Fletcher, Ralph J

Explores the writing experiences of boys in the classroom and offers teachers practical suggestions to help them get their male students more interested in and excited about the writing process.

After moving to another state, seventh grader Bobby deals with the change by telling people at school made-up stories and then retreating into his world of pet spiders and books about spiders.

Cliff describes the excitement, conflict, and sudden tragedy experienced by his large and boisterous family during his eleventh year.

In New York, fourteen-year-old Matt spends the summer of 1973 digging clams to earn money for his own boat and falling for Jazzy, a beautiful and talented girl from Hawaii who happens to be his first cousin.

When he gets lost at the circus, Nick is helped by a clown on stilts, who shows him the whole circus and helps him find his parents.

Twelve-year-old Fletch has a hard time adjusting after his father announces that their family will be moving from Massachusetts to Ohio.

When his long-absent father suddenly reappears, nine-year-old Rivers struggles with conflicting feelings and re-examines his relationship with the great-uncle who had served as his father.

Five-year-old Bradley tries to help big brother Tommy earn enough money to buy a magnificent marble for his collection.

Focuses on the skills and techniques necessary for good writing, with excerpts from established writers and samples of young people's work as examples.