'Doris TheSaurus': Colorful New Book Teaches Students How to Use a Thesaurus to Improve Reading and Writing Skills

Published on Nov 26, 2008 - 7:20:15 AM

By: AuthorHouse

ALPHARETTA, Ga., Nov. 26 2008 - Ideal for students, teachers and librarians, "Doris TheSaurus" (published by AuthorHouse - http://www.authorhouse.com/), the new book by Maria L. Corkern, uses whimsical characters and colorful illustrations to teach readers the importance of using a thesaurus to enhance reading and writing.

Sara, a student in Ms. Ross' classroom, is participating in a writing workshop. When she expresses her frustration to her friend Cory about having trouble choosing words, she asks him for help because he seems to have no trouble writing his assignments. Cory immediately tells Sara to call his friend, Doris TheSaurus, for help.

When Sara says, "Doris, please help me awhile," the classroom spins and words fly all around her, and the creature who appears seems familiar -- in fact, she reminds Sara a lot of Ms. Ross! Doris explains to Sara that the thesaurus helps with writing and reading by listing words with similar meanings. "They're also known as synonyms. They'll help you with writing and reading," she assures Sara, who immediately asks to look at the book herself:

Sara turned the pages quite fast,
And big was the word that she found.
Next to big was enormous and huge.
Her eyes grew wide and round.

"I'm starting to see how this book of yours works.
I look up a word that I wrote.
And then I read the ones that come next.
They'll help give my writing some hope."


"Doris TheSaurus" will improve writing and reading skills and would be a welcome addition to any classroom. Follow Sara on her quest for knowledge as she enlists the help of her new friend, Doris TheSaurus.

About the Author: Maria L. Corkern, nee Ross, is an elementary school teacher currently living in Alpharetta, Ga. She was born and raised in Tacoma, Wash., and has family ties to South Dakota. She holds a bachelor's degree from Western Washington University and a master's degree in elementary education from the University of Alabama, Birmingham. Corkern formerly taught in the Birmingham area. She wrote "Doris TheSaurus" to enhance her own language arts lessons and decided to share the lovable dinosaur with others. This is her first book.

More information is available at http://www.doristhesaurus.com/.

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