All About Me: A Keepsake Journal for Kids

Rating:
Summary: The best journal available you can give to a child !
Review: All About Me was created by long time journaler, Linda Kranz, for young people who want to begin their journey into self exploration. Delightfully illustrated and written with "thought-starters" such as "Everyone has a favorite place, what is yours?" "What is it like, and what do you like to do there?" or "What do you like to daydream about?" Linda has her hands on the hearts and minds of young people and this keepsake journal will keep your journaler wanting to go back to it time and time again. The ideal journal for both girls and boys ages 7-10.

Rating:
Summary: The best journal available you can give to a child !
Review: All About Me was created by long time journaler, Linda Kranz, for young people who want to begin their journey into self exploration. Delightfully illustrated and written with "thought-starters" such as "Everyone has a favorite place, what is yours?" "What is it like, and what do you like to do there?" or "What do you like to daydream about?" Linda has her hands on the hearts and minds of young people and this keepsake journal will keep your journaler wanting to go back to it time and time again. The ideal journal for both girls and boys ages 7-10.

Rating:
Summary: The definitive first journal for children. Perfect!
Review: All About Me, A Keepsake Journal for Kids is a gem. Author, Linda Kranz, has a special insight into what children are thinking and feeling and she invites them to write it down in this child's first journal. Ms. Kranz uses "thought-starters" such as "Name something you have done that makes you proud" and "If someone gave you a million dollars, what would you do with it?" "How does your answer change when you think about it a little longer?" This is the perfect journal for both girls and boys and an inviting way to encourage them to begin writing down their thoughts and feelings with their own words.

Rating:
Summary: The definitive first journal for children. Perfect!
Review: All About Me, A Keepsake Journal for Kids is a gem. Author, Linda Kranz, has a special insight into what children are thinking and feeling and she invites them to write it down in this child's first journal. Ms. Kranz uses "thought-starters" such as "Name something you have done that makes you proud" and "If someone gave you a million dollars, what would you do with it?" "How does your answer change when you think about it a little longer?" This is the perfect journal for both girls and boys and an inviting way to encourage them to begin writing down their thoughts and feelings with their own words.

Rating:
Summary: THE JOURNAL SUPERSTAR STRIES AGAIN!
Review: THE JOURNAL SUPERSTAR STRIES AGAIN!

ALL ABOUT ME: A KEEPSAKE JOURNAL FOR KIDS

Reviewed by Dr. Jerry Flack, Professor Emeritus, University of Colorado and children's literature consultant, Denver, CO.

A personal anecdote: A friend who owns a bookstore especially geared to youths told me in 1996 that ALL ABOUT ME: A KEEPSAKE JOURNAL FOR KIDS (Northland Publishing) by Linda Kranz was very attractive but would never sell well. She liked the journal but did not believe there was a market for it. A month or two later I asked the same bookstore owner how the journal was selling and her enthusiastic response was that she could not keep enough copies on the shelves to meet the incredible demand. Parents, grandparents, and kids themselves had discovered a perfect catalyst and inspiration for not only thinking about their lives but for writing down these same thoughts plus creative new ideas. Since that auspicious beginning, Linda Kranz has gone on to create at least seven journals for teens, fathers and mothers, a sequel to ALL ABOUT ME, a pregnancy journal, and a brand new nature journal. Now, she has completely revised her initial journal for young writers that is chock-a-block full of new images and ideas - what Kranz calls "thought-starters" -- and once again the journal is made extremely visually appealing by the inclusion of art work from some of the very finest Northland/Rising Moon picture books. The full-spread illustrations are luminous and make the journal beautiful to look at as well as delightful to write in. A great many additional pages contain lively and inviting cartoon illustrations.

Kranz has added a significant number of new prompts or "thought starters" to make this revised version of ALL ABOUT ME: A KEEPSAKE JOURNAL FOR KIDS (Rising Moon, 2004) virtually a brand new edition of the original book. Young writers are asked to think about the best books they have ever read, recall special family stories and memories, describe their homes or apartments, design an ideal school-day schedule, and note their dreams and aspirations. In fascinating prompts students ask their parents to recall their own favorite times as children and what they did for fun. In an especially intriguing experiment, students are encouraged to describe their parents at two six-month intervals. Once again, the gorgeous reproduction of full-color art from Rising Moon picture books greatly adds to the whole of this successful journal project. Such artists as Jeanne Arnold, Libba Tracy, Mike Gordon, Jim Harris, and Redwing T. Nez have created beautiful illustrations.

One of the healthiest things people anywhere can do - regardless of age -- is to reflect upon the course of their lives. It is fine to begin the process at 30, 40, or 65 years of age, but it is even more significant and helpful for people to begin the life-long habit of journaling when they are young. Parents and others who desire to give children a gift that will last for a lifetime should very definitely consider ALL ABOUT ME: A KEEPSAKE JOURNAL FOR KIDS as a wonderful starting point. It is magical gift that grows in proportion to its use. It is truly a gift that gives in return. This review pertains to the brand new 2004 edition.