Understanding Young People's Writing Development

Bethan Marshall, Senior Lecturer in English and Education, Kings College London, UK

Yes, I think there is a real need for this book. Although the research has been undertaken in Denmark many of the principles that they are considering apply as much to students in the UK as in Denmark. It will be primarily of interest to researchers in the field but also to those doing an MA or a PhD....Few books follow a student’s development over a number of years and this should be of interest. More work that followed pupils’ development in the way that the authors suggest this book does would be worthwhile.

Is the author a recognised authority in this field? Yes

Major strengths and distinctive features:

The major strengths are that they consider writers in a number of different areas and that they look at them over a period of time, most notably over the course of upper secondary education. Also interesting is the chapter on literacy and technology. Given the focus on both areas it is interesting to have two case studies telling different stories.

Weaknesses and the necessary modifications needed:

None

Do you recommend that we should publish this book?
Yes

Reviewer: Lavinia Hirsu, Writing Specialist and Applied Linguist, Glasgow University, UK

The book seems is an appealing manuscript for an international audience. It lives up to the identified audience in the proposal as it maintains a wide scope and provides in-depth analyses that will appeal to teachers, scholars and students alike. While the book seems accessible for all undergraduate students, I see it primarily suitable for advanced undergraduates, postgraduates, teachers and scholars.

By acknowledging its own location (the "Nordic" context) and its particular contribution to the literature on writing development, the book invites audiences in similar teaching contexts to reflect on their own practices. The manuscript is thematically generous and addresses a good range of subjects/disciplines, thus reaching a wide international audience.

Given the longitudinal data and the wide relevance of the topics covered, I see this book having a consistent market. For it to increase its potential audience in time, it may be good if it brought forward the issues of "mass literacy" and "digital technologies" more explicitly in the description of the book (even, potentially, in the title of the manuscript) and in some of its chapters. These topics are already present in the proposal so it is more a matter of foregrounding the contributions of this book to current literacy concerns while, at the same time, highlighting new shifts in the literature that the authors propose.

The authors are established scholars with relevant experiences and knowledge that add to the value of the book.

Major strengths and distinctive features:

The book makes key contributions in the following areas: a. it takes a longitudinal approach which is very difficult to harness in today’s economy of knowledge production; b. it brings together some very interesting themes and topics: "mass literacy," "bildung," different time scales, knowledge-making and development processes, c. it considers the relationship between writing development and the development of writers’ identities. These are all looked at in the context of different school subjects/disciplines. The chapters are well sequenced and each makes a good contribution to the overall scope of the book.

Elements that would make this volume a unique or essential resource:

A critical discussion of the longitudinal process behind the research would add a new dimension to the book that would interest students and scholars alike.

The focus on time scales and "mass literacy" in relation to subject and disciplinary writing are very interesting aspects that could be brought more upfront.

Weaknesses and the necessary modifications needed:

At this moment, each chapter starts with a descriptive title that outlines what the focus of the chapter is rather than what its main contribution is. To enhance the value of the volume, each chapter could have a revised title that would capture the argument or the contribution of the piece rather than the description of the content or the context of each chapter. In other words, the chapters should catch the readers’ attention by emphasizing some of the main findings and arguments sooner and more explicitly. The introduction and final chapters could also be used to highlight the key elements that add to the current literature and move the conversations on writing development further.

Do you recommend that we should publish this book?

Yes.