When children are interested in writing at a young age, it’s so important to nurture that interest by helping them explore writing as a craft. There are many books designed to introduce young aspiring writers to writing concepts and help them improve their skills. Here are five of the best books for young aspiring writers to read and enjoy.

Spilling Ink: A Young Writer’s Handbook

By Ellen Potter and Anne Mazer

In this book, two successful writers give young writers advice on things like developing a personal voice, creating characters and plot, and editing their own work. They also give writing prompts and other tips for overcoming writer’s block. The great thing about this book is that it’s fun and light-hearted, while still being incredibly useful. Spilling Ink will inspire young writers and help give them the tools they need to write amazing stories and have fun doing it.

The I Love to Write Book: Ideas and Tips for Young Writers

By Mary-Lane Kamberg

This book is written for aspiring young writers ages 8-14, and it provides an excellent, thorough introduction to writing. It focuses on teaching young writers things that will help them become published authors one day, but it also provides instruction on things like writing thank-you notes. There are lots of exercises and worksheets that help young writers explore the world around them, develop their ideas, and learn great writing habits that will last a lifetime.

The Art of Fiction: Notes on Craft for Young Writers

By John Gardner

Successful fiction writer John Gardner presents a wealth of information for young aspiring fiction writers. The first section of the book discusses the basics of fiction, and the second half goes into greater detail to really drive home good fiction writing practices. Gardner uses examples from classic literature to further explore characters, plot development, and more, and he also provides examples of what not to do that are equally helpful for young fiction writers.

Poetry from A to Z: A Guide for Young Writers

By Paul B. Janeczko

This is an excellent book for young writers who enjoy writing poetry. Poetry is a form of writing that’s very difficult to teach, as its nature is so subjective. In this book, Janeczko does a great job of providing inspirational and prime examples of many different types of poetry. Each letter of the alphabet introduces young writers to another poetic concept, from introducing new forms to commenting on word choices. It can make poetry fun and interesting to all young writers.

Young Writers’ Toolkit

By Michael C. Fine and Veronica Hoyle-Kent

This is a resource book that all young writers should have on their bookshelves. It’s a book that helps young writers improve their work by suggesting new adjectives and verbs, giving alternatives to commonly used words, and introducing many other fiction terms and words. It also includes lists of commonly misspelled words and commonly misused words, and it provides instruction on things like proper use of quotation marks and editing marks.

Steven Peters is a tutor and aspiring writer.  He enjoys writing about anything related to education and writing.