VOICE!

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Home : 2004 : September : 26

VOICE!
By VOICE!

Voice is my favorite trait!
The best way to teach voice is to expose kids to it through literature.
Try these picture books and check out sample pages and reviews of them at amazon.com.

Cinderella's Rat
Dear Mr.
Blueberry
Paper Bag Princess
Earthlets
Alexander, . . .Horrible Day
True Story of 3 Pigs
Diary of a Worm
Judith Viorst's Poetry
Many chapter books' first pages grab the reader's attention with "grabber leads" and voice-rich text. Try Dovey Coe, Matilda, Grandma Torrelli's Soup, Because of Winn Dixie, Wilma Unlimited, Maniac Magee
Excerpts from Roald Dahl's BOY are

the best (esp. the part about him first riding a bike and the "great mouse plot")

Have kids go through books and find and share examples of "grabber leads" and voice-rich text.

I write with my kids a lot. Childhood memory pieces beg for voice. Write your own before you assign it to your kids. Read up on Barry Lane's "thoughtshots" in "After the End" Thoughtshots really add voice to writing.