Description

This is a gentle introduction to the art of writing creatively. It is a resource to help students begin the writing process in both fiction and poetry. The fiction section introduces structural concepts of writing such as plot, dialogue, characters, point of view, and setting through guided exercises and short excerpts from quality, classic literature by authors including Mark Twain and Louisa May Alcott. The poetry section introduces concepts of sound, descriptive language, and word choice and includes poems by Robert Frost and Edgar Allan Poe as examples.

Reason For Teaching

The book will help students “dip their toes” into the sometimes-chilly waters of creative writing.

Description

This is a basic grammar handbook with special emphasis on the art of creative writing. While it teaches all of the common grammar rules, it also has extra sections on word choice, dialogue punctuation, verb tenses, and other pertinent-to-fiction topics. Its strength is the opportunities it provides to refine advanced grammar skills in the non-intimidating setting of fiction. This text even has a section showing the common error of reversing cause and effect grammatically within a narrative and how to fix this mistake, providing opportunities to refine advanced grammar skills within the engaging setting of fiction.

Reason For Teaching

Students will appreciate the succinct nature of this text as they connect the great writers and their works in other texts with the building blocks of their language in this one.

Description

This text is a wide-reaching collection of poems, hymns, and other literary forms that bring honor and praise to our Creator. This collection spans thirteen centuries from the seventh century’s “O Christ, Our Hope, Our Heart’s Desire” to the early 20th century’s “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus.”

Reason For Teaching

This anthology will lead students in discovering the poetry of praise that God’s people have written for eons so that they, too, might use words to praise Him. In the study of creative writing, the goal is for students to be inspired by the God they see in these beautiful works to create poems of praise of their own.

Description

The poetry in this anthology spans styles from the childhood wordplay and wit of Edward Lear to the sonnets of Shakespeare and Rosetti. The stories also span styles and include Aesop’s fables, a folktale by Hans Christian Andersen, and G.K. Chesterton’s short fiction, among many others.

Reason For Teaching

This text is an anthology of classic literature and poetry that focuses on time-tested work by time-tested authors. Students will learn the writers’ craft by reading a wide swathe of solid poetry and fiction as we focus in class on the elements of these classic works.

Disclaimer

While this is a collection of solid classic works, we recommend students study only the content assigned since it has been carefully screened and selected. If students wish to read unassigned works, we recommend doing so with parental guidance.

Description

Victorian poet, author, and pastor George MacDonald weaves a classically structured folktale in The Light Princess. It is deceptively simple in tone, yet contains a much deeper metaphor for the ultimate display of love. A princess under a spell becomes light—literally. She floats through the air in body, but she also floats in spirit. How will she find gravity? Only the sacrificial love of a prince can save her, an example to readers of selfless love.

Reason For Teaching

This classic fairy tale is an example of fine writing within a standard structure—the folktale—that employs creative writing elements such as plot, character, setting, and a classic story arc. Within the bounds of this structure, however, are songs, poems, witty wordplay, vivid imagery, and allegorical elements that model different literary genres all within one story. Best of all, the story’s overarching theme—the transforming power of sacrificial love—is a picture of the gospel itself.

Disclaimer

This book includes elements of classic fairy tales such as magic, a fairy godmother, and the use of the word witch to describe cruel characters.

Description

One of the most beloved adventure novels, Treasure Island is a cultural treasure that defined pirates for generations through the characterization of Long John Silver, an antagonist for the ages. Stevenson tells an electrifying story full of plot twists and idiosyncratic characters. Set in the mid-1700s, the story follows Jim Hawkins, a cabin boy on the Hispaniola—a ship that takes us on a dangerous sea voyage through mutiny, deception, and a deadly search for treasure—all amid exotic locales. Treasure Island is an example of storytelling at its best, with enduring themes such as loyalty, integrity, and the struggle to discern truth amidst a sea of lies.

Reason For Teaching

Treasure Island is a prime example of storytelling that masterfully employs each element of fiction—in each chapter—such as plot, characterization, setting, point of view, and dialogue. In addition, the story is rich in Biblical themes such as absolute truth and discernment. As our narrator discovers, truth leads to treasure. As they ride the waves of this story, students will ponder the fact that among life’s waves, truth leads to the ultimate Treasure: Jesus Christ.

Disclaimer

This book includes elements of classic pirate stories such as drunkenness and violence; however, these behaviors are clearly shown as vile. The hero does not participate in such behaviors.