See you next time

That's it for this lesson!

Write a diary entry of one day in your life, but write it as a recount—all facts.

Then, give your recount the memoir treatment. Add feelings, judgments and explanations to explain and enhance those facts. How different is the end product?

The next time you read something factual, such as a history book or newspaper article, look for moments where the text is expanded with feelings, judgments and explanations—or moments when you wish it were expanded so you could know more!

Here are the books we used in this lesson.

The Colour of Water, by James McBride

The Colour of Water

James McBride writes a tribute to his eccentric mother and how she shaped his upbringing. In his memoir, he looks at family relationships, resilience, faith, and forgiveness.

Boy, by Roald Dahl

Boy

Roald Dahl's memoirs are full of anecdotes about his childhood and school days, including dead rats in sweet shops, holidays in fishing boats, school bullies and nose-threatening accidents.

Rocket Boys, by Homer Hickman

Rocket Boys

Three years in the life of Homer ‘Sonny’ Hickam, from the moment he sees the Sputnik satellite overhead in West Virginia to his successful launch of a prizewinning rocket.

Teen Angst? Naaah…, by Ned Vizzini

Teen Angst? Naaah...

Ned Vizzini presents the weird, funny, and sometimes mortifying moments that made up his teen years.

Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution, by Ji-li Jiang

Red Scarf Girl

Ji-li Jiang writes of her experiences during the Cultural Revolution of China in the 1960s, where changes in politics affect her family and education.

I am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and was Shot by the Taliban, by Malala Yousafzai, with Christina Lamb

I am Malala

The title says it all—it’s the story of Malala’s survival and how she became an international symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest person ever to win a Nobel Peace Prize.

See you next time!

Memoir Basics 3: Adding feelings, judgments, and explanations