Giff, Patricia Reilly. Write Up a Storm With The Polk Street School, Bantam Doubleday Books for Young Readers, 1993.

In Write Up a Storm with the Polk Street School, Patricia Reilly Giff writes in a conversational, first person style and addresses her comments to students in approximately grades 3-6. She takes her reader through all of the different steps she goes through in writing her books and invites the reader to work through the steps with her.

First, Mrs. Giff encourages her reader to select a favorite spot in which to write. She lets the young writer know that this does not have to be at a desk, but can be on a favorite rug, in a favorite chair, or even under their bed! Then Mrs. Giff discusses the steps of selecting characters, giving the characters names and physical appearances and personality traits. Next the writer must decide on the setting and a problem that must be solved. The characters must then be made to move and dialogue is added. The character is shown to worry about the problem and the problem gets worse and worse. The character then solves the problem or at least begins to solve the problem.

Mrs. Giff also discusses ways to deal with “writer’s block” and the need for proofreading. She tells the writer that the writing must become like a shell that is found which is “smooth and polished...without a sharp edge in sight.” She points out that outlining is not a method that works well for her, but that it is a method that works well for some. She stresses the importance of perseverance. She encourages writers to write down ideas for future use; characters, names, places, etc.

I think this book would be especially appealing to young people because Mrs. Giff follows the description of each step with selections from her books which illustrate the step being discussed. She also discusses what her cat, Fiddle, is doing during the time she is writing the book. She then suggests that Fiddle and his antics might be a good story to start with
for the beginning writer.

I have read the Polk Street School stories to my second grade class in past years and my students have truly enjoyed them. Next year, after we complete the story series, I will also read Write Up a Storm with the Polk Street School. My students and I will then work through the steps together, as I believe this will help my students to become better writers.