Writing about animals and pets can be very rewarding for children and teens, and can spark their imaginations for adventure or adorable, heartwarming stories, and true tales of investigation. For this post, I have interviewed a multi-award-winning author, who writes with a focus on animals. Here’s what she shares about helping children and teens write—with a Christian perspective and to include animals in their writing. The tips here will be for nonfiction. An upcoming post will address advice for fiction writing with animals. Denise Lee Branco, author of Rabbit at the Sliding Door: Chloe’s Story and Horse at the Corner Post: Our Divine Journey, writes true animal stories to honor these marvelous creatures. She says, "Every animal comes into our lives for a reason."Ms. Branco encourages young writers to write about those special reasons for the animals in their lives.
Before young writers take pen to hand, Ms. Branco suggests handling a pet’s favorite toy, collar, or looking at photos, such as pictures from the adoption day, to remember special scenes to then write about. It helps to have a theme. Ms. Branco is an ardent animal advocate. Her theme is the... Ms. Branco encourages young writers to develop each scene based on the writer’s theme. Her goal is to help others grow in respect and appreciation for God’s wonderful animals. Ms. Branco's theme, “animal-human bond,” focuses on this goal of appreciation, so readers see how beautifully people can be connected to animals. So, one of her key writing strategies is to…
This is a good strategy for young writers to intentionally use, too. For instance, if a child has been in the hospital, how did the child feel and what did the child do when finally arriving home and being greeted by a family pet? Facts also can help readers appreciate these stories better, by getting an overall view. Young writers may want to use an Internet search engine to gather statistics about their animals of topic and include some important facts in their writing. Your local SPCA, BestFriends.org, and Rabbit.org may be a good place to start, says Ms. Branco. She also encourages young writers to write a “Gratitude Letter” to their beloved pet. It is good practice for children to learn to write what they appreciate or love about an animal and to explain why. Young writers can find ways to also express their thankfulness to God for His creation and how their special animals enrich their lives. Many churches have a special service each year for the blessing of one’s pets, both big and small. Children may be fascinated to attend such a service in your area, and then write about this experience. In early October, in honor of Saint Francis, (patron saint of animals), Christian churches worldwide bless animals and have special prayers for creation. INVITATION TO SHARE If your young writers would like to share their writings about animals that includes a Christian viewpoint, I invite you to send them to me by July 1st. I am sure it would be fun for us to see some of these in an upcoming post. You are invited to send these via the contact page on newSongpress.net. We look forward to seeing these stories! Author Denise Lee Branco invites readers to go to www.DeniseInspiresYou.com where you can order her books from Amazon and Barnes & Noble and also purchase autographed copies directly from her. Her books make beautiful gift books for teens and young and older adults! Would you like to see more blog posts like this, to help young people in your lives have fun writing and include a Christian perspective?
I invite you to click here to go to www.newSongpress.net and sign up on the home page for my periodic newsletters. May you all have a great and lovely journey in helping children and teens with nonfiction animal writing, with a Christian perspective, Heidi Vertrees Author/Educator Victor Survives Being a Kid! newSongpress.net
14 Comments
3/19/2023 04:22:51 pm
Thank you so much, Heidi! I appreciate the opportunity to promote the human-animal bond by encouraging children to write about their beloved pets.
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3/19/2023 05:02:15 pm
I appreciate your leadership in animal advocacy and your writing so beautifully about God’s dear creatures.
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Dale Anne Fitzgerald
3/20/2023 06:56:22 pm
I really enjoy Heidi Vertrees' blog posts as she shares insights into helping children express themselves through the written word. I also enjoyed the interview with Denise Lee Branco - The bond between Animals and those who Cherish them is Priceless. The guidance to connect with personal experiences will help develop young minds.
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3/20/2023 10:00:12 pm
Dale, thank you for all your thoughts here and for appreciating the importance of guiding young people to find the joys of writing.
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3/24/2023 08:52:22 am
Excellent post Heidi. I love your passion to help children explore and excel at writing. Denise's book is a wonderful story for children. I gave a copy to my grandchildren.
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3/24/2023 12:44:40 pm
Thank you so much, Pastor Tim Riordan. Denise Lee Branco’s book is beautiful and does make a wonderful gift. I hope the tips in this post bless many young writers and the sweet animals in their lives. 🙏😊
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3/25/2023 11:05:54 am
I just wanted to stop by one more time and thank Heidi, Dale, and Tim for your sweet comments. It has warmed my heart. You're such a beautiful lady, Heidi, inside and out. Thank you for considering me in teaching children to write about animals. I wish we lived closer so we could share our books with others in person!
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3/25/2023 11:44:51 pm
If it's about animals, I'm pulled right in. Thank you for sharing these suggestions for writing about animals. They're not only helpful for children, but for us adults as well.
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3/27/2023 02:45:56 pm
Thank you, Katherine Pasour! We appreciate your kind and encouraging words!😊
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3/26/2023 07:40:56 am
These are some great, practical suggestions, Heidi, and not just for kids. Thanks for sharing them!
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3/27/2023 02:47:45 pm
Thank you, Annie Yorty! I am so glad these tips can help both children and adults!😊
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3/26/2023 11:33:58 pm
Heidi, I enjoyed your animal post. These suggestions work for children and adults alike.
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3/27/2023 02:51:00 pm
Thank you, Lisa Robbins! It's so nice to hear that Denise's tips can help both young writers and adults too! 😊
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