CREATING A CHILDREN’S STORYBOOK

GRADE 5

LITERARY DEVICES WRITERS OFTEN USE WORDS IN SPECIAL WAYS TO HELP READERS "SEE" THINGS IN A DIFFERENT WAY. DEVICES ARE TOOLS, SO LITERARY DEVICES ARE TOOLS THAT WRITERS USE TO IMPROVE THEIR WRITING AND MAKE IT MORE INTERESTING.

LITERARY DEVICES INCLUDE FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE, IMAGERY, AND SOUND DEVICES.

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE (OR FIGURES OF SPEECH) PROVIDES DESCRIPTIONS OR COMPARISONS THAT GO BEYOND THE LITERAL MEANING OF THE WORDS. IT HELPS US MAKE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THINGS AND SEE THE WORLD IN NEW WAYS.

METAPHOR: IT MAKES A DIRECT COMPARISON OF TWO UNLIKE THINGS.

EXAMPLES:

• BROKEN HEART

• BUBBLY PERSONALITY

• FEEL BLUE

SIMILE: IT MAKES A COMPARISON OF TWO UNLIKE THINGS USING THE WORDS “LIKE” OR “AS”.

EXAMPLES:

• THAT PERSON IS AS BRAVE AS A LION.

• THAT BOY IS AS BRIGHT AS A BUTTON.

• THAT GIRL IS AS BUSY AS A BEE.

IMAGERYIMAGERY REFERS TO MENTAL PICTURES CREATED BY WORDS.

EXAMPLES:

• THE POT WAS A RED AS A TONGUE AFTER EATING A CHERRY FLAVORED RING POP.

• THE WORD SPREAD LIKE LEAVES IN A STORM.

• THE LAKE WAS LEFT SHIVERING BY THE TOUCH OF MORNING WIND.

PERSONIFICATION PERSONIFICATION IS WHEN YOU GIVE HUMAN QUALITIES TO AN OBJECT OR ANIMAL. 

• LIGHTNING DANCED ACROSS THE SKY.

• THE WIND HOWLED IN THE NIGHT.

• THE CAR COMPLAINED AS THE KEY WAS TURNED.

HYPERBOLE

HYPERBOLE IS AN EXAGGERATION WHICH MAY BE USED FOR EMPHASIS AND HUMOR. 

• IT WAS SO COLD I SAW POLAR BEARS WEARING JACKETS.

• I AM SO HUNGRY I COULD EAT A HORSE.

• IF I CAN’T GET A SMARTPHONE, I WILL DIE.

IDIOMAN IDIOM IS A WORD OR PHRASE WHICH MEANS SOMETHING DIFFERENT FROM ITS LITERAL MEANING.

• GIVE IT A SHOT – MEANING: TRY

• SPEAK YOUR MIND - MEANING: SAY WHAT YOU REALLY FEEL

• A PIECE OF CAKE - MEANING: VERY EASY

• SLIPPED MY MIND - MEANING: I FORGOT

ONOMATOPOEIA

ONOMATOPOEIA IS WORD THAT MIMICS THE SOUND OF THE OBJECT OR ACTION IT REFERS TO. WHEN YOU PRONOUNCE A WORD, IT WILL MIMIC ITS SOUND. 

ALLITERATION

ALLITERATION IS A REPETITION OF THE FIRST CONSONANT SOUNDS IN SEVERAL WORDS. SOME GOOD EXAMPLES ARE:

• WIDE-EYED AND WONDERING WHILE WE WAIT FOR OTHERS TO WAKEN

AND TONGUE TWISTERS LIKE:

• BETTY BOUGHT BUTTER BUT THE BUTTER WAS BITTER, SO BETTY BOUGHT BETTER BUTTER TO MAKE THE BITTER BUTTER BETTER.