This book is so gorgeously written and illustrated! It is definitely more of a philosophical book about writing with a few practical tips sprinkled in rather than the other way around; I wish the title reflected that a little more clearly. Still, a really lovely book that I think teens who are interested in writing would particularly enjoy.

Getting kids to write creatively is a challenge that many teachers dread teaching.....until now! Put this wonderful graphic novel in their hands and watch eyes light up! Readers will be drawn in and challenged to create their own story using all of their senses!

A guide for young writers, and teachers of young writers, that guides them through the art of finding inspiration!

This graphic novel uses beautiful artwork to lead young writers through finding their creative inspirations, with both general advice and specific exercises to try. Creative writing teachers will want to use excerpts in their classes, as the illustrations help make abstract concepts more concrete.

A bit too inspirational with not enough practical advice. People like me are looking for concrete guidance, how to start, what not to forget. It's a bit to esoteric. The feeling is already there or we wouldn't be looking into creative writing in the first place.

That said, children who have to write creatively but are reluctant to might benefit from this.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Y’all, Creative Writing with Miss Mary Mac is a gem of a guide for budding young writers and artists, especially those curious about graphic novels. Miss Mac's down-to-earth advice and Rivkah LaFille’s vibrant illustrations make this book both helpful and a joy to look at. It covers everything from writer’s block (go take a walk, honey!) to digging deep into emotions and everyday moments to spark real storytelling. It’s practical without being preachy, and downright inspiring. I’d recommend this for middle and high school students and teachers—especially for those kids who haven’t quite caught the writing bug yet. This book might just change their minds.

This is such a great resource for artists and aspiring writers, especially students ages 8 and up. It helps them understand the creative process, accept that mistakes are inevitable and hone their craft. I really enjoyed the graphic novel format as she was able to further show the way the creative process unfolds. She helps students see that it's ok to write badly, or to rewrite, and try to take things in a new direction. She also compares writing to other forms of art.

I was intrigued by the author's background and that she didn't write until she was an adult. This will no doubt inspire other reluctant writers. I recommend this for schools, homeschool families, and libraries.

This book is long on inspiration and short on technical material. It's mainly an inspirational work. I like the art. I would recommend it to students as a kind of warmup before something more serious like The War of Art or The Artist's Journey. While I might adopt it as a text, doing so would depend upon having a dedicated creative writing class, which doesn't exist at my urban high school. A class like that would really need a technical book also.