When Patricia MacLachlan was asked to write a book about her life as an author, she responded with a fictional account of a visiting author who teaches fourth-grade students that their lives are filled with stories worth writing about: a dog’s death, a parent suffering from cancer, the adoption of a sibling, stress between parents, and more. This winsome juvenile chapter book introduces children to the transforming power of writing “word after word after word.” Ages 9-12. (Katherine Tegen Books)