover.

Invest in your young writer with this children’s dictionary that’s designed to help kids write awesome stories! Mrs. Wordsmith Storyteller’s Illustrated Dictionary has over 1000 words to help kids find inspiration, boost vocabulary, and write compelling stories that are full of details. Words are arranged into six important building blocks of storytelling – Character, Setting, Taste and Smell, Action, Emotion, and Weather – to help young writers find the right word right away. Commonly occurring word pairs provide even more opportunities for creativity and engaging narrative. Quirky illustrations reinforce definitions, ensuring that words are unforgettable.  272 pages, hardcover. Ages 7 – 12.

In this delightful volume of linguistic revelry, you can horse around with the animal metaphors that make poetry of everyday speech - as well as with the wheezy cliches that are all too conspicuous in our daily prose. Romp with the rhythms and rhymes of "Inky Pinky," and see if you can "Name that Bunch" - a prickle of porcupines? a rash of dermatologists? But beware: you can lose points for laughing in "Fictionary."

Created by book lovers for book lovers, three journal choices are meticulously designed with kids, teens, and adults in mind. Book Review pages provide space for readers to remember and savor favorite titles with room to write quotes, notes, and for kids, draw their favorite scenes. There's also a place to keep track of books that are borrowed and lent as well as a Literary Bucket List for teens and adults. Kids and Teens editions are 116 page hardcovers; Adult Reader edition is 182 page hardcover. All editions have a ribbon marker, making these perfect gifts for the Dear Readers in your life.