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Discusses ways on how to help children become critical readers and engaging writers in considering the author's point of view. Questions that will motivate children to think about the author's point of view; Activities to pique the ability of the child; Books where one can find the other perspective of common fairy tales; Use of story skits.

Gives advice to teachers on how to help students become better readers and writers. Distinction between fact and opinion; Illustrative examples; Purpose of posters.

Provides information on some strategies and materials that can be used to teach students about cause and effect relationships. Strategies for struggling readers; Overview of the book `On My Honor,' by Marion Dane Bauer; Tips on focusing on historical fiction.

Deals with several reading and writing activities for students to enhance their inferencing skills. Reading and role playing; Ways to help students make inferences; Creating mini-mystery stories.

Presents ideas and student activities that focus on learning sequencing skills. Story ladders; Strategies to help students focus on story sequence; Comic cut-ups; Timelines to help students understand sequence in nonfiction books; Sequencing station using bulletin boards.

Suggests several children's books and activities to boost prediction skills in children. List of books that boost skills; Activity to make students give their opinions; Strategies for struggling readers; Mapping activity.

Presents ideas for guiding the young authors in one's classroom in their creative expression. Use of Janet Wong's poems to inspire students to write creatively; Techniques for making books children will treasure; Creating handmade paper; Guide to getting published.

Presents activities that allow grade school teachers to help their students explore story plots and guide them in building their own compelling plots. Introducing plot with `Amistad Rising'; Mini-lesson; Three-step storyboards; Using a poster to teach plot.

Discusses the science fiction genre for student readers and writers.

Suggests to elementary teachers the use of posters to show students how authors use writing devices in their work. Activities to help students create their own literary work.

Presents an excerpt from Kevin Henkes' book `Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse' and invites grade level students to write endings on several story ideas.

Presents excerpts of endings from several children's books. `The Daydreamer,' by Ian McEwan; `This Quite Lady,' by Charlotte Zolotow; `Math Curse,' by Jon Scieszka.

Focuses on planning the seating arrangement in the classroom environment, while referencing to the strategies that four teachers used in their decision making. What to consider before making the final decision of seating; Reference to the interior decoration by Jason Pecor and Susan King at Orchard School, South Burlington, Vermont, Donna Clovis at Riverside Elementary in Princeton, New Jersey, Janette Kimery at Granbury Intermediate School in Granbury, Texas and others.

Describes how Pam Mohrmann, a sixth-grade teacher at Dow's Prairie School in McKinleyville, California used movies to inspire students to write an effective story ending.

Suggests books, quotes and discussion starters to help grade level students write story endings.

Looks at several story endings of Charlotte Zolotow's children's books. `William's Doll'; `This Quite Lady'; `The Old Dog'; `I Know a Lady'; `Big Sister and Little Sister'; `Over and Over.'

Profiles author Kevin Henkes. definition of a good story ending: Books written.

Describes former teacher turned magazine editor, Adam Berkin's technique of using `kickers' paragraphs to conclude stories.

Highlights a technique for teachers to help their students decide how to effectively end their stories. Example of Riverdale School District in New Jersey's Donna Clovis' favorite endings of stories written by her students.

Recommends several books to teachers to help grade level students write effective story endings. `The Daydreamer,' by Ian McEwan; `Math Curse,' by Jon Scieska; `This Quite Lady,' by Charlotte Zolotow.

Presents children's book author and writing consultant, Josephine Nobisso's technique for helping students write effective story endings.

Presents excerpts from the book `Prose and Poetry for Young Readers and Writers,' by Cornelius Novelli. Offering tips to elementary teachers on developing their students' writing skills.

Suggests to elementary teachers the use of picture books as a tool for teaching the elements of writing. Reading a book before the class to let students know how the author uses rhetorical devices; `Four Famished Foxes and Fosdyke.'

Presents definitions and examples of writing devices. Simile; Metaphor; Personification; Alliteration; Onomatophea; Consonance; Assonance.

Recommends to teachers the book `Four Famished Foxes and Fosdyke,' by Pamela Duncan Edwards, as a reference for teaching alliteration to their elementary students. Follow-up writing activities.

Presents a personification activity used by third grade teacher Donna Clovis in her writing workshop.

Offers tips to elementary teachers on how to conduct a game show that will teach students about metaphor and personifications. Writing riddles describing objects by comparing them with other things or by writing about them as living things.

Details the method used by Donna Clovis, an ESL/language arts teacher with the Riverdale School District in Riverdale, New Jersey, for teaching alliteration in her writing class. Finding newspaper articles that use alliteration in the leads; Literary uses of alliteration.

Shares author Kent Alexander's favorite lesson to introduce figures of speech and other writing devices to elementary students.