"Take My Word For It!" - creative writing for kids

Some of our Favorite Picks from Last Saturday's Peanut Butter and the Pen!

Check out some of the scrumptious work our talented young writers concocted at last Saturday's "Peanut Butter and the Pen" food writing lab!

 

Food similes and metaphors:

 From Eliza:

"The cracking of the chips was like the sound of a thick twig being broken by feisty, impatient hands."

"The chocolate was bittersweet. It tasted optimistic and cocky at the same time."

"Hunger snaked up my body like a slippery game of tug-of-war."

From Tayte:

"The strawberry was as red as a bursting heart."

From Mila:

"The strawberry's blood red color burst into the world."

 

"Specialty-Me" Recipes - What are you made of?

From Noa:

1. Add 8 oz. of school to 5 tsp. of math.
2. Mix well.
3. 3 oz. of fun as well as 9 tsp. of helpful.
4. A sprinkle of writing with just a dash of chocolate should be mixed with 10 cups of family.
5. Drop into one pot and let rise.
6. After it rises, bake for about 10 mins. until golden brown.
7. At the end, arrange some sister and soccer on top.
8. (Very nice to serve some Feliza on the side).

Serve on special occasions.

From Eliza:

1. Mince smartness and caramelize great voice. Mix.
2. Put in lavender, best fruzzie and reading.
3. Put aside and take out athlete and horses and kindness and caramelize.
4. Bake older sister, soccer, and green.
5. Mix everything and stick happiness and ice cream in.
6. Boil with lots of butter and frost in razzberry and chocolate icing.
7. Put on compassion and slice it.

 Voila!

Couldn't make it Saturday? Feel free to contribute your own writing in our comments section!

You Read It Here First!

Every week, in "You Read it Here First!" we feature writing from students in "Take My Word For It's!" creative writing classes.

When these young authors become well known writers, you can say you read them here first!

Have you heard of found poetry? It's fun, creative and easy to do at home! Flip through magazines and cut out words/images that you like. Collect as many words and images as you want. When you're ready, glue the cut outs on a piece of paper to create a poem. It's as simple as that. This week Madeline from Miraloma Elementary is showing us how it is done! Great job, Madeline!

 

Why Not Write Wednesdays?

Some Wednesdays we challenge you to pick up your pen and indulge your budding author self with our writing activity. See where your imagination takes you, and feel free to share your ideas in the Comment section!

Here's one to try:

Sometimes you just feel like you can't grow up fast enough. Write about some of the disadvantages to being a kid. Here's a start: "What I hate about being a kid is…"

Come Hear Our Young Writers Read Their Original Work!

In the next couple of weeks our talented writers will be showcasing some of the awesome writing they've been working on all Spring!

Look out for them at:

Musically Minded Academy (5776 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94618)

• Chabot Elementary: Tuesday, May 31st @ 5:30pm
• Crocker Highlands Elementary: Wednesday, June 1st @5:30pm
• Thornhill Elementary (2nd & 3rd-5th): Monday, June 6th @5:30pm
• Redwood Heights Elementary: Tuesday, June 7th @5:30pm
• The Young Writer's Lab: Thursday, June 9th @5:30pm

San Ramon (tentatively at Rakestraw Books)

• Walt Disney Elementary (2nd/3rd & 4th/5th): Tuesday, June 5th @ 5:30pm

Palo Alto

• El Carmelo Elementary: Thursday, May 26th @ 5:30pm

San Francisco

• Katherine Delmar Burke School: May 23rd @ 5:00pm
• Flynn Elementary: May 25th @ 5:30pm

Don't Forget, "Peanut Butter and the Pen" Tomorrow at 18 Reasons in San Francisco!

Does your kid have an appetite for writing? Then come join us for the third installment of  "Peanut Butter and the Pen", a four-part creative writing series for 3rd-5th graders put on in collaboration between "Take My Word For It!" and 18 Reasons in San Francisco (18reasons.org).

For our May workshop, "My Specialty Recipe", kid's will craft auto-biographies that use the recipe format ("whisk together one tablespoon of soccer and two tablespoons of tree climbing in a large bowl"). Together, we'll taste food, read excerpts from some of literature's greatest writing in praise of food, and talk about the art of recipe building. Each child will write an original piece to bring home and stick on the fridge. Drop off your kid with pencil and spiral notebook in hand at 10:00, and pick him or her up at 12:15, original piece in hand.

See you there!

 

*minimum age is 8 years old.

 

Why Not Write Wednesdays?

Some Wednesdays we challenge you to pick up your pen and indulge your budding author self with our writing activity. See where your imagination takes you, and feel free to share your ideas in the Comment section!

Here's one to try:

Describe a time when you lost something important. Describe what you lost. Describe how you felt. Here's a start: "I was so mad when I lost my…"

 

May Theme: Personification

This month's creative writing theme is Personification. Just like the simile and metaphor, a personification is a form of figurative language that will add flavor to your writing!

Here's a quick definition:

Personification: giving something (like an object or animal) human-like actions or qualities

ex: The daffodils stood up straighter as the sun warmed them.

Want to try your hand at it? Well we have another challenge for you this month: Come up with a personification to describe an article of clothing...

Our favorite example will win another fabulous word prize! Write your most creative personification and send it along with your name and age to info@takemywordforit.com!

Happy writing!

Connect with Us on Facebook and Twitter and Be Entered to Win A Fabulous Word Prize!

Now that you can connect with "Take My Word For It!" on Facebook and Twitter, we'd love to know you're out there!

In May, one of our lucky Facebook fans* or Twitter followers will win a fabulous word game from Uncommon Goods!

Simply find "Take My Word For It!" on your favorite social networking site, like us or follow us, and be eligible to win! You'll also be able to check out updates about new classes and summer camps on our snazzy new website, and updates about loads of fun writing activities and writing from our student authors on the blog. Pass on the word to your friends!

 Like our Facebook page at facebook.com/TMWFI

 Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/TMWFI

 

Winners will be announced June 1.

*Even if you are already a Facebook friend of ours, we are shifting to a new business page. In order to continue receiving TMWFI news and updates, and to be entered into the drawing, you still must like our Facebook page.

Winner of April Simile & Metaphor Contest!

The winner of last month's Simile & Metaphor contest is Kim Bielak, from Berkeley, CA!

Take a look at Kim's Spring simile:

"The colors of Spring are as refreshing as crisp creek water."

Congratulations Kim! Check out the word prize you've won!

Look out for May's contest with personification!