What a great book for inspiring kids to write! This one is extra fun because of comic-style design and the lists of
ideas. I love how it models different aspects of the writing process—generating
ideas, thinking, connecting ideas, writing and revising.
My thoughts as a
creator:
I love books that contain lists and
hope to write one someday, so it was interesting to me to see how they
incorporated the lists into the story. I also noticed there is a lot of
dialogue in this story, which was included in speech bubbles. I loved the
notebook pages in the illustrations! This book includes many different levels –
the writing process, the relationship with a sibling, friendships, taking a
break from a challenging task, and includes some gentle humor.
My thoughts as an
educator:
It’s great to see a book that contains
several different writing formats –speech bubbles, lists, and autobiography.
This book is great for grade 1 and 2, where kids are learning to write using sentences, and especially for introducing a writing notebook. But I would
definitely read this in kindergarten to show my students how to make lists of
things they love. It was great how the story also shows how sometimes, when
you’re stuck, taking a break can be helpful. This story also shows a little of
the process of revision, and how to improve a story by adding details and
changing sentences.
Ages: 4 - 7
Grades: K - 3
Connections: writing, lists, imagination, perseverance, siblings
Activities:
Literacy: Provide children with writing notebooks to
write in when they are inspired. A writing corner with visual lists could be a
fun way to inspire young writers.
Literacy: Write or draw your
own list of things you love. Can you create a story about yourself?
Social Emotional Learning: What do you do when you
can’t think of an idea or feel stuck doing your school work? Brainstorm some
ideas for short breaks you can take
Social Emotional Learning: Think of a time when a
sibling or someone else in your family helped you. Draw a picture to show how
you felt.
Art: Create a self-portrait! Provide a mirror and materials for kids, with tips such as making a large shape to almost fill the paper to begin.
More resources:
Description from the publisher:
The kindergartener who learned to use squiggles to write a story in award-winning Andrew Larsen’s A Squiggly Story is now in second grade and learning to write an autobiography. Told in the same authentic child’s voice, this playful book encourages readers to just start, even if they don’t know how their story will go. It offers an accessible early language arts lesson on the writing process, exploring important basics (brainstorming, first draft, revising) and key terms (autobiography, editing, title, cover). Mike Lowery’s bold illustrations incorporate story panels and dialogue bubbles, keeping the energy high and giving a fresh and modern feel to the pages. A strong tie-in with early literacy curricula, this book also works well for supplementary or at-home learning. It’s a perfect choice to inspire the storyteller in every child!
Another Squiggly Story, written by Andrew Larsen and
illustrated by Mike Lowrey, was published by Kids Can Press in 2022. Go here to visit Kids Can Press for more about this book.
I think my son would have benefited from this back when he was in 2nd grade. He loved reading, but hated having to organize his thoughts for writing. But the thing that he really hated was having to structure is writing according to the "rules" for the 5 paragraph essay. He's now a freshman in college, and a decent writer, but still shudders when he thinks about writing 5 paragraph essays.
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