Writing Resources

There are two kinds of writing supplements: some explain language mechanics, and some teach the elements of style. Getting the mechanics (punctuation, grammar, etc.) straightened out isn't much fun, but it's necessary. Exploring style is lots of fun, but can be just as frustrating.

Even the best writers often have trouble teaching others the craft. Teaching writing, it seems, isn't intuitive. Like many skills, when one gains proficiency putting words on paper (thoughtfully and creatively), the steps to get there are often forgotten. The books in this section are intended to help instructors teach, and students learn, the basic elements of good writing.

Any Child Can Write is a classic manual for parents wanting their kids to develop good writing skills from an early age. Harvey Wiener shows how even a shopping list can provide excellent practice for burgeoning writers, and how exercises don't need to be overly elaborate or stressful to be valuable. This is a good book to read before your kids even get to the writing stage, though it's useful at later levels as well.

Using the same methodology that made her Easy Grammar series popular, Wanda Phillips' Easy Writing teaches elementary, middle school, and high school students the basics of sentence structure through repetitive exercises that implant and cement information in kids' minds. Jump In goes further, by offering step-by-step instructions for composing creative essays (this is a popular product and highly recommended).

Many of these resources are workbooks, showing kids how to compose an outline, find a topic, take notes, conduct research, etc. Titles like The Write Stuff Adventure are less about composition and more about finding something to say and knowing how to express it. Such books are especially helpful for students who complain about writer's block.

Some now-standard reference works stand out: The Elements of Style by E.B. White and William Strunk, Style by Joseph Williams, and On Writing Well by William Zinsser all offer excellent advice for those trying to find their own effective voice. The newer Eats, Shoots & Leaves is a more mechanics-oriented book on a similar theme (how punctuation affects what you're trying to say).

None of these materials should be looked at as simply for those who want to be novelists or famous writers. They're for everyone, to improve your writing and help you say what you want in the best way possible. Writing isn't a school subject just so you can get A's on your papers; it's an essential communication skill that will determine your success at work and at home for the rest of your life. Get good at it!

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.

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88 Items found Print
Active Filters: 9th grade (Ages 14-15)
Analogies for All of Us
by Marc Hays
from Classical Conversations
for 7th-9th grade
in Logic Resources (Location: LOG-RES)
$24.99
Art of Fiction
by John Gardner
from Vintage Classics
for 9th-Adult
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
$14.95 $9.00 (1 in stock)
Beate Not the Poore Desk
by Walter Wangerin
1st edition from Rabbit Room Press
for 9th-Adult
in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
$14.99
Blended Structure and Style in Composition
by James B. Webster
2nd edition from Institute for Excellence in Writing
Writing Curriculum for 2nd-12th grade
in IEW Resources (Location: WRI-IEWRES)
$35.00
Characters, Emotion & Viewpoint
Write Great Fiction
by Nancy Kress
from Writer's Digest
for 7th-12th grade
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
CLE English Handbook
by Karen Birt
from Christian Light Education
for 7th-12th grade
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
Comprehensive Composition
by Kathryn Stout
from Design-A-Study
Writing Curriculum for Kindergarten-12th grade
in Design-A-Study (Location: HSR-DAS)
$14.00
Creative Writing Notebook #1
by Jenny Phillips
from The Good and the Beautiful
for 4th-12th grade
in Good and the Beautiful Language Arts (Location: LAN-GAB)
Creative Writing Notebook #2
by Jenny Phillips, Maggie Felsch
from The Good and the Beautiful
for 4th-12th grade
in Good and the Beautiful Language Arts (Location: LAN-GAB)
Description & Setting
Write Great Fiction
by Ron Rozelle
from Writer's Digest
for 7th-12th grade
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
Dialogue
Write Great Fiction
by Gloria Kempton
from Writer's Digest
for 9th-Adult
in Writing Instruction (Location: WRI-INS)
Easy Writing
by Wanda Phillips
from Easy Grammar Systems
Writing Curriculum for 3rd-12th grade
in Single-Volume Writing Curriculums (Location: WRI-1VOL)
$30.95 $18.00 (1 in stock)
Eats, Shoots & Leaves
by Lynne Truss
from Gotham Books
Grammar Reference for 9th-Adult
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
$15.00 $7.50 (3 in stock)
Elegant Essay Writing Lessons - Set
by Lesha Myers
3rd edition from Institute for Excellence in Writing
Writing Curriculum for 7th-12th grade
in IEW Advanced Materials (Location: WRI-IEWADV)
$49.00
Elegant Essay Writing Lessons - Student Book
by Lesha Myers
3rd edition from Institute for Excellence in Writing
Writing Curriculum for 7th-12th grade
in IEW Advanced Materials (Location: WRI-IEWADV)
$29.00 $20.00 (1 in stock)
Elegant Essay Writing Lessons - Teacher Manual
by Lesha Myers
3rd edition from Institute for Excellence in Writing
Writing Curriculum for 7th-12th grade
in IEW Advanced Materials (Location: WRI-IEWADV)
Elements of Style
by William Strunk & E. B. White
4th edition from Allyn and Bacon
Writing Handbook for 9th-12th grade
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
$9.99
Elements of Style
by William Strunk Jr.
Original ed. from Dover Publications
for 9th-12th grade
in Clearance: English & Language Arts (Location: ZCLE-LAN)
$1.00 (1 in stock)
Elements of Style (Illustrated)
by E.B. White, William Strunk Jr.
from Penguin Books
for 7th-Adult
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
$18.00
Elements of Style Workbook
by Michele T. Poff, editor
from Tip Top Education
for 7th-12th grade
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Essential Literary Terms
1st edition from W. W. Norton and Co.
for 9th-Adult
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
$6.00 (2 in stock)
Excellence in Literature - Handbook for Writers
by Ian Johnston and Janice Campbell
1st edition from Everyday Education
for 9th-12th grade
in IEW Literature & Poetry (Location: LITCUR-IEW)
$20.00 (1 in stock)
Fairview's Guide to Composition and Essay Writing
by Gabriel Arquilevich
from Gabriel Arquilevich
in Writing Instruction (Location: WRI-INS)
Grammar of Poetry - DVD Bundle
by Matt Whitling
from Canon Press
for 6th-9th grade
in Poetry Curriculum & Resources (Location: LIR-POET)
How to Write a Great Research Paper
by Leland Graham & Darriel Ledbetter
from Incentive Publications, Inc.
for 6th-9th grade
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
How to Write a Story
by Lee Roddy
from Institute for Excellence in Writing
for 6th-12th grade
in IEW Advanced Materials (Location: WRI-IEWADV)
$29.00
How to Write Clearly
by Ruth Beechick
from Mott Media
for 9th-Adult
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
$6.99
How to Write Irresistible Query Letters
by Lisa Collier Cool
from Writer's Digest
for 9th-12th grade
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
$12.95
Imaginaries: Little Scraps of Larger Stories
by Emily Winfield Martin
from Random House
for 3rd-12th grade
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Jensen's Format Writing
by Frode Jensen
3rd edition from Wordsmiths
Writing Curriculum for 7th-12th grade
$12.00 (2 in stock)
Jensen's Format Writing
by Frode Jensen
2nd edition from Master Books
Writing Curriculum for 7th-12th grade
in Jensen's English (Location: GRA-JENSEN)
$21.59 $15.00 (1 in stock)
Jensen's Format Writing - DVD Supplement
by Frode Jensen
3rd edition from Wordsmiths
Writing Curriculum for 7th-12th grade
in Jensen's English (Location: GRA-JENSEN)
$20.00 $15.00 (1 in stock)
Learn to Write the Novel Way
by Carole Thaxton
from KONOS
Writing Curriculum for 5th-12th grade
in Konos Writing (Location: WRI-SING)
$39.95
Learn to Write the Novel Way - Teacher Guide
by Carole Thaxton
from KONOS
Writing Curriculum for 5th-12th grade
in Konos Writing (Location: WRI-SING)
$4.00 (4 in stock)
Lightning Lit & Comp American Literature: Mid -Late 19th Century - Student Guide
by Elizabeth Kamath
3rd edition from Hewitt Homeschooling Resources
for 9th-12th grade
in Writing Instruction (Location: WRI-INS)
$20.00 (1 in stock)
Little Red Writing Book
by Brandon Royal
from Writer's Digest
for 6th-Adult
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations
by Kate L. Turabian
9th edition from University of Chicago
Writing Reference for 9th-Adult
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Office of Assertion
by Scott F. Crider
1st edition from Intercollegiate Studies Institute
for 9th-Adult
in Writing Instruction (Location: WRI-INS)
$15.00
On Writing Well
by William Zinsser
30th Anniversary from HarperCollins
Writing Reference for 9th-Adult
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
One Year Adventure Novel Curriculum
by Daniel Schwabauer
from Clear Water Press
for 8th-12th grade
in Writing Instruction (Location: WRI-INS)
Painless Writing
by Jeffrey Strausser
2nd edition from Barron's
for 6th-10th grade
in Writing Instruction (Location: WRI-INS)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Painless Writing
by Jeffrey Strausser
3rd edition from Barron's
for 6th-10th grade
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
$9.99
Power in Your Hands - Set
by Sharon Watson
2nd edition from Writing with Sharon Watson
for 9th-12th grade
in Writing with Sharon Watson (Location: WRI-SWW)
Power in Your Hands - Student Book
by Sharon Watson
2nd edition from Writing with Sharon Watson
for 9th-12th grade
in Writing with Sharon Watson (Location: WRI-SWW)
Power in Your Hands - Teacher's Guide
by Sharon Watson
2nd edition from Writing with Sharon Watson
for 9th-12th grade
in Writing with Sharon Watson (Location: WRI-SWW)
$20.00
Put That In Writing Level One
by Steve & Shari Barrett
2nd edition from Barrett's Bookshelf
Writing Curriculum for 7th-12th grade
in Put That In Writing (Location: WRI-PTW)
$54.95
Put That In Writing Level One - Answer Key and Test Bank
by Steve & Shari Barrett
2nd edition from Barrett's Bookshelf
Writing Curriculum for 7th-12th grade
in Put That In Writing (Location: WRI-PTW)
$7.50
Put That In Writing Level Two
by Steve & Shari Barrett
from Barrett's Bookshelf
Writing Curriculum for 9th-12th grade
in Put That In Writing (Location: WRI-PTW)
$74.95
Putting It In Writing
Scholastic Guides
by Steve Otfinoski
from Scholastic Inc.
for 7th-11th grade
in Clearance: English & Language Arts (Location: ZCLE-LAN)
$1.00 (1 in stock)
Putting it in Writing
by Steven Otfinoski
from Scholastic Inc.
for 7th-11th grade
in Clearance: English & Language Arts (Location: ZCLE-LAN)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
School of Fantastical Wordcraft
by N. D. Wilson
from Canon Press
for 3rd-Adult
in Writing Instruction (Location: WRI-INS)
$45.00
Someday You'll Write
by Elizabeth Yates
2nd edition from Bob Jones University Press
Non-fiction for 5th-9th grade
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
$5.00
Story Craft
by John R. Erickson
from Maverick Books
for 9th-12th grade
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
Story Starters
by Karen Andreola
from Charlotte Mason Research and Supply Co.
for 4th-10th grade
in Writing Instruction (Location: WRI-INS)
$34.95 $20.00 (2 in stock)
Style
by Joseph M. Williams
from University of Chicago
Writing Reference for 9th-12th grade
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
Tapestry of Grace: Writing Aids
by Marcia Somerville, Dana Caywood & Beth Kelley
from Tapestry of Grace
for Kindergarten-12th grade
in Writing Instruction (Location: WRI-INS)
$22.00 (4 in stock)
Teaching Writing: Structure and Style - Binder & DVDs
Institute for Excellence in Writing
2nd edition from Institute for Excellence in Writing
Writing Curriculum for 2nd-10th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in IEW Excellence in Writing (Location: WRI-IEW)
$189.00
Teaching Writing: Structure and Style - DVDs only
Institute for Excellence in Writing
2nd edition from Institute for Excellence in Writing
Writing Curriculum for 2nd-10th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in IEW Excellence in Writing (Location: WRI-IEW)
They Say / I Say
4th Edition from W. W. Norton and Co.
for 9th-12th grade
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
They Say / I Say (old)
by Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein
3rd edition from W. W. Norton and Co.
for 9th-12th grade
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Thinking in Threes: The Power of Three In Writing
by Brian Backman
from Prufrock Press
for 9th-12th grade
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Wakeful Words
by Jen Greenholt
from Classical Conversations
for 6th-12th grade
in Words Aptly Spoken (Location: LITCUR-WAS)
$14.99
Word Write Now
by Loranna Schwacofer
3rd edition from Institute for Excellence in Writing
for Kindergarten-12th grade
in IEW Resources (Location: WRI-IEWRES)
$35.00
Words You Should Know
by David Olsen
from Adams Media Corp.
for 6th-10th grade
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Wordsmith
by Janie Cheaney
2nd edition from Common Sense Press
Writing Curriculum for 7th-9th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Wordsmith
by Janie Cheaney
3rd edition from Common Sense Press
Writing Curriculum for 7th-9th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Wordsmiths (Location: WRI-WORDS)
$18.00
Wordsmith - Teacher Guide
by Janie Cheaney
3rd edition from Common Sense Press
Writing Curriculum for 6th-9th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Wordsmiths (Location: WRI-WORDS)
Wordsmithy
by Douglas Wilson
1st edition from Canon Press
for 9th-Adult
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
$14.00
Write Book for Christian Families
by Robert Allen
from Bob Jones University Press
for 1st-12th grades
in Clearance: English & Language Arts (Location: ZCLE-LAN)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Write Stuff Adventure
by Dean Rea
from Great Expectations Book Co.
Writing Curriculum for 5th-10th grade
in Writing Instruction (Location: WRI-INS)
$8.00 (2 in stock)
Writer's Guide to Perfect Punctuation
by Victor C. Pellegrino
from Maui arThoughts Company
for 9th-Adult
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
$14.95
Writer's Guide to Powerful Paragraphs
by Victor C. Pellegrino
from Maui arThoughts Company
Writing Reference for 6th-12th grade
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
$24.95
Writer's Guide to Transitional Words and Expressions
by Victor C. Pellegrino
from Maui arThoughts Company
Writing Reference for 6th-12th grade
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
$16.95
Writer's Guide to Using Eight Methods of Transition
by Victor C. Pellegrino
from Maui arThoughts Company
Writing Reference for 6th-12th grade
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
Writer's Reference
by Diana Hacker, Nancy Sommers
7th edition from Bedford Press
for 9th-Adult
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Writer's Toolbox
from Bob Jones University Press
Writing Handbook for 9th-11th grade
in BJU Writing & Grammar (old versions) (Location: OBJU-GRA)
$34.00
Writers, Inc.
by Dave Kemper, Patrick Sebranek, Verne Meyer
6th edition from Great Source
for 9th-12th grade
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
WriteShop I - Copying and Dictation Exercises
by Kim Kautzer & Debra Oldar
from WriteShop
Writing Curriculum for 6th-10th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in WriteShop (Location: WRI-WSHOP)
$7.00
WriteShop I - Starter Bundle
by Kim Kautzer & Debra Oldar
5th edition from WriteShop
Writing Curriculum for 6th-10th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in WriteShop (Location: WRI-WSHOP)
$121.00
WriteShop II - Workbook
by Kim Kautzer & Debra Oldar
5th edition from WriteShop
Writing Curriculum for 8th-12th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in WriteShop (Location: WRI-WSHOP)
$62.00
Writing a Research Paper
by Edward Shewan
2nd edition from Christian Liberty Press
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
$10.00
Writing a Research Paper (old)
by Edward Shewan
from Christian Liberty Press
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
$4.00
Writing Fiction [In High School] - Set
by Sharon Watson
from Writing with Sharon Watson
for 9th-12th grade
in Writing with Sharon Watson (Location: WRI-SWW)
Writing Fiction [In High School] - Student Book
by Sharon Watson
from Writing with Sharon Watson
for 9th-12th grade
in Writing with Sharon Watson (Location: WRI-SWW)
Writing Fiction [In High School] - Teacher's Guide
by Sharon Watson
Updated from Writing with Sharon Watson
for 9th-12th grade
in Writing with Sharon Watson (Location: WRI-SWW)
Writing Skills 2 Flipper
from Christopher Lee Publications
for 9th-Adult
in Writing Reference (Location: REF-WRI)
Writing Strands - Teaching Companion
Writing Strands
by Dave Marks
from Master Books
Writing Curriculum for Preschool-12th grade
in Writing Strands (Location: WRI-WS)
$8.79 $5.00 (3 in stock)
Writing Strands: Evaluating Writing
Writing Strands
by Dave Marks
from National Writing Institute
Writing Curriculum for Preschool-12th grade
$14.00