New teachers might consider purchasing this book if they are both (a) somewhat nervous about the "technical" level of their own skills and (b) intent upon giving those technical elements a significant role in their writing classes. For both of these, its variety of exemplary lists of grammatical forms and genres and the like may be useful to both teacher and, in photocopy, to students.

If, like me, you intend to focus more on writing, writing, and more writing, and to surround that extensive writing with process/context emphasis such as comes from peer-peer editing or writing response groups, the book will be less useful. I found that once students had created an extensive variety of written work and branched into a wide range of genres, each required a very personal approach from me when we worked together. The occasional listing of, e.g., sight-sound words was handy; but, frankly, the student's individual work usually suggested alternatives and choices to both of us in conference.

If you are a new writing teacher, don't just buy this book, as I realize I did, out of insecurity before your first teaching day! After all, it can be brought to your doorstep in a jiffy once you decide, in the midst of teaching, that you would really use it.


Very Practical and Useable Resource   August 2, 2000
 12 out of 23 found this review helpful

This book was very helpful to me as a beginning teacher. I highly reccomend it to anyone who teaches writing for any subject.


Practical and on-target !   September 7, 1999
 12 out of 39 found this review helpful

A can't-be-beat classroom resource for teaching writing


An effective tool for teaching writing, BUT...   June 29, 2007
 3 out of 3 found this review helpful

The Writing Teacher's Book of Lists is a useful resource for teachers of writing, but it is more technical and perhaps better suited to beginning teachers who might appreciate the 90 useful lists for developing instructional materials, activities, teaching suggestions etc. I would recommend using this book together with another effective book on teaching writing titled, "Writing Process Activities Kit: 75 Ready-to-use Lessons & Worksheets for Grades 7-12".


Good Resource Book to Supplement other Texts   November 2, 2007
 3 out of 3 found this review helpful

I taught English for nearly eight years before I found this book. Now, I use it regularly for a community ESL class I teach in my spare time. The lists of words and writing prompts are useful for students to remember the words they already know and learn a few other words that they haven't been exposed to yet. My students like the question writing prompts because they are very useful for starting great discussions.
This book can be used in many more ways too. I am going to use some to the lists in this book in my college-level English class for journal/free writing prompts. Often my students complaint that they don't know where to start on writing assignments, so the list of words and questions can prime the pump and get the sentences flowing onto the page.
This book and the others in the Book of Lists series are excellent resources for any teacher's personal library. They are great go-to staples for ideas on regularly covered topics.