    | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 05/15/2012 “For many guys, school writing can really stink,” says Fletcher in this boy-centric but mostly universal guide to bringing the fun back to writing. Fletcher suggests that teachers in the habit of lowering the boom for weird topics, bad handwriting, or misspellings are often the culprits, but he offers a slew of ways for boys to make personal headway—without going too far. Chapters divide the book into genres, such as “disgusting stuff,” battles and wars, superheroes and fantasy, and “emotional writing.” Fletcher’s chummy voice offers up such time-tested tips as avoiding clichés, including heroes’ weaknesses, and curbing rude humor before it might start sounding “disrespectful.” The book goes all-in with its topic and includes enlightening author interviews, snippets from kids’ own writings (and what Fletcher likes about them), and amusing kid doodles throughout of various beasts and warlords. Really, this is a good guide for anyone with a penchant for storytelling, but especially those who trade in “spoofs, humor, sports, blood, farts and giant monsters tearing down the city.” - Copyright 2012 Booklist. School Library Journal - 07/01/2012 Gr 4–8—Fletcher hooks his audience by using kid-friendly doodles, varying fonts, and short paragraphs of pithy text. He draws on his own experiences and includes interviews with famous writers, who provide advice for writing about sports, fantasy, and even gory stories. Guy-Write explains the concepts well and uses good examples, making this a must-have guide. Teachers will be fascinated by how Fletcher can teach plot, setting, and characterization just by the examples he gives. Reading suggestions and tips for keeping a writer's notebook are a part of the mix. An effective and useful resource.—Kathy Lyday, William Lenoir Middle School, Lenoir, NC - Copyright 2012 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Bulletin for the Center... - 10/01/2012 Drawing mainly on his own and his sons’ personal experiences, Fletcher writes with a crusader’s zeal about the problems faced by guys trying to write in school. He contends that the things guys like to write about too often fall outside the zero-tolerance policies of their schools; blood, weapons, epic battles, and outright fantasy don’t pass muster with teachers who want real stories, but not real enough to include bodily functions or fighting. So what’s a guy to do? Fletcher combines personal stories, interviews with famous authors such as Jon Scieszka, Greg Trine, Robert Lipsyte, and Robert San Souci as well as graphic-novel artist Jarrett Krosoczka, excerpts from published books and short stories written by tween boys, and writing tips to inspire boys to write what they want. The authors offer advice on how to write humor that’s actually funny, how to use blood, gore, and other gross stuff effectively in the service of storytelling, how to condense play-by-play sports stories so they aren’t boring, and how to use provocative hints to evoke horror. Fletcher also talks about process, including using drawing as a springboard for writing and keeping a writer’s notebook. While the book occasionally makes some overbroad assumptions about who guys are and what they like, it opens up a necessary conversation about what is acceptable in school writing, and how narrow restrictions can constrict the achievement of boys, making it important reading for teachers as well as budding guy writers. KC - Copyright 2012 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. Loading...
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