Write Out of the Oven!: Letters and Recipes from Children's Authors [Paperback]

When a sixth-grade class wanted to raise money for CLiF, a childrens literacy foundation in Vermont, they began crafting letters to their favorite authors, discussing their favorite book and asking that the author donate a favorite recipe. This resulting book offers a unique glimpse into the personalities and culinary habits of more than 50 childrens authors and the often astute observations of student writers. Heres a sampling of an engaging letter to T. A. Barron: I truly believe that I was meant to read it after nearly pulling down an entire shelf of books and was only able to catch one, which was none other than The Lost Years of Merlin. Theres no better sell for a good book than a recommendation from a true fan. Dick King-Smith adds sweetness and spice with a letter about his writing habits, his past life farming, and a favorite cat who had 104 kittens in her lifetime. The cookbook is arranged by categories such as dips, breads, breakfast foods, and main dishes. There are cooking safety tips; a complete index of student and professional writers, as well as an index of recipes. It is doubtful that any gourmet chefs will be born as a result of this compilation, but these young people promise to be wonderful writers themselves. Such a rich and sumptuous dialogue is substantial fare, a feast for hearts and minds.–Teresa Pfeifer, Alfred Zanetti Montessori Magnet School, Springfield, MA
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?This book is a new twist to a long-standing language arts strategy. Waltz put together a cookbook of authors and their favorite recipes to raise money for a children's literacy foundation. Students in her sixth grade class wrote to their favorite authors expressing their opinion of a classic book they read, and asked the author to send them their favorite recipe....The student and author letters are the most appealing to use in the classroom to motivate reading. Teachers can use the letters from students and authors to introduce books to their classes, show letter-writing examples, and discuss opinions of various books that will offer insight into how and why the author wrote the book. Other strategies could include math integration by making some of the recipes in class to practice measurement and to follow directions. Recommended.?-Library Media Connection

Connect children in grades 5-8 with their favorite literary heroes! A collection of letters and recipes from more than 50 well-known and award-winning children's authors provide insights into their lives, advice to the children who wrote to them, and personal information. Each entry includes the student's letter to the author, the author's response, and a recipe from the author. Appendices include helpful cooking terms and measurements. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book goes to a children's literacy foundation. Contributing authors include: Judy Blume, Natalie Babbitt, Theodore Taylor, Karen Cushman, Brian Jacques, Meg Cabot, E.L. Konigsburg, Phillip Pullman, T.A. Barron, Cynthia Voight, Richard Peck, and more.