Literature, Language, and Writing

The Writing Center
Writing a short book report, an essay, a research paper, a poem, or a story? You'll find this web site extremely valuable. It offers advice and information for writers at every stage of the writing process. One section includes general information on getting ideas, developing an outline, coping with writer's block, using transitions, writing clear and effective sentences, and proofreading. Another section deals specifically with writing research papers. Other sections cover résumés and personal statements; professional writing; ESL topics; and grammar, composition, and spelling topics.
Children's Literature Web Guide
This site actually covers young adult literature as well as children's literature. Check it out if you're looking for information on a particular author or title or if you're looking for a good book to read for a book report. The site provides information on books that have won important literary awards, such as the Newbery Medal. It also provides book reviews and links to authors who have web sites or biographical information on the web.
The Internet Public Library
In the old days, if you needed information after your local library was closed, you were just plain out of luck. Now we have places like the Internet Public Library. It's a lifesaver if the library is closed or if you can't get to the library on a certain day. Also, if you plan to do a great deal of your research online, you can use this site as a guide that will direct you to some of the most helpful, reliable resources on the Internet. Run by experienced, dedicated librarians, the Internet Public Library provides links to online texts, newspapers, magazines, and web sites that deal with any subject of your choosing. The site can also give you research tips and information on titles and authors.
Project Bartleby
This site is cleverly named after Bartleby the scrivener, a strange character created by classic American writer Herman Melville. A scrivener was a person who copied manuscripts and documents by hand before the invention of movable type. Project Bartleby brings a collection of great reference materials and classic literary works to online readers. Its reference materials include Roget's Thesaurus, Columbia Encyclopedia, Bartlett's Quotations, and Simpson's Quotations. Its poetry and verse collections include Oxford English Verse, Yale American Verse, and poetry by various individual poets. The site also directs readers to select fiction and nonfiction works.
Library Spot
This site is yet another gold mine of information that you have to see to believe. First of all, it links to dictionaries, encyclopedias, government information, quotations, statistics, and much more. The site will also help you find online museums, information about different countries, maps, speeches, newspapers, and tips on writing and researching. If you still need more, you can view a list of questions and answers, such as "How do I cite Internet sources?" and "Where can I scan all the country's headlines?"
RhymeZone
Writing a poem about your brother and need a word that rhymes with pest? Writing an essay about your summer vacation and need another word that means dull? This handy site allows you to type in any word and find words that rhyme with it, synonyms, homophones, related words, and definitions. Anyone who has ever struggled to find the perfect word will find this site quite helpful.
Poetry Pals: The K-12 Student Poetry Publishing Project
So, your teacher has asked you to write an original poem. Maybe you're thinking, "Who does he think I am—Shakespeare? Langston Hughes? Emily Dickinson?" Contrary to what you might think, you don't need some special license to write a poem. Even those dead literary geniuses in your textbooks were once regular young people with ideas and a love of language. This site spotlights poetry written by some of today's regular young people all over the world. And, every other month, it focuses on different styles and forms of poetry. Check it out if you are looking for ideas, a confidence boost, or background information on the type of poetry you want to write.

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