This is the third post in a series on books that inspire creativity in kids. So far, we’ve looked at artistic creativity and inventive creativity.
This post will focus on written creativity: the desire to create stories. These stories could be verbal, written, or even acted out in creative play. All are valid ways of expressing “written” creativity.
Books that Inspire Written Creativity
Ling and Ting books by Grace Lin are sweet and silly early readers that are also a delight to read aloud. In each book, the last chapter involves Ling and Ting retelling their adventures in a new silly story. Guide your younger kids in making up their own stories that weave fact and fiction together.
The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall is a fun story of four sisters and their summer adventure. Each sister is quite different from the others with her own hobbies, likes and aspirations. One sister is a fledgling writer with her own series of novels in the works. My own daughter was inspired to write after reading this book.
The Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg is a fascinating book for getting kids to imagine new stories. Each set of pages includes a mysterious picture, a title, and a first sentence.
Spilling Ink: A Young Writer’s Handbook by Ellen Potter and Anne Mazer is a book my 10-year-old has checked out multiple times from the library. If your child is already writing stories in his/her free-time, this book is the next step!
Resources to Inspire Written Creativity
These games will get your kids thinking in stories!
Rory’s Story Cubes
eeBoo Tell Me a Story Cards
Dixit
Create Your Own Books
Rip the Page: Adventures in Creative Writing
642 Things to Write About
What are your favorite resources and books that inspire creativity in kids?
Related
Ling and Ting is a favorite series of ours. I’ve never thought of them as inspiring written creativity, but they totally do!
Amy, I’m curious if you’ve read any of her books for older kids with your boys. She’s become one of my new favorite authors!
I have loved using biographies of authors (and other godly and accomplished people) to inspire my kids. I love reading them myself! For example, what hardships did Amy Carmichael have to overcome that may have contributed to her rich poetry? It’s like getting the story behind the story!
Oh, I love that idea of an author’s biography! Thanks for the suggestion! 🙂
Lots of good info here, I especially like the Spilled Ink book. My kids are a bit young, but I hope that I am raising children who love to read and express their thoughts in writing (just like their mommy).
I’m sure you are, Sarah! My daughter, who loved Spilling Ink, is trying NaNoWriMo for the first time this year! 🙂 I’m excited to see how it goes for her!
Hi, great tips and titles. Congrats on being the most clicked again this week at Literacy Musing Mondays!
Oh wow! Thanks, Mary! 🙂