Middle Grade Settings: An Introduction Having photos in front of you can help you write about your settings I’m going to make a confession. Settings are not something I often spend time planning. Perhaps my stories are the poorer for it, but the settings come as I’m writing or editing. The Glass Room, in Taking Wing, is not something I planned before I started writing. Personally, I’m a very visual writer, seeing my characters as though they are a video in my head, and I write what I see. As such, the setting just happens! There are benefits and drawbacks to this. The main benefit is that the writing process is more interesting. Not everything is set, and my story can still give me surprises. The drawback is that, similar to AI, I cannot know that I’m not stealing settings from films and books I’ve seen/read previously. I certainly don’t mean to plagiarise but the concern is a real one! With that in mind, I have started to at least have a vague idea of my settings before I start t...
Excerpt:
I play outside and breathe sweet air.
There are flowers and animals around me everywhere.
Just like the wiggly worm, the curious cat, and the giant trees,
My life has a special purpose; I am on a unique journey.
This is what it means to be me.
Review:
"What It Means to Be Me" is a book with a great message - helping children to make sense of what makes them special and unique, but also what they have in common with others.
As a teacher, it made me think of the requirement in the Curriculum for Excellence for pupils to: "I recognise that we have similarities and differences but are all unique." This book totally has that outcome covered!
The book starts with a very lengthy opening, which I did feel may have been more audience-appropriate if it had been split over a few pages. The rest of the book carries on at a really good pace, mixing short snippets of advice and guidance with dazzling and/or dreamy illustrations. The book is written in a gentle rhyme, but there are just one or two of the words which may be too tricky for younger children.
All in all, a very sweet picture book with a really good message for children.
Meet the Author:
Danielle Dawn Falk
Danielle Dawn Falk has a lifelong passion for writing. Growing up, she often struggled with feelings of being unaccepted, as well as not fitting in with her peers. When she became a mother, some of her goals were to help her son and daughter realize how unique and special they are, while at the same time, teaching them to show acceptance and compassion toward everyone else. She hopes that through her writing, she will inspire her children, as well as many others, to do just that. Danielle lives with her family on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada.
WEBSITE - https://danielledawnfalk.com/
FACEBOOK - https://www.facebook.com/Danielle-Falk-Author-101871652226480
INSTAGRAM - https://www.instagram.com/daniellefalkauthor/
Where to buy the book:
Giveaway!
Danielle Dawn Falk will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Enter here!
Thank you so much for your kind and honest review of my book! ❤
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteI really like the cover and the excerpt.
ReplyDeleteWhat It Means to be Me, sounds like a great children's book and I like the excerpt and the cover! Thanks for sharing it with me and have a wonderful holiday season!
ReplyDelete