IGNITE YOUR IDEAS

Educational consultant Foster offers a guide for young people that promotes creativity as a motivational tool.

The author is an education specialist with several published works on nurturing children’s talents, including Being Smart About Gifted Learning(2021), written with Dona J. Matthews. The goal of her latest book, for readers 12 and over, is to provide practical tools and novel ideas that will help kids overcome creative obstacles. For instance, Foster explodes the idea that only those typically identified as artists can be creative, and asserts that creative thinking can be a jumping-off point or “spark” for all sorts of activities: “Creativity is not necessarily about coming up with some sort of product (although that might occur), but rather it’s about activating your mind and nurturing your ideas.” Whether one is born with natural creativity or must develop it through practice, one can build habits and employ techniques that develop one’s abilities, according to the author. Foster speaks directly to young readers in these pages, and uses illustrative quotes and examples from a wide array of figures—both well-known (LL Cool J, Albert Einstein) and obscure (author Luc De Clapiers). She redefines the clichéd directive of “thinking outside the box” as “divergent thinking” and expands on it, stressing the importance of being open to new possibilities. Although the book’s subject matter is organized into three sections (“The Light You Kindle,” “The Glow You Nurture,” and “The Blaze You Choose”), it does not always feel cohesive; however, it includes takeaways at the end of each chapter that crystallize key ideas for easier comprehension. Arguably, the most valuable content is in Chapter 5, which addresses common creative blocks and remedies, and Chapter 8, which offers 100 engaging suggestions for how to corral, instigate, and explore creative ideas. Although the book’s overall tone is down-to-earth and easygoing, some terminology may be a bit complex for younger readers; there’s a glossary of terms at the end, but caregivers or teachers may wish to provide occasional help.

An often compelling manual that may fan the embers of readers’ creativity.