Another Squiggly Story
“You can write about anything … as long as you write about you.” Mr. Lopez’s assignment has the young, brown-skinned narrator of this picture book stumped. At home, his sister explains that writing about yourself is called “autobiography.” She’s been writing one ever since she was in Mr. Lopez’s class. “It’s made up of different lists … things I do, things I feel … List by list, I’m writing the story of me.” Inspired, he writes down a title: “The Story of Me.” But what’s next? He tries making lists of things he likes, things he knows, and things he wants to be. But how can he turn his lists into a story? His sister suggests he look for connections—things his lists have in common. But first, she suggests, they should go the park. On their return, he takes a fresh look at his lists, and the connections start to appear. “Like when I look at the sky at night and try to connect the stars.” He begins to write, making changes after he shows his first draft to his friend Marcus. It’s all about the writing process in this picture book told in cartoon panels and covering the basics: brainstorming, drafting, editing, and the always important stepping away and looking at things anew. ©2022 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
Illustrated by Mike Lowery
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 6-9
Age Range:
PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7)
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Format:
Picture book
Subjects:
Creativity
School
Siblings
Stories and Storytelling
Writers and Writing
Diversity subject:
Brown Skin Unspecified
Publisher:
Kids Can
Publish Year: 2022
Pages: 32
ISBN: 9781525304828
CCBC Location: Picture Book, Larsen