The Journey

As a child…

At around the age of 6, I first participated in the summer reading program at the MeyerLibrary in Houston Texas.  I remember how the smell of books and honeysuckles came together as I opened the door.  And a bun headed librarian always rushing me to close the door. “We don’t have enough ac in here to cool off Texas!” she’d growl and stare through her thick glasses.

I made my way to the children’s section, where only a few kids like myself romped. There, I stacked books on a small table to claim my spot, but not because it was comfortable. In fact, my knees turned a nice shade of red depending how long I read, the shade varied. Hours passed, where I escaped to magical worlds. And when it was time to leave, I trekked my book loads to the car. Always making sure the door closed behind me. I didn’t want to further upset the librarian. I’m convinced she was an evil troll of some sort.

Getting the books home was the best part. Blanket forts strewn across the living room, a gathering of stuffed animals & dolls, I’d dive into my book haul. After finishing each one, I’d give it a rating. Often, I’d say, “I could’ve ended that better.” This took me into writing my own version of the story. With pencils I’d write, markers I’d illustrate, and then came a careful staple and manila cover. I had a book. I was a writer!

The diagnosis…

When I started elementary school, the reading of passages and test taking began. Sadly, this changed how I looked at books. Reading became a chore, something I struggled with.  My brain wasn’t comprehending written passages like the other kids in my class. I was different. Testing confirmed I was dyslexic. Set with glasses, of which I never wore and tinted rose plastic sheets this was supposedly “the solution.” The only thing this did was throw me nerd status. Reading became a spectator sport, as my classmates watched me fumble through the pages. I still created stories in my head, but the fear of jumbled words kept them off paper.

The Neverending Story...

You’ve ever heard someone say a story changed their life? Well one did for me. School and life became more difficult over the years. I was held back in 4th grade, and though my parents were divorced, I lost my dad to a brain tumor. I’m not sure exactly how, but I ended up with a copy of The Neverending Story. It’s here I found hope from a boy about my age hiding in a bookstore. If Bastian could work through his issues and transform by becoming a part of a story, then so could I.  Yes, The Neverending Story gave me hope and courage in the facing the impossible odds. 

Years later, back in books...

 I began to romp the library again, looking for books that would capture my imagination. And to no surprise, Alice and Wonderland did this. I was drawn into fairy tales and proceeded to read most everyone I could get my hands on. To this day, I remember the childhood favorites. The Boxcar Children, Nancy Drew, Beverley Cleary, and Judy Bloom to name a few.

As an adult, I've gone back and read these classic books. They are simple without the noise of social media nor infused with political social agendas.  I love this! In short, I’m conservative so what I read and what I write for children reflects these values.

First published work…

With three young kids living in Austin Texas, it was all about the parks. It was fun and free entertainment! We went so often, I began taking notes on the amenities, came up with a rating system, and made activity fun park bags.  We were at Zilker Park one morning and my 5-year-old son said, “Why don’t you make a park guide for other moms to use?” Smart kid!

I did just that. After a year of r & d, Park It! A South Austin Guide to Parks and Playgrounds hit the shelves. I was published and launching my first book @ Barnes & Noble. This was a proud moment for the young girl who once struggled with words.

Becoming a children’s author...

Living the beach life, we were Blessed with our fourth child. With a baby girl in tow, I went back to school for my Masters of EDU with an emphasis on reading. Looking back, I did this mostly to prove to myself I could. And interestingly, got out with almost a 4.0. So as a child, had I just become my labeled learning disability?

It was years of reading instruction that put me into story construction. A love of children and a magical view of the world was my perfect story mixture. Aside from being an at-home mom and graduate student, I began writing children’s stories and sending off occasional manuscripts. The thought being, someday they will materialize. In fact, Un Momento Baby Hippo! is one that is now in the making. Will be available Fall 2020!

The romp…

One afternoon, I took my little one to story time at our local library. There, I stumbled on Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, by Julie Powell.  It looked interesting so I checked it out. Turns out, I didn’t enjoy the book, but the movie was great.”  This set me on a course of action.

I would read the entire children’s section at our local library and blog our experience.  From A to Z, my little reader and I began the journey. We romped so many books, often eliminating the need for book ends. We did try not making mortal enemies with other patrons along the way. Now the library has a limit to how many you can check out. My apologies!

Why read all the children’s books? I wanted to visit enchanted worlds with my little reader, instilling the love of books. But I was also on a quest to find an answer. I had a question. What makes an author? Is there a common thread to published works? How has time influenced what our children are reading? So began library romp.

What I found...

I categorized what we read in three genres: Great literature, good books, and shelf wasters. I’m not going to elaborate on the shelf wasters. So, we are left with great literature and good children’s books. They are somewhat different and yet both needed. Here’s my foremost contrast of the two. “Kids will love a good book. But literature is loved by kids and adults."

Literature is beautifully crafted that doesn’t grow old over the years. They are not written for certain grade levels but speak to the readers experience and background. These classic stories and fables contain richer plots and the words don’t fall flat like some of the newer books. To name a few of our favorite master writers: Lewis Carroll, J.K. Rowling, Judy Blume, Roald Dahl, Maurice Sendak, Dr. Seuss, and Eric Carle.

Good children’s books allows the reader to walk away from the story having learned something about themselves. They are written with humor and relevant to children today. But what makes these good is they have clarity, power, and like literature they entertain. And this is what we want!

The journey…

During the early romp, I kept busy writing children’s manuscripts. But something wasn’t connecting? So, I changed focus and put my energy into fiction. A Fourth of July cookbook and two Christian motivational success books. You can find these on Amazon.

Then one evening I sat watching my Little Reader create a story just like I had done many years ago. With her blue fuzzy pencil, she crafted a five-page story with sketches. My 7-year-old had written her first book just like I had done. This was the spark I needed. The next morning after dropping her off at school, I took that blue pencil and began writing. Words spilled on the page and before I knew it, Pixie was born. A second grader that loves reading, apples, and everything Japanese. She was the hero needed to save the fairy tales from the evil Guardian lurking the library.

A note…

I wrote this on the top page before beginning my story.

“Words are a gift. You can’t force them, just open them when they are received.  ~ Thank you, God. I will use them wisely.”