The Creativity Project

December 15, 2017
A guide that encourages young writers to experiment and create.Well-known writers and illustrators here collaborate on a volume of writing prompts and the stories that result. Sharp invited contributors to submit creative prompts ("poems, photographs, drawings, anything"), and then each contributor used another's prompt to create something--a story, a poem, a comic, an illustration. The experiment in "the way ideas can be story seeds that take root and blossom" must have been fun for the creators, but the fruits of their play have not yielded a collection that's particularly useful to young writers. Many of the prompts are silly or vague, and the resulting stories, poems, and illustrations are, for the most part, lacking in substance. Kate DiCamillo leads off with a solid idea--using overheard dialogue for a short story told in dialogue. But Lemony Snicket's response feels dashed off, a flip story likely to fall flat with readers. John Schu's prompt, "My school librarian turned into a fly on the fifth day of fourth grade," might sound Kafka-esque, but Sherman Alexie's resultant poem feels like so much free association rather than a constructed work. A proliferation of exclamation points seemingly intended to boost enthusiasm may further act as a turnoff. An earnest attempt, but readers will find both better guides to creative writing and better short stories, poems, etc., elsewhere. (contributor biographies, index) (Nonfiction. 8-12)

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February 1, 2018

Gr 4-6-This collection is the result of a scheme facilitated by teacher and children's book advocate Sharp. He recruited 44 children's book creators-from Sherman Alexie to Javaka Steptoe to Victoria Jamieson-to compose and respond to one another's story prompts. Featuring work from a wide array of contributors, this volume includes stories, poetry, illustrations, and comics dealing with an incredible variety of subject matter, from Laurie Keller's humorous cartoon about anthropomorphic hats to Andrea Davis Pinkney's moving poem about Jackie Robinson. The authors and illustrators have been selected with care, coming from many different cultural backgrounds and representing an assortment of genres and creative styles. Although the variety of responses to the prompts causes the collection to feel at times a bit uneven, the mixed bag approach allows readers to have a peek into the creative processes of some of their favorite book creators and to understand that young people, too, have the power to tell a story. The second portion of the book invites readers to do just that. Each of the creators has provided an additional unanswered prompt for readers to explore their creativity and storytelling abilities. Back matter includes brief biographies of the contributors. VERDICT Packed with ideas and inspiration, this volume provides fodder for the imagination of those participating in storytelling projects, whether on their own or in a classroom or library program.-Sarah Reid, Four County Library System, NY

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 26, 2018
This anthology features 44 pieces of writing and art from children’s book authors and illustrators. The works are broad-ranging in terms of content, medium, and theme, yet they are all the result of an experiment spearheaded by Sharp, an educator and cofounder of the Nerdy Book Club. Participants were asked to submit creative prompts, which he dispersed among them; each individual was then tasked with creating an original piece inspired by a prompt. For each selection, the writer or artist includes the lines of prose or artwork that they received and from whom, followed by their response. Sophie Blackall’s prompt for Adam Gidwitz is a drawing of a woman holding an enormous fish; Gidwitz replies with a deadpan story about a girl whose mother’s new boyfriend is a fish. Laurel Snyder invites Lisa Brown to take an abstract idea (like “joy” or “hunger”) and imagine it as a character. Brown creates a comic that personifies “quiet” as a superhero-like figure who loves to read, listen, and take notice. An end section includes 44 additional prompts from the participants for readers, which further emphasizes the collection’s celebration of “the way ideas can be story seeds that take root and blossom.” Ages 8–12.

March 1, 2018
Grades 4-6 This experiment is the brainchild of Sharp, educator and cofounder of the Nerdy Book Club, among other online book-related endeavors. Wanting to show both young people and teachers how the creative process begins and blossoms, Sharp asked authors and illustrators to send him story prompts and then respond to the prompts of fellow participants. The result is a fanciful, often unexpected, sometimes uneven mix of stories, artwork, and poetry. Andrea Davis Pinkney's prompt is a photo of a difficult-to-discern animal. Linda Sue Park decides it's a fox and writes an evocative poem about a fox and a trap. And then writes a note telling readers she knows it's not a fox but that's what sparked her imagination?and after all, that's how creativity begins. Kate DiCamillo, Lemony Snicket, Grace Lin, Sophie Blackall, and Sherman Alexie are just some of the well-known names who participate. There's plenty here to ignite kids' imaginations and provide both laughs and food for thought. In the final pages, the participants offer prompts directly to the readers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)