I don’t usually blog about the books I have written, but I decided to write about this one because I am particularly happy with it. I was paid a flat author’s fee for the book, so there are no royalties for me involved in this post. Usually, I write straight nonfiction, but this one was fun because there was a fictional element. Basically, Ben and Bailey Build a Book Report focuses on Bailey, who must write a book report for school and is at a loss about how to do it. Her friend, Ben, helps her out, sharing how he has completed a similar project in the past. Every so often, the helpful after-school instructor shows up to offer more assistance.

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I think this would be a great book to have in your classroom library, because it shows the reader, step by step, how to write a basic book report in a very fun and non-intimidating format. I used the sandwich analogy with the introduction and conclusion being the bread and the story elements (setting, characters, plot) being the parts that go between the bread. Another thing I like is that the reader gets to see how Bailey revises her report as she writes it:

The entire report is at the end of the book, so the reader can see a full sample. That was fun, as I had to make up a fictional story and then write a book report about it! The only complaint I have about the book is that I had imagined my after-school instructor as a younger person – someone cool in her mid-twenties. The illustrator made her quite a bit older and kind of matronly.

I also wrote Leah and Leshawn Build a Letter, which is also available on Amazon, as well as two other Writing Builder titles that will be available in a few months. One is on writing a fictional story, and the other one is on writing a journal.