As a children’s writing instructor, it’s not every day that I get writing advice from an eight-year-old, especially GOOD writing advice. But I just finished reading FLYING FINGERS: MASTER THE TOOLS OF LEARNING THROUGH THE JOY OF WRITING, which includes writing tips, stories, and activities from its author, Adora Svitak. Adora is an eight-year-old from Redmond, Washington, who was just seven when she wrote Flying Fingers, which also includes comments and training tips from her mother, Joyce Svitak.
After reading this book, I realized that many of my adult writing students do not write as well as Adora. But of course, most of these adults don’t write as much as Adora. In FLYING FINGERS he explains that he wrote more than 250,000 words (more than 300 stories, essays and poems) in a single year and that he continues to write thousands of words of fiction, non-fiction and poetry each week. Also, read all the time. By his own estimates, he has already devoured more than 1600 books.
Writing is another skill that Adora mastered in the beginning. In fact, he started writing at age four, when his mother bought him a laptop and used it to make up stories. Now write about sixty words per minute.
With so many early accomplishments, it’s no wonder Adora has been a guest on Good Morning America and Diane Sawyer calls her “a little literary giant.” But while Adora’s abilities are truly amazing, she didn’t write FLYING FINGERS to show off herself. She wrote it because she is passionate about inspiring other children to be as successful and excited about learning as she is. And her mother says, “With the support, encouragement from parents and educators, and the proper use of technology, all children have the potential to excel and enjoy writing and learning as much as Adora.”
After reading FLYING FINGERS, I think she might be right about that, so I hope parents, educators, and children around the world get a copy of this book. Then maybe we can find out.
Adora’s book is available online at http://www.amazon.com and at bookstores nationwide.
FINGERS THAT FLY: MASTER THE TOOLS OF LEARNING THROUGH
THE JOY OF WRITING
Author: Adora Svitak
Action Publishing (Glendale, CA)
October 1, 2005
ISBN: 1888045191
$ 12.95
