YOU HAVE TO WRITE

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Wong, Janet S. 2002. YOU HAVE TO WRITE. Ill. Flavin, Teresa. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books. ISBN: 0689834098

2. PLOT SUMMARY

Janet Wong writes a verse picture book that speaks to everyone who writes, wants to write, or has to write. Her free verse poems entice, encourage, and give suggestions to reluctant writers which could dribble over to ideas for avid writers, too. She reminds readers they have a voice and something to say, no matter how insignificant the topic may seem. “No one else can say/what you have seen/and felt today--/but if you tell us well, very well, your stories will seem like our own.” She offers suggestions on each page that can be turned into a story, along with examples for the reader to “see.” From the ideas Wong coaxes the reader to put pencil to paper and just try. Drafts are woven together to create a good story.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Janet Wong explains to the reader in her notes about the author that she was a reluctant creative writer when she was young. She felt she had nothing to say, nothing exciting enough to tell. She finally determined her “regular, boring life (was) full of lots of things to…write about.” This realization sparked the idea for this book and is a brilliant, yet simple way to explain to writers, young and old, that their lives are important and they have a voice to be heard. Any teacher who has heard the words, “I can’t think of anything to write about!” will likely see a turnabout after this story is read aloud. This packed-full-of-ideas book will keep children running back to look inside for more ideas. As the poems take the reader through the “writing process,” what evolves are stories worth sharing. This book may be motivating to the reluctant reader and coax a story out of a budding author.

The illustrations in YOU HAVE TO WRITE are charming. Teresa Flavin’s gouache paintings are simple but so detailed a writer could gather ideas just by studying the scrap-book like pictures.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

School Library Journal - The simple realistic gouache paintings are rather ordinary but appropriate for the "writing from life" philosophy that is espoused

Kirkus Reviews - Coming up with new ideas is a common dilemma of many a writer, from budding elementary-school essayists to experienced novelists offers each young reader a personal idea portfolio of sorts in this poetic exploration of potential subjects for writing topics. The narrator's encouraging voice urges the students to "Reach inside. Write about the dark times. . . . Write about the bright times."

Booklist - It's the dreaded class task: write something! "You have to write. You hate to write." Wong's poetic text, which encourages kids to use their own experiences, is practical and also sometimes amusing. The with-it rhymes set the tone while gouache illustrations depict four diverse kids as they sift through the advice, thinking and envisioning. The direct, you-can-do-it approach will stimulate kids to write and also help them with that dismaying assignment.

ALA Book Links "Lasting Connections Book"

5. CONNECTIONS

Teachers may find this an inspirational book to begin a writing workshop, convincing children gently that they need only to look carefully at their daily lives and activities to realize they have stories to tell.

Teachers may create an anchor chart for the classroom with writing ideas for the children to access when writing using suggestions from YOU HAVE TO WRITE.

Children may keep their own topic list in their writing notebooks, draft books, or journals to draw from when writing. This book may inspire ideas for the students to add to their list.

Students may access Janet Wong’s website to learn more about her and her writing. She includes poems and stories, school visits, a bio, and how to contact her on this site: http://www.janetwong.com.

Students may also read an interview with Wong at the following website: http://www.papertigers.org/interviews/archived_interviews/jwong.html

The following websites give access to video “discussions” with Janet Wong. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=9127137781586850860#
http://schoolwaxtv.com/janet-wong-you-have-write-meet-author