This review almost didn’t happen, because my daughter “lost” this writer’s notebook; she’d written so many hopes, dreams, and ideas in it that she didn’t want anyone, to see it. Ever. It’s that kind of book. It inspires trust and sparks imagination. And she only let me have it back briefly, if I promised not to read what she’d written. And I’m trying really, really hard not to.
It’s called Fireflies: A Writer’s Notebook, and although it’s been written for all ages, it’s especially perfect for my precocious eight-year-old writer. The idea is that ideas are like fireflies, which can spark any time and any place. The only way to capture them is to write them down, an idea which I’ve suggested to my daughter a hundred times–and which she didn’t really take to heart until she opened Fireflies.
There is great encouragement inside for young writers, all positive and focused on inspiration and the understanding that writing has no rules. Which I love.
(See also: Sentence fragment, above.)
The book’s mix of writing prompts and blank, fertile spaces encourages kids to mix drawings and words, to recall their fondest memories and probe their senses and emotions for ideas. It has space for writing about vacations, happiness, gifts, and the future, but it doesn’t shy away from the unavoidable dark side of writing, such as Write about the births and deaths of people in your life or Write about a goodbye you will never forget.
I’m trying not to read my daughter’s writing, as I promised, but I think I’m safe to share that she filled in the space behind I was so happy when… with “My Mom gave me this book!!” Yep, two exclamation points and everything.
If a diary still feels like a lot of blank space for your writerly kid to fill, Fireflies is a terrific gift to help nudge them into getting words on the page.
Find Fireflies: A Writer’s Notebook by Coleen Murtagh Paratore at our affiliate, Amazon or your local indie bookseller.
Also, check out our archives for more recommendations for activity books and notebooks to spark any writers’ imaginations.
