But That's Another Story - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0802775705 ISBN 13: 9780802775702

Publisher: Walker Childrens, 1999

Synopsis

Sandy Asher introduces each story with a description of the special rules and rewards of its genre and follows each with a biography of the author and an interview with him or her about the piece.

About this title

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8?Asher has taken one dozen stories, each representative of a specific genre, and has used them as vehicles to explain the varieties of fiction. Preceding each tale is a clear description of the type of story it illustrates. The succinct explanations are readily understandable and specific so as to avoid confusion. Each selection is followed by some biographical information, a brief author interview, and a small black-and-white photo. The authors either explain what was being attempted in each tale, the story's background, or their attitudes toward it or its genre. Youngsters will learn about the process of fiction writing and will understand that, although a vivid imagination is at the core, careful research often precedes the creative process. The stories are all brief, and for some this is a disadvantage. For example, the resolution of Elaine Marie Alphin's "A Time to Stand Up" is too abrupt and greater character development is needed in Gary L. Blackwood's "Who Waxed Mad Max?" But these are minor problems. Many of the selections are jewels, such as Angela Johnson's "Flying Away," Marie G. Lee's "An Education," and Carol Kendall and Yao-wen Li's "A Sheepish Answer," a retelling of a folktale. Marion Dane Bauer's horror story, "The Wall," builds to a crescendo and leaves readers wondering. This is a fine book, and its unique concept makes it a valuable addition to library collections.?Renee Steinberg, Fieldstone Middle School, Montvale, NJ
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 6^-8. Asher has done an admirable job of selecting short original works representing a wide range of genres, from contemporary realism, humor, and horror to folktale, sf, and fantasy adventure. From 13 notable young adult writers--among them, Angela Johnson, Gary Blackwood, Marie G. Lee, and H. M. Hoover--the stories are not only well crafted but also excellent examples of their type. Asher briefly introduces each selection with a note about the genre it represents and follows each story with a thumbnail biography and photo of the author, a list of recent works, and a short interview in which each author talks about writing stories that represent a particular genre and suggests additional reading. Librarians will want to buy multiple copies of this book: they'll find themselves suggesting it both to kids (including older reluctant readers) looking for good short stories to read for fun and to language arts teachers for use in their classrooms. Chris Sherman

Edition details

• Publisher: Walker Childrens
• Publication date: 1999
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0802775705
• ISBN 13: 9780802775702
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 176
• Editor: Asher Sandy