Richard Scrimger
Author of The Nose from Jupiter
About the Author
Image credit: Alvaro Goveia
Series
Works by Richard Scrimger
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Common Knowledge
- Gender
- male
- Short biography
- Richard Scrimger is the award-winning author of nine novels for young readers, three picture books, and three books for adults. His works have been translated into eight languages, and have been critically acclaimed around the world. Columns detailing Richard’s adventures in parenthood have been published in The Globe and Mail, Chatelaine, and Today’s Parent. His first children’s novel, The Nose from Jupiter, won the 10th Annual Mr. Christie’s Book Award. His most recent young adult novel, From Charlie’s Point of View, was a CLA Honor Book, and was chosen as one of the “Best of the Best” by the Chicago Public Library. His latest adult novel, Mystical Rose, was a Globe & Mail book of the year. He has four teenaged children, a collection of speeding tickets, and, usually, a puzzled expression.Richard Scrimger lives in Cobourg, Ontario.
- Nationality
- Canada
- Associated Place (for map)
- Canada
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Reviews
Aimed at pre-teens, Your Story Matters by Richard Scrimger presents a series of fun lessons on how to craft a story. Scrimger presents each lesson like a fun writing class taught by a cool and slightly-goofy teacher, using age-appropriate language and examples.
Scrimger takes his students/readers through the whole concept of story-telling, starting with collecting ideas, developing the setting, constructing characters, and introducing challenges. The second half of the book deals with show more writing the story, then the inevitable re-writing.
He starts by identifying what makes a story, drawing comparisons to comic-books and video games. He also identifies the essential element: every story has to have a problem—something must go wrong. Scrimger provides examples using stories he's written, and explains how he developed all the elements to come up with an interesting story.
Each lesson builds on the one before and concludes with an exercise to help the readers develop and expand their stories. Scrimger uses age-appropriate language and cultural references, and every paragraph is infused with engaging humour.
Young readers and budding writers will enjoy Scrimger's self-depreciating, aw-shucks style of humour. As a 50-something adult writer, I appreciated Scrimger's distillation of the story to its simplest elements. Who knew a story was like a pizza?
Anyone can write a story, and anyone has a story to write. In Your Story Matters, Scrimger makes the process accessible and fun. This is an excellent book for in-class writing instruction, as well as a great gift for a budding young writer or avid reader. show less
Scrimger takes his students/readers through the whole concept of story-telling, starting with collecting ideas, developing the setting, constructing characters, and introducing challenges. The second half of the book deals with show more writing the story, then the inevitable re-writing.
He starts by identifying what makes a story, drawing comparisons to comic-books and video games. He also identifies the essential element: every story has to have a problem—something must go wrong. Scrimger provides examples using stories he's written, and explains how he developed all the elements to come up with an interesting story.
Each lesson builds on the one before and concludes with an exercise to help the readers develop and expand their stories. Scrimger uses age-appropriate language and cultural references, and every paragraph is infused with engaging humour.
Young readers and budding writers will enjoy Scrimger's self-depreciating, aw-shucks style of humour. As a 50-something adult writer, I appreciated Scrimger's distillation of the story to its simplest elements. Who knew a story was like a pizza?
Anyone can write a story, and anyone has a story to write. In Your Story Matters, Scrimger makes the process accessible and fun. This is an excellent book for in-class writing instruction, as well as a great gift for a budding young writer or avid reader. show less
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
In Downside Up, author Richard Scrimger seeks to answer a question at the heart of the human condition: Can love be lost and, if lost, can it be found again? Downside Up follows the adventures of Fred, a sixth-grader haunted by the death of his beloved dog, Casey, when he accidentally falls into another world. This world appears to be an exact copy of his own—same school, same family, same home, even same him—except in this world the losses troubling Fred have never occurred and Casey is show more still alive. When Fred’s sister eventually finds her way into this alternate reality as well, they must decide, together, if it is truly better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.
Fred is a relatable and interesting character, who serves the story well as the narrator and the author does an excellent job of using dialogue styles to distinguish between Fred and his alternate reality self, Freddie. The twists, turns, and reveals throughout are poignant and keep the plot brisk and exciting, even if you have picked-up on the clues and have a sense of where the story is headed. The more fantastical elements that appear as the story progresses are balanced and grounded by the steady exploration of Fred’s emotions and grieving process. Scrimger also uses foreshadowing and meta-commentary on story structure to good effect. There are a few characters who seem superfluous, but, overall, the style is very in-step with the themes of the story, the characters are likable, and the story is touching.
Young readers will find a kindred spirit in Fred, will appreciate the imaginative magical realism, and, hopefully, will come away with the understanding that healing from loss is possible, though the road there may be long and winding.. and just might have a few dragons on it.
Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book through LibraryThing Early Reviewers in exchange for my honest review of it. show less
Fred is a relatable and interesting character, who serves the story well as the narrator and the author does an excellent job of using dialogue styles to distinguish between Fred and his alternate reality self, Freddie. The twists, turns, and reveals throughout are poignant and keep the plot brisk and exciting, even if you have picked-up on the clues and have a sense of where the story is headed. The more fantastical elements that appear as the story progresses are balanced and grounded by the steady exploration of Fred’s emotions and grieving process. Scrimger also uses foreshadowing and meta-commentary on story structure to good effect. There are a few characters who seem superfluous, but, overall, the style is very in-step with the themes of the story, the characters are likable, and the story is touching.
Young readers will find a kindred spirit in Fred, will appreciate the imaginative magical realism, and, hopefully, will come away with the understanding that healing from loss is possible, though the road there may be long and winding.. and just might have a few dragons on it.
Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book through LibraryThing Early Reviewers in exchange for my honest review of it. show less
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.YOUR STORY MATTERS is a delightful book about writing, aimed at upper elementary and junior high audiences (up to grade seven). The author of many books for middle grade and YA readers, Richard Scrimger may be best known for his popular debut novel THE NOSE FROM JUPITER (1998). Apart from technical instruction, the pages share warmth and an ethos of compassion, underscoring a message that so many readers—and aspiring writers—want to hear: Your story matters. You matter.
Scrimger show more introduces the foundational elements of storytelling, illustrating his points with examples from his own life and work. There is nothing particularly surprising in his instruction, but his authoritative position and empathic presentation should help these lessons land well with schoolage writers (they certainly also apply to writers who have left school far behind). Scrimger's words are complemented by whimsical illustration by D. McFadzean, giving the reader a moment to breathe and reflect—something zealous readers may need, especially if they hope to become writers as well as readers.
From the very first page i loved this book. That's no surprise, though, since it’s exactly in my wheelhouse as someone who teaches writing and editing. If you teach writing, host a writing club in a school or library, or simply want to coach and encourage young writers, this book is an excellent resource. It's one I see myself returning to again and again. show less
Scrimger show more introduces the foundational elements of storytelling, illustrating his points with examples from his own life and work. There is nothing particularly surprising in his instruction, but his authoritative position and empathic presentation should help these lessons land well with schoolage writers (they certainly also apply to writers who have left school far behind). Scrimger's words are complemented by whimsical illustration by D. McFadzean, giving the reader a moment to breathe and reflect—something zealous readers may need, especially if they hope to become writers as well as readers.
From the very first page i loved this book. That's no surprise, though, since it’s exactly in my wheelhouse as someone who teaches writing and editing. If you teach writing, host a writing club in a school or library, or simply want to coach and encourage young writers, this book is an excellent resource. It's one I see myself returning to again and again. show less
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
This just might be my favourite Richard Scrimger book (which is saying something because I reread the Nose from Jupiter until my copy fell apart).
Zomboy is a darkly funny and somehow really touching look at discrimination through reactions to Imre, an undead student. It's realistic -- well, not in the walking-dead nature of the title character, but in the controversy, the protests, the often frustrating opinions of other characters. Not just realistic but eerily familiar.
And, as with all of show more Scrimger's books, the writing doesn't talk down to the reader, nor is it moralistic. It's just... honest, and it trusts kids to figure out what they want to take from it.
Finally, the characters themselves are brilliant. Imre with his Eeyoresque sense of humour, Evil-O with her grit and desire for justice, or Bob with his hypochondria... they're all amazing and memorable. show less
Zomboy is a darkly funny and somehow really touching look at discrimination through reactions to Imre, an undead student. It's realistic -- well, not in the walking-dead nature of the title character, but in the controversy, the protests, the often frustrating opinions of other characters. Not just realistic but eerily familiar.
And, as with all of show more Scrimger's books, the writing doesn't talk down to the reader, nor is it moralistic. It's just... honest, and it trusts kids to figure out what they want to take from it.
Finally, the characters themselves are brilliant. Imre with his Eeyoresque sense of humour, Evil-O with her grit and desire for justice, or Bob with his hypochondria... they're all amazing and memorable. show less
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