AnnMarie Hurtado’s vibrant and practical workshops combine writing activities with storytime for young children. The detailed first chapter outlines why writing activities in the library are an important and possibly radical idea – radical because writing is often left out of children’s library activities that more frequently include art, science and robotics. With plenty of research evidence, Hurtado argues that writing is an integral part of learning to read. She urges librarians who work with children to familiarise themselves with research on literacy development and make space for creative writing in library programs.
These workshop ideas for children aged 5‒8 years are fun and imaginative, utilising humour and play to encourage participation. They draw explicit inspiration from children’s books in the library’s collection. Hurtado found that when you read a book that offers a creative or wacky suggestion such as ‘What sort of pizza would Snow White like best?’, children respond eagerly to the challenge of creating similar concepts. They are soon engaging with the book on a different level, and in the process becoming writers themselves.
Some of us might be thinking ‘But I’m just a librarian, not a teacher!’. Hurtado scoffs at this, arguing that librarians play a vital role in supporting students as they engage with ‘mentor or exemplar texts’ at another level. She also helps by providing a clear, detailed structure for each workshop, along with handouts and stimulus material, example responses and a public relations blurb to use in your library publicity. Each workshop (or writing party, as Hurtado calls them) is organised around one or two featured books. It begins with storytime and then uses the book/s as inspiration for kids to produce their own short book, play, poem, poster or other piece of writing. The writing party ends with a different kind of storytime, in which children are the storytellers sharing their own creations. Some well-known authors and books featured include Mo Willems’ Pigeon series, Emily Gravett’s Little Mouse, Nick Sharratt’s split-panel books and Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French.
Workshops are divided into chapters around different language skills. The chapter ‘All you need is a TERRIBLE idea’ involves participants having great fun while using the tools of persuasive rhetoric and learning what makes a story funny. Other chapters are centred around playing with words (such as having a word hunt), the language of advertising (such as making a campaign video for President Squid) and fractured fairy tales. Children will be exposed to the features of different text types (diaries, public service announcements, narratives), as well as grammar and literary techniques.
36 Workshops to Get Kids Writing is an inspiring and useful guide for librarians, whether you are experienced in writing activities or just starting out. Hurtado makes these workshops rewarding and achievable for the busy librarian.