8 Books to Encourage Little Writers

Little Plane Learns to Write, by Stephen Savage
What’s even more exciting than learning to write? Learning to sky-write! Unfortunately, though, the idea of flying a “loopity-loop” terrifies Little Plane, which makes spelling words with “o” a challenge. Talking about the characteristics of letters, like their straight lines, curves, and circles, is a fantastic introduction to letter formation for young children. “Sky-writing” (minus the jet engines) is a technique often used by early childhood teachers to get children to use large muscles to practice letter shapes. This story is a natural invitation for children to write letters in the air (or supersized on a foggy window or shower door or large easel) with their whole arms.

Alphabet Adventure, by Audrey Wood and Bruce Wood
This is the first title in a delightful trilogy of alphabet books that have been longtime favorites of mine as both an early childhood teacher and a parent. In this story, the “little letters” of Charley’s alphabet are on their way to join him at school when little i loses its dot. The alphabet launches an all-out search, which luckily concludes in time to get to school to help Charley spell his name—an early writing milestone for all children. Don’t miss the little letters’ continuing escapades in Alphabet Mystery and Alphabet Rescue by the same team.

Dangerous!, by Tim Warnes
Mole loves labeling—from moss to poop, he slaps written labels on everything he sees. When he stumbles upon a mysterious shape in the woods, he isn’t sure what to call it, so he starts writing describing words: it’s lumpy, slimy, wrinkly…and when it wakes up, DANGEROUS! Of course, there’s a lesson to be learned about “snap” judgments. By the end of the story, Mole abandons all other labels for one that reads, “friend.” Grab an economy-sized pack of sticky notes and let your child go to town labeling things around your home after reading this book.

Elmore, by Holly Hobbie
This is the newest title by the creator of one of my favorite picture book series, Toot and Puddle (this porcine duo also encourages early writing with their penchant for writing postcards). Elmore is a lonely porcupine for whom making friends is a “prickly” prospect. In addition to being an adorable story about the possibilities when you put yourself out there, this title drops subtle hints to young writers about the influence of written signs. Elmore’s first attempt, a “Friends Wanted” sign, doesn’t yield the desired result, but after some sage advice from his kind uncle, his second try, a sign advertising free bunches of (readily available) quill pens, helps spark the connections he’s seeking. Signs are a natural next step from labels and great for encouraging young writers to attempt to spell words for meaningful purposes.

Shopping With Dad, by Matt Harvey and Miriam Latimer
This book never fails to crack my kids up as an ill-timed sneeze knocks over a tower of cans, making for a chaotic daddy-daughter trip to the grocery store. The plug for young writers, though, comes when the pair consults Mom’s long shopping list. Will they be able to find Danger Jam and Octopus Underwear? What about the “Strong Anti-Grump Pills?” (Our house needs some of those!) Making lists is an excellent early writing activity for kids and has the added benefit of injecting fun into tasks and errands.

It Came in the Mail, by Ben Clanton
My kids are obsessed with mail, and we are lucky to have a kind letter carrier who takes away anything they leave in the mailbox to be “sent,” regardless of whether the postage is U.S. Postal Service-issued or, as my four-year-old exclaimed last week, “a special Paw Patrol stamp!” This story about a boy who writes to his mailbox asking for mail and receives a slew of unexpected items in return may set up some unrealistic expectations, but is great fun nonetheless. Read it and then stock up on stationary so your kids can write their own letters.

I Wrote You a Note, by Lizi Boyd
In a world of texts, emails and social media posts, I appreciate an occasional ode to the handwritten note. This story is sweetly that, tracking the journey of a girl’s note to her friend as numerous unsuspecting animal messengers pass it along. With their predictable structure, young writers enjoy writing notes, especially after they’ve confidently learned words like, “Dear,” and “Love.” Maybe sharing this book will even earn you a note of thanks.

Rufus the Writer, by Elizabeth Bram and Chuck Groenink
My kids are always looking for ways to capitalize on the neighborhood foot traffic, so Rufus’s “Story Stand” struck a chord with them. The original narratives Rufus sells perfectly reflect the completely random musings of kid authors, from the one about a young boy who finds a wallet with five million dollars inside and uses it to buy a kitten, to a tale of a dancing tea set, to a story for a friend that is, as requested, simply, “about buttons.” Rufus’s examples will make kids eager to compose their own yarns.