Frank, Steven. The pen commandments; a guide for the beginning writer.

FRANK, Steven. The pen commandments; a guide for the beginning writer. Random House, Anchor. 314p. c2003. 1-40003229-6. $11.95. JSA 

It seems that folks who write about writing are wannabe comedians, judging by their titles. We have reviewed Woe is I, and Eats, Shoots and Leaves, and here we have The Pen Commandments. Frank has taught English in secondary schools and this book is addressed to the teenage student, but it can be helpful to anyone who wants to write better. It isn't a book that focuses primarily on punctuation and common grammatical errors, such as those others mentioned above--he writes about choosing topics, focusing on interesting details, getting past writer's block. One commandment, "Thou Shalt Not Covet Thy Neighbor's Prose," isn't about plagiarism: it's about the impulse to mimic the style of writers we like. Filled with witty anecdotes and sound advice. Claire Rosser, KLIATT

J--Recommended for junior high school students. The contents are of particular interest to young adolescents and their teachers.

S--Recommended for senior high school students.

A--Recommended for advanced students and adults. This code will help librarians and teachers working in high schools where there are honors and advanced placement students. This also will help extend KLIATT's usefulness in public libraries.