Catherine Austen
Creative Writing
Fall Faves
Writing isn’t going so well for me just now–I’m scattered among different projects and I keep going back and forth between two possible plot directions in my sequel to All Good Children. Not good. I don’t like writing blind.
I don’t want to whine — that’s why I haven’t blogged in a month — so I’ll write about other people’s writing instead of my own. I’m not all that keen on the “everyone’s a critic” trend but I’m happy to write about a few of the books I’ve read these past weeks that I would most highly recommend. Here’s a suggestion for young readers of every age.
The Quiet Book
written by Deborah Underwood; illustrated by Renata Liwska (2010)
Simple words and pictures capture complex emotions. More a series of moments than a story.
Sweet and gentle, good for sharing and staring at together.
Whittington
by Alan Armstrong (2005)
A dignified middle grade novel that tells three stories– one about the legendary Dick Whittington and his cat, one about the cat’s descendent who tells the historic tale, and one about the children who listen.
Beautiful writing and honest emotions. Perfect for animal lovers.
Shattering Glass
by Gail Giles (2002)
A gripping young adult novel about popularity. The cool kids and nerds in this story are not cut from molds. They’re not quite likeable–my favorite character was the lunch lady–but they’re fascinating.
After I read this, I read everything else by the author. I love her.
That’s it for today…
Tomorrow I’m a guest blogger on Teens Read Too. Maybe that will inspire me to pull my writing life together.
Catherine Austen writes books for kids and teens, short stories for adults, and reports for corporate clients. She lives in Gatineau, Quebec.
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