An entertaining way to hep inspire students to put themselves into their writing. Jack Gantos puts the same zany fun you find in his novels into an informative and inspiring book about becoming an excellent writer.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy for review - in exchange, here it is - my honest review! All opinions are my own and do not reflect the view of any organization that I am affiliated with.

Do you want to learn how to write? Drop everything and read this. Laugh your butt off, be amazed, and make an oath to one day see your own book on library shelves. Godspeed!

Writing Radar is about Jack Gantos, the silly stories of his youth, the funny things that continue to happen to him and the way he is able to weave this ability to snoop out stories to become an author. I really was looking for another "on writing" book for my reading and writing across the curriculum or English language arts methods course for college, but this one is geared more for the young tween.

Gantos' familiar storytelling style from his fiction pieces like the Joey Pigza books continues in this how to guide. I am sure that budding tween writers will be hooked in by the shenanigans of the author. For me, since I was really looking for the "how to" aspects, there is a drawing of a fountain pen with the words "Writing Tips" scrawled throughout the book. There are also bold faced headings and chapters like "Story Maps" and "Key Words That Lead to Ideas for Action in a Story" that almost mindlessly guide the reader to and fro and amongst the author's meandering storyline.

As a tip guide, the tips are solid, straightforward, user friendly and developmentally appropriate for the tween audience. As a story, the author understands the developmental style that tweens like. I get it. They need to write, write, write, so any way to entertain them while they do it is fabulous. I also know that we lose them as readers and writers in the middle grades if as teachers we are not vigilant to what will keep them from grabbing a pen or a book for their own pleasure. At the college level it is easier to coach a writer through when they write too much and show too much voice than when their writing is sparse, generic and lifeless.

That being said, I can't use it in my secondary teacher education courses, but I can see a 4th, 5th or 6th grade teacher using this as mini lessons in writer's workshop with their students.

Great book for kids who love to write! The author is entertaining, accessible, and relevant. He offers great support to those budding artists, seeking ways to get started with writing.

This book is perfect for aspiring writers of all ages. Jack Gantos tells the you about his author journey and guides you through your own in this hilarious and motivational guide to writing. The book even has some useful lists and worksheets to help you organize your thoughts and ideas for your writing.
I really enjoyed this book and I think writers of all ages will love it too!
5 Stars!

All teachers know how hard it is to get our students to sit down and write. What Gantos has done in this tome is make writing instruction engaging and fun. I cannot recommend this enough!

Dead End in Norvelt made me laugh until I cried and fall a little in love with Jack Gantos. When I learned a more about him, it cemented the deal. There’s nothing better than a living, breathing Character, and Jack Gantos fits that bill. In Writing Radar, Jack Gantos weaves wise writing advice together with stories like only he can tell to create a one-of-a-kind how-to for kids on crafting stories for readers.

Writing Radar will engage and inspire middle grade writers to make their stories all they can be. Jack Gantos doesn't sugar coat the work polishing a story for an audience requires, but is ingenious in showing young writers that it’s worth it. Even as a seasoned teacher of writing, I took notes and marked passages throughout. Where I often get lost in the weeds, Gantos maps out a clear path for young authors eager to do the real work of writing. I will teach writing with more confidence, as I remind kids, “Remember what Jack Gantos said…”

If you, like me, crave to know more about Jack Gantos, the Character, I suggest his 2012 Newbery Acceptance speech and Jarrett Krosoczka's TED Talk, "How a boy became an artist," in which Jack Gantos has a pivotal cameo.

What a wonderful book of writing advice for young writers, with Jack Gantos's signature sense of humor. Obviously, this is a book that will resonate particularly with Gantos fans and readers, since he draws on a lot of his own previous work for examples, but there's a lot of useful stuff in here for any young writer.

Writing is a subject that many students struggle with. Jack Gantos gives some helpful tips on keeping a writer's notebook and ultimately producing great stories. A good title for young (and old) writers who find it difficult to get started.

Geared towards middle grade readers, Writing Radar is an easy to follow "how to" guide for story writing. Written by a popular author who writes middle grade books himself, the tips and instructions seem pretty straightforward and easy to follow. In school students learn the steps of writing, so in that regard there's nothing new here. Everybody knows a story needs a beginning, middle, and an end. It needs characters, a setting, action, and resolution. However, what is new is this author's approach to gathering ideas and then putting them all together. Upon reading this book, young would be writers will be able to pick up some great ideas for brainstorming exciting story concepts and then turn them into well written and entertaining pieces of writing.

Young or old, if you're looking for some writing pointers to help you on your way to literary greatness I'd say check out Jack's book. The combination of clever illustrations, interesting diagrams, and unique pointers make this a truly fun writer's manual of sorts. The fact that the author includes a couple of his own hilarious stories for reference is simply icing on the cake.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the early review opportunity.

Any writer looking to improve their writing craft, need look no further than Writing Radar. Jack Gantos (of Dead End Norvelt fame) opens his own writer's notebook to reveal his best writing tips and suggestions. However, in the manner of best writing, Mr. Gantos doesn't just tell, he shows. Packed with powerful, laugh-out-loud, engaging stories, Mr. Gantos demonstrates exactly what good writing should be, while sharing how to get there. This title would be an outstanding addition to any intermediate or middle school writing workshop.

WRITING RADAR by Newbery Award winner Jack Gantos is a highly entertaining introduction to creative writing tips and techniques. Gantos intersperses his Writing Tips with drawings and humorous stories based on ideas from one of his own 200 journals. Some key advice for young writers? Importance of reading; Be a good listener; Action and emotions are both important; Inspiration (try story starter maps) and good writing habits (which he outlines) are a team. Having been a creative writing professor for 20 years, visited over a thousand schools, and published picture books, novels and short stories across ages from preschool to high school, Gantos is an ideal mentor and WRITING RADAR received starred reviews from Booklist, Publishers Weekly, and School Library Journal ("A must for aspiring writers"). The last suggests this title for grades 4 through 8, but writers of all ages (including teachers and librarians) will eagerly reach for blank paper and be enamored with Gantos' suggestions and stories. As he says about reading, "when I finish the last page that book remains the same, but I am changed forever."

In the fall of 2015, I briefly met Jack Gantos at the ALAN Workshop during an author signing.

During that brief encounter I asked him to sign a book to "Spud Readers." He stopped and took out a small sticky note with a sly grin and began writing as he looked up at me and said something around the lines of, "Wow so are you saying your school's mascot is a potato? That is pretty funny. Spuds, huh?! I hope they like my book as much as I like their mascot's name." In those brief moments I saw a man who delights in the world, is inquisitive, and naturally funny.

Little did I know at the time, his sticky notes were a piece of his writing process for snooping out stories!

Writing Radars mixes great writing advice with classic Jack Gantos' storytelling to show readers how stories are all around us and how the world can offer us a great number of story ideas if we are listening carefully, and have ways of writing ideas down when they come to us!

Gantos' uses a tiny wallet journal, pocket notepad, sticky notes and a larger journal to capture his thinking as he begins to craft his stories.

Gantos' examples of how to utilize the world and your journal for stories is accessible and easy to follow. At one point he encourages the reader to find where their last name would be in the library and ask them to make a promise to themselves that they will write a book and get it published. From inspiring moments like this to concrete examples of how to craft stories and make them better, Jack has added yet another wonderful book about the power of stories and the need for us (the reader) to write our own!

I can’t wait to share Jack’s book this fall as my students and I work on crafting our own stories!

This book is very informative, and describes writing to pre-teens in an engaging way. After reading through the text myself, I handed it over to my 11 year old son to read, and he actually enjoyed it. He even wanted to start a journal, and had a type of journal in mind that he wanted. This has never happened before! I would recommend it to middle school teachers to use with students who may enjoy reading, but who are reluctant writers. Excellent book!

Writing Radar is a great book because it basically tries to get young people to enjoy the writing process by keeping journals of everyday happenings. The author also includes how he became interested in writing using example of his life as he wrote/drew them in his early journals. This is a good book for students to understand how writing ideas can come from all different places such as biking through their neighborhood and then map out ideas/actions/emotions.
I personally believe this book should be included in writing centers, not only for students but also for teachers to look at the writing process from a different perspective.

This guide to creative writing for kids is informative and entertaining. Gantos gives useful advice about journal writing, finding ideas, crafting a story, and revising. Throughout the book, Gantos has integrated humor with stories of his own life and those who have inspired his characters. With the examples he provides in the book, Gantos gives inspiration to those young readers who strive to be writers. Gantos's words also serve as encouragement for those who might not believe they are writers. This is a book written for kids, but as a teacher of writing I learned some things as well.

"Every painful moment in life is a story waiting to be told." What a great writing resource/ inspiration for intermediate- aged writers! I can easily see this book fitting into writing mini lessons in classrooms. What a great read aloud it would make as students sit around to listen to Jack's experiences/advice and then head back to try his tips with their own writing! His own personal stories add enjoyment and motivation to a rather difficult task for many students. Jack Gantos provides advice for writers that is engaging, interactive, and realistic to apply! This book will definitely be added to our school's new book room!

As a writing professor and published author of over 50 books, bestselling author Jack Gantos knows what he's talking about when it come to writing. In this newest book, Writing Radar: Using Your Journal to Snoop Out and Craft Great Stories, Gantos really gives valuable information on the best way to use a journal to find and keep track of all the quirky, weird, and wonderful events of daily life. While geared towards young children to teens, Writing Radar can be adaptable for adult writers too! With lots of examples, stories from his own personal writing journey, and a breakdown of the writing process in a simplistic way, Writing Radar is an essential guide for any aspiring writer. Recommended for grades 4 and up!

If you happen to notice some kid skulking around your neighborhood or apartment complex, eavesdropping on conversations and scribbling in a black notebook, chances are that kid has read Writing Radar: Using Your Journal to Scoop Out and Craft Great Stories by Jack Gantos. Multi-award winning author, creative writing professor of 20 years, and the only author who has ever made me choke with laughter on a sandwich while trying to drive and listen to his audio book, Jack Gantos has the street cred to pull off this hilarious and inspirational writing manual. Aimed at middle graders, this is for anyone who interested in creative writing.

Inspired by Harriet the Spy and the confidence that he could write better than the cheerful, flowery fluff that he found in his older sister’s stolen diary, a young Jack Gantos swore an oath to himself to write a book that would someday appear on the library shelf. He received encouragement from one Mrs. Hammer, a tough-minded librarian who had lost her two previous jobs because of “abusive behavior.” She supported his quest to write and encouraged him to put his writing on the shelf in the school library. Later, his English teacher gave him writing advice that he adheres to today. In this book, packed with practical suggestions, almost unbelievable anecdotes, and just the right balance of support and instruction, Gantos speaks directly to the reader. Kids will be inspired to take their own authorship oaths.

Add this to your gift list for the aspiring writers in your life and be sure to include a notebook and a cool pen and pencil to go with it. This book goes on my worth-every-penny list, and I have already pre-ordered several copies for some of my tutoring students and one for me.
(NetGalley provided an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.)

Jack Gantos teaches middle grade students to use their "Writing Radar" in Writing Radar: Using Your Journal to Snoop Out and Craft Great Stories.

Jack outlines the following: always carrying a notebook with you, listening (spying) and taking notes, outside world and inside characters, trusting yourself, story maps, action and emotion, story structure and elements, and focused drafts. There's no real new information here; however, he sprinkles lots of examples of how each of these are used with his own work samples and stories (some handwritten/drawn and some typed in text) and these are the REAL stars of this book! Jack Gantos knows how to paint a picture and how to make people giggle, that's for sure!

Middle grade students aspiring to be authors will get some great information from this book and I would recommend this to middle grade teachers both for their classroom library and for tips on teaching writing for their students.

Thank you, Macmillan Kids and Netgalley, for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.