An an author and homeschool mom, I am always looking for fun resources to help my kids enjoy writing more. So this book is a goldmine. It is a workbook--which I didn't realize when I initially requested it from Netgalley, but does make sense--so it is interactive with fun, colorful illustrations. Fun is really the key in this book. It gives fun prompts and silly ideas and really takes the pressure off of the child in writing and makes it all about imagination and enjoyment, which I think is vital. The ebook of this was probably not quite as easy to use as a physical copy would have been, but I still found the book a wonderful resource that I would definitely recommend!

I really liked the prompts and strategies in this book and would love to be able to use them with my students. I think it will make them enjoy writing and will make their writing better. It is nicely decorated and easy to follow. I will recommend this to teachers with students who are not a fan of writing stories.

I am excited to share Secrets of Storytelling with both of my children, ages 8 and 12! One of my kiddos LOVES to write, and she's eager to dig into each of these exercises in her free time. Here are some of her thoughts: "One of the recommended activities invites you to change classic books' names to silly ones, like Anne of Green Olives. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to write (and maybe people who don't)!"

I know we'll be using Secrets of Storytelling in our homeschooling lessons for the next few years.

This is a terrific book for anyone who wants to learn story writing, even though it's written for kids. This book teaches you to write a story from the very first spark of an idea to the ending. There are exercises throughout that help you along the way.

I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in writing.

I received a free copy of this book from Callisto Media via Netgalley. My review is voluntary.

I received this ebook in exchange for an honest and fair review. This book was very well written. It was laid out well with plenty of prompts and places to write. The author broke down the writing process in manageable parts that was just write for a child. I feel that if a student was to work through this book they would be able to write a good story. There are many choices and prompts.

I enjoyed the fact that the author didn’t write down to the reader but still wrote clearly and material that was easy to read. I would be very happy purchasing this book for my students.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."
This is a good resource for struggling writers, or writers who just want to grow their craft. I would recommend this as a school or homeschool add on for upper elementary to middle school students. I really like some of the suggested activities to get creative juices going.

I LOVE this book and cannot wait to get a copy for my classroom. Although this book is written as a workbook, I know I can easily create them into activities to help my students become better writers. This book is very student friendly and easy. I love the different tips and tricks that Rompella has included throughout the book. The alphabet activity is one that I plan on using with my students the first couple of weeks of school. Overall, I love how this book makes writing less intimidating and overall easier to approach- even if it is just one step at a time. :)

Secrets of Storytelling is a wonderful resource for young writers. Natalie Rompella takes writers on a journey through the writing process and examines story elements. During each part, there are practice exercises. I thought that it was quite engaging from a teacher's standpoint. I could see using this with my writers as well. I loved the quotes from other writers that were sprinkled within the pages. Great resource.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wish I had this book when I was a young writer! Filled with journal-like places to record your writing preferences as well as tips and prompts to get you thinking, this one is sure to be a hit with kids who love writing. (And maybe might even be a boost for kids who didn't know how much fun writing could be!)

Secrets of Storytelling is a colorful book full of creative writing prompts for kids. Due out 14th July 2020 from Callisto on their Rockridge Press imprint, it's 196 pages (for the print copy) and available in paperback and ebook formats (ebook is available now). It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free.

This is a graphically appealing and accessible guide with 100 tutorial prompts and exercises aimed at young readers with structured ideas to get them writing. So much of our lives have been put on hold during the pandemic (and that includes our kids especially who have virtually no control over anything happening to them). Writing and journaling can give a measure of control and stress relief to everyone, including youngsters. This book includes lots of prompts which can also become an important part of online/distance learning. Many of these tutorials will fit seamlessly into home learning with or without other classes.

Most of the prompts include fill-in-the-blank exercises for things like dialogue, characterizations, settings, story arc, mood boards, and more. One feature which I really loved was the inclusion of encouraging words or quotes from famous authors and cultural icons (Desmond Tutu, Kate DiCamillo, Margery Williams, Roald Dahl, and more) in highlighted sidebars scattered throughout.

The book can be used in a linear manner, front to back, as well as a pick-and-choose resource with specific prompts where needed. Though the book is aimed at youngsters (~8-12 year olds), there are some good takeaways here for readers of all ages. I enjoyed it a lot and the exercises were really fun.

Five stars. This would make a superlative classroom or home learning resource.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.