Fletcher, Ralph. A Writer’s Notebook: Unlocking the Writer Within You, Avon Books, Inc., 1996.

In A Writer’s Notebook: Unlocking the Writer Within You, Ralph Fletcher addresses students of approximately middle school level. He suggests that writers keep a special notebook in which they record their ideas for stories, interesting words, dialogue, and favorite words of other writers. Mr. Fletcher presents the thoughts of other published writers regarding writer’s notebooks in his book. He also includes samples of his writings and the writings of students of various ages.

I found many of Mr. Fletcher’s suggestions regarding writer’s notebooks useful and he inspired me to start a writer’s notebook of my own. I was somewhat disappointed, however, in the samples of Mr. Fletcher’s own writings. While his writings did not particularly impress me, I was very impressed by the examples of student writings that were presented. The following is one of the examples that I especially liked. I was particularly amazed because it was written by a first grader!

”Notebooks are...well, it’s like you have sparks from a campfire that could start a fire. They haven’t yet, but they could any time.”