Review: Excellence in Literature Handbook for Writers from Everyday Education

My son, Riley, is an above-average writer.  In 7th grade, he's already had the opportunity to have several pieces published.  He loves creative writing and he enjoys the freedom that comes with that, but he's also working on becoming skilled in more standard formats, which is why the Excellence in Literature Handbook for Writers from Everyday Education, LLC is perfect for him as he transitions from writing for fun and pleasure to writing for high school and even college.  
We were lucky to hit on grammar and writing structure and style programs that I loved from the start, and Riley has benefitted from all of them tremendously.  He can diagram a sentence and pop in a strong verb or stylistic device at the drop of a hat- but that doesn't mean that he couldn't use reminders every now and then.  Even I sometimes need a little help remembering grammatical rules, formatting, and ESPECIALLY how to cite sources.  Does the period go inside the parenthesis or outside? When I'm quoting someone, do I use a comma or a period? Style devices that aren't frequently utilized can be a brain scratcher, sometimes, and having a book with them all conveniently spelled out is definitely helpful! 
As far as format, the first portion of the handbook is dedicated to helping your child learn how to write various types of papers.  I especially appreciated that the book dedicated time to not just how to write a persuasive essay, but why you may wish to do so, and how to pick a topic that will resonate with your audience.  I know that when I was in high school a research paper was required for graduation, and being able to research your point and present the facts persuasively was a must! The second portion of the handbook is really where all the grammar rules, references, and basic formats are found.   Riley, as a 7th grader, found some of the initial chapters a little verbose- but I very much enjoyed the writing style.  We struggled for him with the online version that we were given and ended up printing it out- it was much easier for him to work with as a hard copy, rather than a PDF, so if I were going to order the book, I would go ahead and opt for the print-only version, however if you have multiple children who are going to be working through high school and college-level writing courses, the digital version may be your best bet! The ebook and print is $49 and the hard copy only is $39.  Definitely a worthwhile investment when you figure that your child will write for 8 years of high school and college and will probably need more than a few tips, tricks, and reminders on their way through! 
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