Casey Rislov's Blog, page 3
November 14, 2015
Writer’s Digest Great Review of my Newest Children’s Title
23rd Annual Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards
Entry Title Open The Doors to You (Come In)
Author: Casey Rislov
Judge Number: 8
Entry Category: Children’s Picture books
Books are evaluated on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 meaning “needs improvement” and 5 meaning “outstanding”. This scale is strictly to provide a point of reference, it is not a cumulative score and does not reflect ranking. Our system only recognizes numerals during this portion of logging evaluations. As a result, a “0” is used in place of “N/A” when the particular portion of the evaluation simply does not apply to the particular entry, based on the entry genre. For example, a book of poetry or a how to manual, would not necessarily have a “Plot and Story Appeal and may therefore receive a “0”.
*If you wish to reference this review on your website, we ask that you cite it as such: “Judge, 23rd Annual Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards.” You may cite portions of your review, if you wish, but please make sure that the passage you select is appropriate, and reflective of the review as a whole.
Structure, Organization, and Pacing: 5
Spelling, Punctuation, and Grammar: 5
Production Quality and Cover Design: 5
Plot and Story Appeal: 5
Character Appeal and Development: 5
Voice and Writing Style: 5
Judge’s Commentary*: Doors, we all see them every day. Do you ever think about what is behind a door or where it might lead? Casey Rislov has written a very nice children’s book about the doors that lead to who we are and how we behave in the world. She includes the doors of our home, of neighbors, of best friends, of imagination, of sports, and of the seasons, just to name some included in the book. It is written in a lively and playful manner that will appeal to children and the adults who may be reading to them. Children will learn how to live in the world that surrounds them and how to be a good and helpful person.
The illustrations by Allie Strom are delightful. Children will love the bright colors and the detail that each page has. They are a wonderful addition to this book. Come In would be a great addition to any library.
November 5, 2015
Children, Confidence & Creative Writing
Who doesn’t want a confident child? What can bring a child happiness, a voice and creativity all together? Writing with an expressive personal voice brings all of this together.
A not-for-profit agency called Sydney Store Factory has found that positive results are being found when children are allowed to truly explore their creativity. This is when there is less structure emphasized on writing and more is emphasized on imagination. This allows children to write about what they want to write about. The organization has found positive results in allowing children to creatively write. They found children had an enthusiasm for the written word, they were increasing their ability to speak to adults, and being able to find their own voice & identity. All of this of course helps build confidence. Also the article from the Huffington Post (E. Blatchford) noted that this creative writing process led students to believe that writing is “fun”, they found the children increased sharing their ideas and they also noticed the children who came to this program had a positive impact on finishing their homework. Now after reading this, who doesn’t want to make sure the creativity process is used every day?
Referred article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2015...
October 21, 2015
Halloween Story Telling
Storytelling can be done in many creative ways. I thought I would share 3 great ways to story tell for the fun of Halloween.
1. Use stick puppets to create great shadow puppets for storytelling. Your child might want to make a pumpkin, bat, witch, ghost or cat. All you need is a stencil or draw your own character to cut out; scissors; tape to hook puppet to straw or popsicle stick; and a flashlight. Now turn off the lights and begin your fun!
2. Give your child fun Halloween story starters. You can print them off the internet or create your own. A great place to print story starters from is http://www.classroomjr.com/printable-...
3. Spooky storytelling out loud can be full of scary fun! Do it around a fire or create a quiet circle for everyone to sit in inside around a battery operated lantern or candle. Wait until it is dark or turn off the lights! Know your story well and use props or someone to help emphasize your scary high points. You can make scary noises by creating wind or a trash can falling over. Also dress the part as someone in Hawaii clothing is not going to make for Halloween storytelling. Wear something dark, use a flashlight under your chin and have hidden props. Tell stories that mix facts with fiction. This is how people believe in your story- bring them in with real time scenes and add mystery and fantasy as you go. Here is a great site for finding printable short Halloween stories: http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holi...
Now go enjoy some good Halloween fun!
