Writing a short book blurb is not only fun, but great practice for writing promotional copy of any kind. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of the lorax by. This picture book about what happens to the environment when greed takes over is a. Divide students into pairs and ask them to discuss some of the following questions using the thinkpairshare method. For many children, the lorax character has come to symbolize concern for the environment. Printable the lorax lesson plans, games, worksheets, recipes, crafts and printable activities to reinforce a dr. What seems to be the authors intent in writing the lorax. It has since been honed to within an inch of its life and i am really pleased with the result.
Many authors write the book blurb as an afterthought. Seuss about the dangers of exploiting the environment with reckless abandon and the consequences which come from a lack of foresight in doing so. Seuss opinion writing unit the lorax opinion writing. Websites consulted offered conflicting theories regarding theodore geisels dr. The book is an excellent teaching tool, but despite its humor it isnt the most enjoyable of dr. Living in a ruined town, this little guy wants to know the story of the lorax, so he goes to the onceler, an elderly inventormanufacturer. Writing a book blurb for your back cover, and other promotional uses, is one of the hardest steps for many authors.
Oct 04, 20 an easytofollow, practical guide to writing the best blurb to sell your selfpublished book, provided by ya author sarah juckes of completelynovel. Not only do we have lots of italics, exclamation points, and capitalized words to cue us, but were even given clues on how to do the voices. Here are some tips on what you can do to boost a books sales with its blurb. Its been a long and circuitous road for the book, which like most of seusss books, found its origin in his personal experience. The lorax is the story of a boy whos looking for answers. So that whoever picks up the book reads the blurb and thinks i must read this book. Most run several paragraphs, but some publishers want them shorter or in a special format so be sure to check with your publishers guidelines before you begin work. Com is the online community for creative writing, fiction writing, story writing, poetry writing, writing contests, writing portfolios, writing help, and writing writers. The first three writing prompts lend themselves well to this task. Seuss story as they work to demonstrate their advancing skills with various comprehension strategies, particularly. I rarely write a book where im not trying to approach some idea or set of ideas that i think is of interest in the cultural moment. Mar 11, 2019 since the lorax, a picture book by dr. Here is an example of a shout line, taken from one of my own books.
For the lorax, just inhale some sawdust so youll get the proper sneezy, wheezy effect. Unfortunately, the idyllic scenes in which the brown barbaloots frolic under the furrylollipop tufts of the truffula trees while the swomeeswans sing and the hummingfish. How to write a book blurb in 4 steps the opening of your blurb has to be incredibly precise and dynamic, says editor rebecca heyman for a lot of firsttime authors, i think theres an instinct to make sure readers understand everything that happened in the books universe before the. Then, write 12 additional sentences that explain the plot of the story in a general way. Print as you go sell one copy at a time and let blurb fulfill the orders or place a large order and sell inperson. One element of the practice of bookselling falling back on the shoulders of the writer is the book blurb or jacketcopy. Apr 28, 2017 when it comes to writing the back blurb for a book, the struggle is real. Sep 25, 2016 a simple outline for writing a killer book blurb september 25, 2016 september 25, 2016 kaitlin hillerich in my last post, i mentioned that ive been working on a novella and shared some reasons why you should write one of your own. Blurbs are the second most important selling tool you have for your book, so. The story is commonly recognized as a fable concerning the danger of human destruction of the natural environment, using the literary element of personific. The 5 core elements of a book blurb and why you should know.
That is until the greedy onceler comes along and cuts everything down to make something called a thneed. Over this time, the mayor of thneedville, aloysius ohare rob riggle, finds out about teds leaving town and attempts to stop him. The onceler relates the story to ted over several visits. Greed is defined as a selfish desire for food, money, or possessions over and above what one needs. The book s final pages teach us that just one small seed, or one small child, can make a difference. Of course, environmental devastation isnt a cheerful topic. This collection of kids activity sheets can be used for national reading month teaching ideas. Ask the class if they know why blurbs are written for book covers. Download the lorax writing prompts for your own personal or classroom use only. For a lot of firsttime authors, i think theres an instinct to make sure readers understand everything that happened in the books universe before the beginning of the actual story. Mar 06, 2012 here are some fun free printables, including a how to draw the lorax, writing paper, book marks, and more. Doc brownahem, the oncelertells the boy how the town came to be ruined, and most importantly, what he can do to turn things around. A blurb is the book description you find on the back of a book or online to describe a book s contents. However, the story has been somewhat controversial, with some adults embracing it and others seeing it as anticapitalist propaganda.
During my childhood, we read green eggs and ham, the cat in the hat, and one fish two fish red fish blue fish. Printed on recycled paper, this book is the perfect gift for earth day and for any childor child at heartwho is interested in recycling, advocacy, and the environment, or just loves nature and playing outside. The lorax is the last one to go, floating away and leaving the onceler alone in the wasteland he created. How to write an effective blurb for a selfpublished book. A simple outline for writing a killer book blurb ink and quills. To help prevent you from falling into this unfortunate group, weve put together a few tips that should help you write a winning book blurb, whether its for the latest fantasy novel or for a nonfiction selfhelp guide. Seuss, was first published in 1971, it has become a classic. The blurb should be in the same style as the rest of the book, for example.
But now, says the onceler, now that youre here, the word of the lorax seems perfectly clear. The books final pages teach us that just one small seed, or one small child, can make a difference. The harry potter series came top of the list with philip pullmans his dark materials trilogy also a big hit. Though the message of the book is serious, the ending of the lorax is optimistic, especially when the onceler and the boy plant the last seed in order to regrow the trees that have been cut down.
Sell your book in the blurb bookstore, through amazon, or in the global retail network of over 38,000 retailers, libraries, and schools. Blurb writing is not my forte, but this book offered a clear insight and some useful steps that i was able to work with to produce a good pass at my first blurb. Seuss books, the creatures mentioned are typically unique to the story. A survey has found parents stealing top book tips from their children. Learn about the form and function of a blurb write own blurbs for favourite books writing for different audiences ice. The lorax tells the story of a curious boy who came upon a random house that seemed deserted and barren. In addition to or instead of writing the answers, students could draw pictures. Nov 15, 2019 when you need to write a blurb for a movie, book, or other project, start by writing a clever and catchy hook that introduces some of the characters and setting of the topic. On back covers of books there is usually a summary which attempts to get the reader interested. The lorax lives in a wonderful place filled with magical animals, beautiful trees and wondrous wildlife. This is the brief and compelling introduction to the book that sits neatly and beautifully on the backcover.
Sep 12, 2018 how to write a book blurb in 4 steps the opening of your blurb has to be incredibly precise and dynamic, says editor rebecca heyman. But it is the single most important piece of writing you will do on your book. The book is very culturally impactful and has proved to be in many ways a foreshadowing of what was to come for certain areas around the world. Its those few succinct paragraphs that your potential reader will peruse in the bookshop and, if done right, itll convince them to escalate from perusing to. Movies do this incredibly well in their trailers and descriptions, so it may be an idea to look at some popular movies and see how they do it. Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. By the time the lorax was published in 1971, i was beyond reading with my parents so did not read it until i was an adult. After reading the lorax with your students, have them choose one of these 5 writing prompts to write about. The lorax is a perfect springboard for classroom discussions, debates, and activities for this age student. See more ideas about writing, writing a book and writing tips. Here are some of the reasons you might need to write a book blurb. Seuss classic, then discuss the dangers of pollution to planet earth and to humans personal health. It chronicles the plight of the environment and the lorax is the titular character, who speaks for the trees and confronts the onceler, who causes environmental destruction. Jun 11, 20 the blurb is the short description on the back of the book.
Sign up for my newsletter, beneath the oake tree, here. The lorax writing prompts inspiration laboratories. Create, print, and sell professionalquality photo books blurb. With a recyclingfriendly go green message, the lorax allows young readers to experience the beauty of the truffula trees and the danger of taking our earth for granted, all in a story that is timely, playful, and hopeful. Older post the memory box research and the brca1 gene. For example, when you do the onceler, make sure you stuff bees up your nose 50. Few fiction writers for children or adults have successfully melded politics and good storytelling, but dr.
How to write a killer blurb that convinces readers to buy your book the book blurb is your sales pitch. These are lorax lesson plans, as well as a link to an interactive save the trees game where you catch the truffula seeds to replant. Newer post more than this and other brilliant new ya books. Once your title and cover have drawn the reader in, the blurb is what is going to. Like the sound of the book based on the blurb on the back what is a blurb.
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