Thrice Told Tales: Three Mice Full of Writing Advice

by Catherine Lewis

Three Blind Mice. Three Blind Mice. See how they run? No. See how they can make all sorts of useful literary elements colorful and easy to understand!

Can one nursery rhyme explain the secrets of the universe? Well, not exactly—but it can help you understand the difference between bildungsroman, epigram, and epistolary.

From the absurd to the wish-I’d-thought-of-that clever, writing professor Catherine Lewis blends Mother Goose with Edward Gorey and Queneau, and the result is learning a whole lot more about three not so helpless mice, and how to fine tune your own writing, bildungsroman and all.

If your writing is your air, this is your laughing gas.*

*That’s a metaphor, friends.

Genres: Nonfiction, Writing, Humor, Animals, Adult, Education, Teaching

144 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 27, 2013

Reviews

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a handbook, though you could read it cover to cover. Lewis uses the "Three Blind Mice" rhyme to illustrate various terms and styles used in writing and reading. The rhyme is adapted to illustrate the term. It is well done and a useful handbook for a student.

[Ed]

Lewis, C. (2013). Thrice told tales: Three mice full of writing advice. (Ill. by J. Swarte). New York: Simon & Schuster/Atheneum. 144 pp. ISBN: 978-1-4169-5784-3. (Hardcover); $16.99.

Generally I do not read or even see other reviews of books until after my reviews are sent to MRJ. This review is exceedingly rare because I decided to review it AFTER reading the review in Horn Book (July 15, by J. Lu), which I think totally missed the point and the audience of this delightful dictionary of literary terms that belongs in high school classrooms. The fact that this book may also dwell in younger grade classrooms is frosting. Not intended to be a “how to” manual, nor a comprehensive dictionary of literary terms, this delightful book uses Three Blind Mice to remind students of the essence of various literary terms (foreshadowing, leitmotif, etc.). Each mouse has been imbued with personality quirks and as they reenact the various literary terms, their characters evolve and grow! This is the book for that student who has a working knowledge of terms but needs a practical example of what the term means to cement the concept in memory. The fact that this dictionary-like book is flat out funny and entertaining will only make the study of these terms a distinct pleasure. I can envision high school creative writing teachers making excellent use of this clever book. I especially appreciated how Lewis treats the use of cussing, sex, and violence in writing. The end matter includes a more complete exploration of the terms the mice address in the text, but students will leave that portion of the book to their adult teachers!

[Laurel Overstreet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thrice Told Tales was full of excellent writing advice, told extremely creatively and entirely through the medium of the old rhyme Three Blind Mice. Unlike other books which attempt to explain various English writing and literary terms, this guide was both interesting and to the point. The book is an excellent resource for writers to have on hand, as well as a quick source of ideas and story problem fixes.

[Nayana Jain · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wasn't what I thought. When I borrowed it, I didn't see the bit about writing advice.. But in saying that, it wasn't as boring as I thought a book like this would be. I liked the idea of using the nursery rhyme as a way to show writing tools and since there was still plot I found it fairly interesting.

[Ian Tymms · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book. Lovely idea to use the telling of a story to introduce the conventions of writing. A great resource for teaching.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic and hilarious at points! I think all high school English students should have this book (and I only say high school because there is some mature content). Loved it.

[Trinity · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious, and definitely don't forget to read the appendix!

[Zach Basso · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zach Basso
Dr. Zucker
January 4 2018
English 9

Once twice thrice told tales

Once Twice Thrice Told Tales by Catherine Lewis is a book about grammar, written by a teacher who created this for her students. One reason that I decided to choose this book was the title, Once Twice Thrice Told Tales sounded very interesting, I didn’t know what Thrice was and I really wanted to see what it was. Once I started reading it, I realised how helpful this book really is. Everyone should read this book to get better at writing because no one knows how to do every single style and thing in writing that this book could help with. It is all about how to write better and since I am not a very good writer this book is very helpful. This book is very interesting and very different. This book is written for students to learn many different strategies of writing along with technical pieces of writing like how to use irony correctly. “Elated. That’s right. I was hoping someone would cut off my tail because with a tail I couldn’t come here and hangout with all you winners(Lewis 8). Every page is a short example of a different concept of writing. For example page number ten is all about suspension while page number ninety one is all about parables. The story is the same on almost every page, the story, is about three blind mice who had their tails cut off by an old woman living in a cabin. “Matilda hacked off the rear appendages of Pee Wee, Oscar, and Mary with a knife” (Lewis 19). The main characters in this book are Pee Wee, Oscar and Mary, they are three blind mice with no tails, and all very different. Pee Wee wants to be a writer while Mary a scientist and Oscar doesn’t know what he wants to do. They are siblings who have been through so much together. Oscar the oldest takes care of his younger siblings but Mary is the most responsible. Pee Wee is the youngest and is very immature compared to his older siblings. Pee Wee loves to write and thinks that everywhere is his playground. His favorite of all is the toaster oven as he loves it in their to play more than anywhere else in the world. While most stories are the same, some are different. For example one story is about how the mice lost their vision in their old lab where they got experimented on. This is where Mary got her love for science, since they were experimented on so often Mary learned what to do to keep herself alive incase a experiment went really bad. This is how Mary saved all of their lives once their tails got cut off she realised that they needed to stop the blood loss. Overall the book was pretty good and very helpful, it was a very different type of book, there was no real story, it was just helping with writing. If I was struggling with what an oxymoron was I could go to page 102 and read about it. “It was a slow run that caused the mice to lose their tails”(Lewis 102). This book has everything ranging from the plot on page two to tragedy which is on page one hundred and fifteen. Once Twice Thrice Told Tales is overall a very helpful book that can help everyone with writing because no one is a master at every aspect of writing that this book offers.





Works cited:
Lewis, Catherine, and Joost Swarte. Thrice Told Tales: Three Mice Full of Writing Advice. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2013.

[McKenna R · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just wrote an entire review of this and then accidentally exited out. I will give you the highlights.

This book was a really clever handbook on writing tools and terms. Essentially, the story of the three blind mice is told over and over again in different ways to illustrate different techniques. My main complaint is the lack of discernible organization. Why were the terms not ordered alphabetically or at least loosely chronologically (for example, the page on preface coming first, then exposition, or something of that nature). But it was a fun, quick read, especially if you don’t read the appendix. The appendix goes into more detail about some of the terms and it’s nice, though I’ll confess I tapped out about halfway through the appendix and just skimmed through the rest. Life is too short.

[Juli Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fantastic reference book for literary-minded teens. The premise is simple: the author has compiled an encyclopedia of literary terms and explained each of them using an extended version of the nursery rhyme "Three Blind Mice." Lewis's examples are clear and humorous, and she even tackles more collegiate terms like metafiction and intertextuality, which was delightfully surprising. Given the juvenility of the subject matter, i had expected this book to be appropriate for middle grade readers, but there is enough "PG-13" material here to rule out readers younger than twelve or so. Overall, this is a book I wish I had had during AP English classes; a real gem.

[Dan Domanski · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a cross between writing advice and an encyclopedia of writing terms, most of which I've already heard of (style, plot, etc.) and some oddballs (bildungsroman). The use of "Three Blind Mice" to illustrate each writing concept is clever, although I don't feel compelled to buy any of Catherine Lewis' novels. I would, however, like to see more of Joost Swarte's other illustrations!

While it's not really a cover-to-cover kind of book, it was a fun read and I hope it will be a good reference if I do more writing of my own.

[T.J. Puritz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute book. The author uses the nursery rhyme to illustrate many different techniques of the writing process. I can see how this would be a good resource for students and beginners.
Nothing is gone into in great detail, but in most cases that’s not necessary. And that is the beauty and the point of this book. Each technique is just enough to spark thoughts of “can I use this in my current project or save it for later?”
The concept is definitely unique and I will reference it in the future.

[Walker F. · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book that uses a story of three blind mice named, Pee Wee, Mary, and Oscar to explain elements of writing and how to use them. The use of explaining these different elements varies. For example, a story will be continued or added in order to explain a writing concept. Or in other ways, a short sentence along with an illustration will be used in order to convey a different writing concept. Definitely a useful book for a writer wanting to hone their skill.

[Paul · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had hoped that this might have a use in my classroom to help teach aspects of writing and literature, but it was kind of bizarre. I got tired of the continuation of the story with the three blind mice. I would recommend bypassing this book.

[Courtney Kleefeld · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of different writing techniques and ways of writing briefly covered in this little book.

[Mary Catelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

An amusing text on various writerly terms. Rather less advice on writing than you might expect.

[Allyson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will be using this book in our teen writing group. The author does a great job of explaining literary concepts and the story that happens through the explanations is pretty hilarious.

[Teresa Jensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny and wonderful writing advice!

[J'aime Wells]

Cute little book of writing advice that goes down easy but didn't rock my world. I might be a bit old for the target audience.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a recommendation from my coworker, and I really liked it.  It was funny and educational in the best way possible.  It was all a lot of the things that I already knew, but I liked the accessible way that they passed along the terms.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

More of a really fun, engaging glossary of literature-related terms, than writing advice. But I found it pretty brilliant for what it is, genuinely learnt a lot.

[Travis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thrice Told Tales is a creative twist on instructional books on the art of writing. The book begins with a simple story adapted from the old Three Blind Mice nursery rhyme: “Three blind mice ran after the farmer’s wife. She cut off their tails with a carving knife.” The book explains that on its most basic level, these sentences are a sequence of events, or in another word, a story. Good writing, however, involves more than simply telling a sequence of events, and writer Catherine Lewis shows readers many tricks of the trade. To do so, Lewis retells the story of the three blind mice nearly a hundred times in order to illustrate just as many literary devices, writing styles, and writing terminology.

Thrice Told Tales explores and explains everything from the most simple devices, like metaphors and similes, to more advanced writing jargon like bildungsroman and mis-en-scène . From a character’s stream of consciousness, to the reader’s suspension of disbelief, Lewis effectively illustrates each term with an example, followed by an explanation of the devices used to achieve the desired literary effect. The writer’s straight-to-the-point approach is easy to read and understand, making the examples perfect for teen readers looking for ways to improve their writing chops. Despite the voice and comic-style illustrations, though, potential readers shouldn’t confuse simplicity with conciseness. The book will be useful for any writer, young or old, and even includes examples of how and when to use cursing and sexuality in writing.

The book’s subtitle, Three Mice Full of Writing Advice, is a little misleading, however. The book is not an instructional guide full of advice on how to write (I would recommend Walter Dean Myers Just Write for that), it’s a glossary of terms that acts more as a writing companion. The book can even be initially confusing because of its lack of structure and little explanation of how to use it as a guide. From the contents page to appendix, which is actually very informative in its own right, Lewis only writes terms, creative examples, and informative snippets pertaining to the example. In a way, it’s basically a creative dictionary that relies on the reader’s ability to assess and utilize the contents. It’s more of a reference guide than a cover-to-cover read. For readers interested in expanding their literary vocabulary and looking for quality writing samples, though, it’s definitely worthwhile to read, and learn from, every page.

[Becky B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Using the tale of the Three Blind Mice, Catherine Lewis (with the help of illustrator Joost Swarte) explains writing tools, methods, and terms.

Quite a creative writer's advice book with illustrations more likely to stick in heads. The examples varied in their astounding quality, but for the most part were well done. This would be a nice resource in language arts classrooms. (It isn't meant to be read straight through, but to be more of a resource.) I do recommend it as a resource to help students understand difficult literary terms.

So why only the 3 stars? Well, if this were meant to be read straight through, I would have some reservations on recommending it. Due to the nature of some of the examples and the themes explored (like whether to include bad language or sex in a story), the entire book is not safe for all ages. It could definitely be used as a resource in the elementary classroom, but be careful. (In other words, when using this with younger kids preview it first.) I do wish some of these had been cut for other literary terms that weren't covered which would have broadened the audience and usefulness. One other thing lost some star power in my eyes, for some reason the author seemed to frequently forget in the short little illustrative stories that the mice were blind (descriptions involved sights). A very minor issue, but it did bother me because it seems like something a writing book should have noticed.

Notes on content: A couple minor swear words used. The page on whether or not to use swearing in a story refers to the "f word" but does not completely spell it out. There is a page on whether or not to include sex in your story, but the page does not go into any kind of details. The advice of the book is in the middle; it does not say not to, but does say it has to be handled skillfully and tastefully. (Again, parents/teachers may want to screen this part and/or add their own subnote.) The part about the mice losing their tails to a knife is frequently repeated, but that is about the only violence.

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a humorous nonfiction title for teens that discusses the DOs and DON'Ts of writing. I found it to be insightful, accurate, honest, and inspiring. Lewis takes us on a journey through a wide number of topics including transitions, expletives, sex in the story, subplots, the list literally goes on and on...

While I think that all the topics that get covered are necessary and helpful, there were several moments when I thought that the manner in which one was dealt with was a bit brash, considering it's intended to be read by a middle/high school audience. I was considering using it with my middle school writers group, but might just stick with the high school group. I think that it's a bit much for some of the younger teens to handle. As an example, here is a line from the book in the section that deals with a character cursing in your story:

"Cursing is not only about anger. I see you know that. Having your character talk dirty to her partner is in the bedroom can be an intimate thing and tells us not only about her, but also about the relationship. But jeez, Oscar, every other word is an F, S, or GD. And I hate the C word."

Pee Wee's ears twitched. He looked up from his paper.

"What's the C word?"

"Cooties. Go back to writing."

Do you see how it's bringing up a very fair point, but in a way that isn't exactly appropriate for the intended audience? Yeah, they hear those words. Yeah, they're probably not completely unfamiliar with "bedroom talk" (not that they use bedroom talk, but I'm sure they would at least know what I'm talking about). The point is not that I think it's over their head -- it's that I think the author could make the point without bringing up uncomfortable scenarios.

Use your best judgement. I simply think it was a bit crass at times.

[Ricki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books that is so clever, I am depressed that I didn't come up with the idea myself. Reading and writing teachers will adore the way this book is constructed and be excited to use it in their classrooms. A different writing term is creatively interpreted on each page within the context of the Three Blind Mice nursery rhyme. At the bottom of each page, Lewis gives an explanation of the writing term and how it can be employed in writing (see the flagged passage below). I loved the ways Lewis humorously portrayed each term. For example, on the page about style, she takes a line from the nursery rhyme and rewrites it in the style of famous authors like Dickens and Hemingway. As a bonus, I learned about a few literary terms that I didn't know! It was so fun to read. I shared it with my pre-service teachers, and they also adored it and were excited to use it in their own classrooms.

Teachers can hand-pick terms they want to teach to their students. I wish this book was published when I was teaching because it makes the literary terms very accessible. Teachers can take the terms and ask students to reinterpret them within the context of a different nursery rhyme (or even within the context of a song or movie).

"Developing one's style is like developing a sense of fashion. You may start off by trying on a lot of costume jewelry; big showy ten-dollar words. They'll get attention all right, but maybe you'll discover there's something better out there for you. Perhaps you'll try a charm bracelet full of dangling modifiers. Or a simple silver bracelet and an onyx ring. Keep experimenting for pleasant combinations, and a truer picture of yourself and your work will begin to emerge" (p. 134).

[Brianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is basically set out like this:
WORD THAT HAS TO DO WITH WRITING
Example in the form of a mouse-ish story
Small definition and how to use it effectively

Since I got this book from the library, it wasn't really an option to keep it by my side as I wrote my story. It has some helpful hints and tips that are told creatively with some great examples, but when reading them in one sitting like I did I couldn't get the most out of it. Also, a lot of the time, I found myself not really caring about the story of the mice – it was a bit farfetched, and although it provided good examples, I mostly just came up with examples in my head from where I've seen it before instead.

If any of you would be getting this book from the library like me, I would suggest just skipping to the back and reading the appendix – it has basically all of the things that I caring about reading in more depth. Then, it there's something that you don't quite understand you can quickly go back and read the example.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes writing, because it was helpful and fun and a different sort of writing craft book. However, I suggest you keep it by your side and read the bits that you need – you will probably get more out of it then I did :)

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Using the nursery rhyme "Three Blind Mice" and delightful black and white cartoon-like drawings, Lewis humorously illustrates and defines literary terms and devices that English teachers everywhere want readers to know about, and that writers need to know about. The table of contents is two pages (4 columns) long because most chapters are only a single page. It includes terms such as story, plot, immediacy, irony, red herring, leitmotif, interior monologue, allegory, epigram, farce, intertextuality, revision, flashback, cliche, unreliable narrators, simile, metaphor, and conceit, diction, point of view, suspense, deus ex machina, pathetic fallacy, fable, parable, myth, catharsis, allusion, archetype, character presentation (direct and indirect), subplot, grotesque, and more. The three mice, Mary, Oscar and Pee Wee are somewhat developed characters, and the rhyme has been given more plot and setting detail as needed. It's a fun book to read in non-sequential bits, but it probably helps to read at least the first few pages in order.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Using the nursery rhyme "Three Blind Mice" the author explains writing terms with clever examples.

Each term is presented in 1-2 pages with the story of the ill-fated mice taking twists and turns to model the idea and a summary concluding the main idea at the bottom of each page. Illustrations on each page add humor and help to incite interest in the subject. An appendix is included that goes provides more information about each writing concept should readers want to know more.

This author's work is pure genius here! She takes something that is familiar to most readers (a nursery rhyme) and plays with it in a creative way to model all kinds of writing. Her work is not only informative, it's entertaining and inspiring. This book would be great for classroom use or for a extracurricular writing club. Recommended for grades 5-8.

[Bethe · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fundamentally fascinating book! Not sure how I came upon it, but glad I did. A must read for writers, or readers interested in the art and craft of writing. The author takes a look at a variety of literary devices and then applies them to the nursery rhyme Three Blind Mice. From easy topics like plot, cause/effect, character traits, POV, and figurative language that are commonly taught in elementary school to things that I had never heard of like bildungsroman and pathetic fallacy, this book could serve as a mentor text. Be sure to read the appendix entry for further information and fun for each topic. I can see 4th and 5th graders re-writing other nursery rhymes emphasizing any number of these devices. A fifth grade reading teacher told me to order it for our professional library and I will. If nothing else, it is a short fun read!

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book I've come across to recommend to young friends interested in writing better. So many books written to instruct writers, to educate, to enlighten, also involve unnecessarily academic terminology and frequently examples of writing with subject matter and language not advisable for young readers.
Thrice Told Tales receives my wholehearted endorsement as the perfect gift for young writers who want to learn basic techniques and terminology in the unique framework of the story of the Three Blind Mice. Every example is illustrated very clearly, with humor and whimsy tied to the familiar nursery rhyme.
Someday I'd like to write a more thorough book for young readers and writers, but until I finish that project, buy Thrice Told Tales for budding writers.