Christmas present query

[rivka]

What would you get a twelve-year-old girl who wants to be a writer?

I think we gave her a blank book last year. (Not because we knew that she was an aspiring author at that point, just because we got lucky. Or maybe that's why she now wants to be an author.)

There are a lot of books about writing aimed at kids and teenagers, but I have no idea of their quality.

There's also this writing journal, which, while not for kids, was recommended on Amazon by a young woman who describes herself as a "13-year-old writer."

Any recommendations?

Comments

[dafna]

As someone who used to be a 12-year-old wanting to be a writer who grew up to be a writer (well, close enough, anyway), I third the suggestion of Strunk and White. I read it when I was about her age and loved it. Plus, there's every likelihood that someone will make her read it later on, which as we all know, is usually the kiss of death and Strunk and White deserves better.

In general, I'd shy away from how-to guides specifically for kids -- I think 12 is old enough to crave "real" books -- particularly if she's not from a household likely to already have good reference works around. I also like the Anne Lamont "bird by bird" book -- funnily enough, was just looking at this morning in a bookstore.

Another possibility might be a collection of Jane Austen's letters or someone similar who talks about writing. (Virginia Woolf, though it depends on her family, maybe.)

All this presumes, of course, that she really really does want to be a writer. If you suspect this is more like "I want to be a ballerina" then a nice pen is a good way to go.