The magic words cover

The magic words

by Cheryl B. Klein

The best children's and young adult novels take readers on wonderful outward adventures and stirring inward journeys. In The Magic Words, editor Cheryl B. Klein guides writers on an enjoyable and practical-minded voyage of their own, from developing a saleable premise for a novel to finding a dream agent. She delves deep into the major elements of fiction - intention, character, plot, and voice - while addressing important topics like diversity, world-building, and the differences between middle-grade and YA novels. In addition, the book's excercises, questions, and straightforward rules of thumb help writers apply these insights to their own creative works. WIth its generous tone and useful tools for story analysis and revision, The Magic Words is an essential handbook for writers of children's and young adult fiction.

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?