Suggests that letter writing can provide an especially empowering form of writing practice, as young children send meaningful written messages to one another, classroom mascots, pen pals, family members, and even elected officials. Concludes that the ultimate purpose of reading and writing is meaningful communication, and letter writing provides…

Describes a drama experience that led the author to develop the Subtext Strategy with picture books. Shares stories of its use with K-12 students. Argues that this single strategy, which involves a careful "reading" of illustrations combined with using drama to imagine characters' thoughts, successfully engages readers of all ages. (SG)