This post was first published on the Children's Book Academy blog.
In part one, I highlighted books about the writing process and about living a creative life. I refer to those books often as I brainstorm ideas, write, and revise. In part two, I’m showcasing books that will help with technical points as you craft your stories.
CHILDREN’S WRITER’S WORD BOOK, 2nd edition, by Alijandra Mogilner & Tayopa Mogilner – I keep this book on my desk and use it whenever I need to find a word relating to children of a certain grade, or find a synonym.
THE EMOTION THESAURUS: A WRITER’S GUIDE TO CHARACTER EXPRESSION, Second Edition, by Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi – this book offers suggestions for finding words that express emotion beyond the standard words that writers might think of first. There are also other books in this series, such as words describing positive and negative traits. This also sits on my desk when I’m drafting.
THESAURUS OF THE SENSES: A TOOL FOR WRITERS, TEACHERS, STUDENTS, AND WORD LOVERS, by Linda Hart – another great resource, broken into categories “See,” “Hear,” “Touch,” “Taste,” and “Smell.”
THE DESCRIBER’S DICTIONARY: A TREASURY OF TERMS & LITERARY QUOTATIONS, by David Grambs & Ellen S. Levine – I often turn to the quotations to read great writing, and I refer to the list of terms to find the precise words to use when I’m writing.
THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE, by Strunk and White – No writer’s reference library is complete without this timeless book (I still use my old edition, it’s probably time to update!). Here’s a sample of a few rules with explanations from one page: “Revise and rewrite,” Do not overwrite,” and “Do not overstate.” Priceless.
I hope these books are helpful as you create your stories!