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Review
But That's Another Story
But That's Another Story
Editor: Sandy Asher
Walker and Company
176 pages, 1999
ISBN 0802775705
Reviewed by Madeline Mora-Summonte



Although this book is more for young people, I am not ashamed to say that I thoroughly enjoyed it. The book opens with a welcome message instead of the usual introduction. It is written clearly and concisely without the condescending tone sometimes found in books for young people. Even more importantly, it manages to teach the reader some of the various fiction genres without sounding dry or stuffy.

The Contents page is well organized, with the chapters each named for genres such as Contemporary Realism, Suspense, and Historical Fiction. Each chapter contains a brief discussion and a short story illustrating that particular genre. The story is followed by Meet the Author, a section with a brief biography and a list of the author's other works.

Perhaps the most interesting part of this book is the More About Section, a brief interview where the author discusses the basis for the storyline. Author Angela Johnson's story entitled Flying Away features a deaf narrator. AsJohnson says in the interview: "I wanted the story to be his so much that the reader is almost cut off from what everyone else in the story is doing." Following her story Alligator Mystique, author Barbara Robinson says writing humor is difficult because the genre is entirely individual and unpredictable.

But That's Another Story does not pretend to be the final word on classifying genres. Many stories don't fit into any particular genre, making up the bounty that is fiction: "Reading fiction is like finding a treasure chest with no bottom to it. No matter how deeply you dig, there will always be more wonderful surprises." An excellent choice for the young person who loves to read and write, this book can also be an inspiring choice for the adult writer, reminding you of why you fell in love with reading and writing in the first place.


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