Katie Woo’s Big Idea Journal: A Place for Your Best Stories, Drawings, Doodles, and Plans
by Fran Manushkin & Tammie Lyon, illustrator
Capstone Young Readers 9/1/2014
978-1-62370-166-6
Age 5 to 7 144 pages
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“Katie Woo has lots of big ideas, and her readers do too! This journal activity book is the perfect place for young writers and artists to capture their best ideas, drawings, and stories. Katie gets in on the action by including some of her best work and inviting readers to do the same with writing and drawing prompts, checklists, and other fun activities.”
Opening
“Anyone who knows me knows that I have tons of big ideas. So I need a place to write them all down. A journal is the perfect place to do that!”
Review
Katie Woo has made a journal for her fans so they can journal like she journals. Katie writes down her big ideas, thoughts, and even some angry writing when she is mad. But it’s okay, as the angry writing always puts Katie in a better mood and she thinks it will help her fans too. In fact, she suggests you try it the next time you are upset. Before you get started, Katie gives you some great pointers on how to journal. You can write in the journal from page one and moving on page-by-page, or you can fill it out in any random order. It is your journal; now make it your own.
I like this journal over many I have seen because of the prompts given on most pages. Page 1 is simple enough. You write about you! Then, to start things out on a great high note, Katie asks you for five things that make you smile. Other pages ask about school, animals, and ideas for ways to help others. and what you would like to do when you grow up. There are also prompts for poetry, writing stories, drawing, and many more.I like this journal because the kid who have never journaled has guides in the form of prompts to help them make a book they can treasure as they grow up. Imagine reading the Katie Woo’s Big Idea Journal in your forties or fifties. Imagine reading your finished journal to your grandchildren.
Mainly, journals are like diaries. You can write your most personal thoughts, your dreams, and explain how your day went along. My journals were nothing more than a notebook, click here to get promotional notebooks. I would have loved to have something with writing and drawing prompts. When I was lost at what to write, I closed the book until the next day. The Katie’s journal helps you get past that “writer’s block” making it fun to journal. The Katie Woo’s Big Idea Journal is the journal I wish I had when I was young. This interesting and unique journal is a great gift for kids age seven and up.
KATIE WOO’S BIG IDEA JOURNAL: A PLACE FOR YOUR BEST STORIES, DRAWINGS, AND PLANS. Text copyright © 2014 by Fran Manushkin. Illustrations copyright © 2014 by Tammie Lyon. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Capstone Young Readers, North Mankato, MN.
To get a cop of Katie Woo’s Big Idea Journal click Amazon—B&N—Book Depository—Capstone—or your local bookstore.
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Learn more about Katie Woo’s Big Idea Journal: A Place for Your best Stories, Drawings, and Plans HERE.
Meet the author, Fran Manushkin, at her website: http://www.franmanushkin.com/
Meet the illustrator, Tammie Lyon, at her website: http://picture-book.com/author/tammie-lyon/
Find more books at the Capstone Young Readers website: http://www.capstoneyoungreaders.com/
Capstone Young Readers is an imprint of Capstone
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Also by Fran Manushkin (released in 2014)

Baby, Come Out!
Also by Tammie Lyon (released in 2014)

Psalms and Prayers for Little Ones

Channing O’Banning and the Tickled Pink Pencil Problem

My Kitten

Keepsake Storybook Classics Collection
Also:
Good Morning, God! & Good Night, God!
Also by Manushkin & Lyon (released in 2014)

Cowgirl Katie

Katie Woo, Every Day’s an Adventure

Fly High, Katie
Also in 2014: Katie and the Fancy Substitute & Keep Dancing, Katie
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What a nifty idea! That Katie Woo is sure popular at school here.
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What a great idea on how to get kids into journaling! I’ve tried several times in my life, but have never been able to keep it up. I think my longest stretch was as a kid, but I had more time then, too! lol This is adorable 🙂
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Yeah, I had more time as a kid, too but didn’t think that way when I was a kid. Never enough time in my day–at any age. Why are the days going by faster as an adult than as a kid? I should journal about that! 🙂
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Cool! 🙂 LOVE books like this!
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Would you–or do you–journal? It is not really a boy thing, but you are such a Renaissance man. :grin;
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I journal – my ideas, drawings, etc., but I don’t write about my personal life. 🙂
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I’m with you, Sue. I would also have LOVED this journal when I was a kid. I probably started and fizzled on a thousand journals in my lifetime. Actually, there’s a fizzled journal on the table next to my bed, right now!
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A fizzled journal? Is that good? I once had to get rid of all my journals, knowing my mom was coming for a visit. Scary thought at the time. Now, she would just laugh. Journals are very private. Does Cupcake have a dog journal? His would make a good book. Kids would laugh for sure. 🙂
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I love the premise of this. I have not seen the Kate Woo books before, but they look fun. I have always kept a journal, as I find it helps me to deal, process and cope with things that come my way. Also great to look back and read how you have grown. I have just finished reading Anne Frank’s Diary. Much more serious in subject matter but enjoyable to watch how the human spirit can grow over time. I think kids will love this kind of journal with its prompts and drawing suggestions.
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Hi Julie. I have not read Anne Frank’s Diary. I don’t know how that escaped me. I will need to get that and read it. I would say it is a tough read, but what a spirited girl. The Katie Woo books, which I also only now have reviewed, are a huge seller. There will be five releasing just this year, not counting the journal. I think that is amazing. This is the kind of series I think every kid lit author dreams of having. 🙂
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Katie Woo books look so great Sue. And so clever on the publishers part releasing them in sequence quite quickly. I can’t tell you the number of books we have now bought on your recommendation or just by your reviews. I will pin the Katie books, as I love the premise…
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I hope all the books you picked up are all happily in your library and loved by your family. I sure don’t want to recommend a clunker. 🙂 Good to hear this. Made my day!
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