I love words. I don’t just mean I enjoy reading, which I do, but I like the sounds of the words. I  like playing with words and meanings, have fun making up ridiculous scenarios with Amber. I may even make up words occasionally. The audio book I’m currently listening to talks a lot about words and meaning, but I’m not near finished with it yet.

I did, however, run across a good book aimed at middle elementary kids that I really liked and might have had me in tears in a couple of spots.

Word after Word

Title: Word After Word After Word

Author: Patricia MacLachlan

Category: Juvenile Fiction

Ebook published: January 18, 2011 Harper Collins (First published May 18, 2010)

Rating: 4½ out of 5 stars

Add: Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

Every school day feels the same for fourth graders Lucy and Henry and Evie and Russell and May. Then Ms. Mirabel comes to their class—bringing magical words and a whole new way of seeing and understanding.

From beloved author Patricia MacLachlan comes an honest, inspiring story about what is real and what is unreal, and about the ways that writing can change our lives and connect us to our own stories—word after word after word.

In Word After Word After Word, Patricia MacLachlan teaches us about the power of words, of writing, by showing us the impact it has on five children’s lives. Each of the children is dealing with something, from a pet dying to a mom having cancer of parents separating. Life is tough, even for fourth-graders. Ms. Mirabel is a breath of fresh air. She’s unconventional and inspiring. She tells the children she writes to change her life, but others write for other reasons, to see more clearly what they are thinking or what they are afraid of, to solve a problem or answer their own questions, but she stresses that all reasons are good reasons. She gives the kids freedom. I have to admit that a couple of the poems they wrote brought tears to my eyes.

This is a short, simple chapter book, only 120-some pages. I think kids will enjoy it and get something out of it too, especially those who already lean toward writing and making up stories or journalling. It makes me want to write my own story.

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