Calling All Book Lovers

 

Today, August 9th, is National Book Lovers Day. Put down your phones, laptops, ipads, or any other technological device and pick up a book. You don't have to tell me twice!

Hit your favorite book store or local library and enjoy some time just simply reading. Whether a novel, an autobiography, a chapter book or a picture book, find something to read and lose yourself in the story for a little while. What a terrific way, and day, to celebrate the written word!

Should you be so inclined, I would love to hear what you are reading.

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

Today, March 2, kicks off Read Across America week (along with National Reading Month throughout the month of March), beginning on the birthday of Dr. Seuss.

During this week, let us focus on encouraging and promoting the benefits and importance of reading, especially for our children who have at their disposal these days so much technology that, at times, negatively impacts reading a good ol' fashion book.

Today, and throughout the week, I commit to spending time reading. Will you?

What are your favorite go-to books, Dr. Seuss or otherwise? I'd love to hear and compare the favorites amongst all of us.

World Read Aloud Day

 

Today, February 1st, is World Read Aloud Day. What a wonderful day to celebrate reading!

This day is dedicated to reading aloud which helps foster the tradition of reading as well as promote literacy which is so very important. 

There are many places online to join the fun and hear stories read aloud; however, you can also cozy up at home and enjoy reading books of your choice. I will definitely be doing so!

What books will you pick to read today? I would love to hear how you are spending your World Read Aloud Day.

 

"The writer builds, creates a world the reader doesn’t want to leave.

When that happens, it’s magic."—Stephen King

I saw this quote recently, and it really hit home, both as a writer and a reader. 

 

As an author, it is always my goal to create a story a reader wants to read over and over again. As a reader, I love to lose myself in the world a writer creates and have done so time and time again over the course of my life. 

If you are inclined, I would love to hear which books have engulfed you and made you hate to reach the end.

Children's Book Week Wrap Up

 

So, how did you book this week? 

Did you read picture books? Chapter books? YA?

Did you read "real" books or those on your kindle or nook? Listen to audio books?

Were you reading in bed? Lounging in the sunshine? Laying on the sofa? Swinging in a hammock?

I would love to hear what your Children's Book Week entailed as well as what and who your all time favorite books and/or authors might be.

Children's Book Week

 

Today begins the second, of two, full weeks celebrating books for young people and the joy of reading. The first was in May. This week in November, running today through November 13th, is meant to focus specifically on engaging students at schools, libraries and after-school programs.

Children's Book Week was originally established in 1919 and is a celebration not only of books but of connection. How wonderful! Books and connection go hand in hand for me, and it is truly beautiful to see this happen in young people. Perhaps this is why I love writing for kids. Picture books are a magical work of art, and I plan to spend my Children's Book Week immersed in as many picture books as possible.

How about you? What do you like to read? Where and how do you most love to read? I will be back at the end of the week to check in. Until then, enjoy!

National Read Across America Day

A day to celebrate reading. What more could we want?

This day, National Read Across America Day, is celebrated every year on March 2nd, the birthday of Dr. Seuss. While I will read at least one of my favorite Dr. Seuss books today, I will also be celebrating by reading my own books, BEDTIME KISSES and LITTLE BUG, to a very special group of young kids at John Paul II Elementary, the school in which I serve as Speech/Language Pathologist and the school all of my own kids attended from preschool through 6th grade.

What a privilege! Thank you to Mrs. Morgan for inviting me to visit. I can think of no better way to celebrate the joy of reading than by sharing my own books with children. I love to engage with kids and share my love of reading and books. I strongly believe it is imperative to encourage kids to read and foster a love of books, especially in the face of the technologically driven world in which we live today. It is so important for kids to learn that books are exciting and fun. The stories contained within the pages can transport us to completely different worlds and places as well as allow us to meet new characters and have new life experiences. In addition, reading is relaxing and helps us learn about many things. For, in the words of a very wise Dr. Seuss,

"The more you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go."

So, today, as Read Across America Day kicks off the National Reading Month of March, pick up your favorite picture book, novel, biography, etc., and lose yourself in the pages of a great story. And, please, help me spread the word to all those young minds eager to learn and explore. Reading is the very best way to do so!

National Book Lovers Day

 Whether your book of choice looks more like this...

Or more like this...

Put down your phone and computer, grab your favorite book(s) and beverage and settle in to enjoy National Book Lovers Day today for whatever period of time you're able.

What a treat to celebrate the love of books!

Happy Birthday to Dr. Seuss

Happy birthday to you, Dr. Seuss! Thank you for giving generations over time such fun reads. 

Today is National Read Across America Day. Whether it is Dr. Seuss or something else, grab a book and spend some time reading and exploring the new worlds books offer. 

I love the idea of celebrating a day of reading as I would love to spend most days doing nothing but reading and writing books. In an effort to salute Dr. Seuss and his birthday, what are the favs from your childhood or from those read to your children more recently?  I'm not sure I can pick my favorite "older" Seuss book though THE CAT IN THE HAT, GREEN EGGS AND HAM and HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! are definitely up there. OH, THE PLACES YOU'LL GO! is one of my all time favorites though.

How about you? And who can forget all the great advice Seuss provided? 

This is one of my most favorite pieces of advice ever and quite profound on many levels. Tomorrow is never promised. Cherish today and live life to the fullest. It is so worth it.

But, besides Dr. Seuss, what are your other favorite reads to curl up with today?

Reading for Research Month 2020

It is go time!  Today begins the start of another Reading for Research Month (ReFoReMo). ReFoReMo is the brain child of Carrie Charley Brown and focuses on the many ways reading mentor texts can inform one's writing. It has been wonderfully enlightening and inspiring each time I have participated. Consider joining the fun!

To learn more, visit http://www.reforemo.com/.

World Read Aloud Day

According to www.litworld.org, LitWorld founded World Read Aloud Day in 2010 as an opportunity for people all around the globe to celebrate the joy of reading aloud, and advocate for literacy as a fundamental human right that belongs to everyone. Over the last ten years, World Read Aloud Day has evolved into a global movement of millions of readers, writers, and listeners from communities all across the world coming together to honor the joy and power of reading and sharing stories, and continue expanding the definition and scope of global literacy.

Today is the day. Grab a book, snuggle up and spend some time reading and enjoying books.

For more info on LitWorld or World Read Aloud Day, visit https://www.litworld.org/worldreadaloudday

Celebrate Read Across America Day

Today, March 2, is widely celebrated as Read Across America Day. This day serves as motivation and awareness in calling every child to celebrate reading in honor of the birthday of Dr. Seuss.  Who better to celebrate than Dr. Seuss who made reading and enjoying books so much fun for kids, and who continues to enchant and entertain children and adults today.

Motivating children to read, which, in turn, improves student achievement and performance in school, is so very important.  As a children's author, my goal is to write books that make kids (and the parents reading to their kids) want to read them time and time again.  I want to instill a love of reading and books in kids and make them want to pick up a book and read. 

Losing oneself in the pages of a book and the life created therein is what made me want to be an author in the first place.  To do this for children is the greatest honor and privilege, and I salute Dr. Seuss for helping the world see the fun words and stories can be for children.

So, today, grab your favorite book, Dr. Seuss or otherwise, and settle in to read. I know I will be doing the same.

Should you feel so inclined, please share your favorite Dr. Seuss book below.  It is hard to beat THE CAT IN THE HAT, but OH! THE PLACES YOU'LL GO is one of my favs! How about you?

A Day to Read

I just read today is National Book Lovers Day. What an awesome day! A day for all who love to read. What more could we want? Except maybe a little extra time today to enjoy a good read:)

So, whether you are reading for school, reading for fun or reading to your kids, carve out some time and enjoy!

Back to the Basics

I have had the privilege of presenting at a couple schools over the course of the last month, and these author visits have left me re-energized for writing and creating stories.  You know the old saying...out of the mouths' of babes? One never can predict what kids will ask at any given moment (and I certainly had a few fun and silly questions), but one that continued to pop up time and again was, "What made you want to start writing?"

I found myself giving my standard responses of, "I've wanted to write for as long as I can remember...I've been writing for as long as I remember...my love of books and reading made me want to write stories kids would love and want to read over and over"....and so on and so forth.  And all of this is true! However, the wonderful questions, attentive and focused kids (and teachers) and genuine little faces that really cared about my response truly made me think about what really was at the root of it all...and that is a plain old love for books and stories and writing.  I love to read.  I love to lose myself in a good story.  I REALLY do want to motivate kids to want to read. And I LOVE to do so with my own writing.

Lately, however, I seem to be floundering in managing my time well enough to write as often as I should or want.  I know...same story, different day!  It is difficult to balance it all.  We all know that.  The challenge is to prioritize and stick to it. 

I really started thinking about this a few months ago when I completed Picture Book Idea Month.  I was generating ideas for picture books each day, some of which I've actually fully developed into manuscripts in various stages of completion.  It really lit a fire within me to get back to the basics of sitting down, butt-in-chair (or butt-in-bed, butt-on-sofa, you get the idea), and just writing.  Stay away from the computer, don't stress about marketing and promoting and such, but just write or edit a WIP.  So, that is my goal in the next few months.  I hope to finish and submit the three PBs I have in the various stages of the editing process and then work on something new from my stack of PiBoWriMo ideas.

How about you? Do you ever want to just go back to the writing and leave the rest behind for a bit? I'd love to hear your thoughts. 

For now, happy writing!

I saw this last week one day and saved it and now can't recall where I found it, so I apologize for not being able to give credit to whomever had it posted at that time.  But, how cool is this?  The root of all goes back to reading.  We must first read, read, read in order to then write, influence and, thereby, change the world. LOVE IT!

It is so true that reading A LOT in the genre in which one writes is imperative, but reading in general, both for writing purposes and for fun, is necessary.  I love to read, always have and always will.  It truly amazes me that some don't share that same feeling, though I know many do not.  One of my kid's complained the other day about having to read for school which then started a discussion (e.g., lecture) about the awesome privilege of books, the ability to have them and read them.  The ability to lose oneself in a new world, one in which anything is possible, to be able to lounge around and do nothing more than open a book and just simply read...at which point, he started to roll his eyes and look at me like I had two heads:).  He thought I was totally bonkers when I said I'd love nothing more than a free week of hours on end to read, read and read some more!

And then I saw this quote and bam!  I started to think of it from a different perspective.  Reading is empowering? Writing to influence and change the world? Well, yes it is empowering to read.  And, yes, I do hope to influence change with my writing.  At this point, hopefully, a little girl or boy begs his or her mom or dad to read my book just one more time before bed (or at any other time during the day, for that matter).  Maybe someday, it will be an influence of another kind, for a different age range; however, the ultimate goal is the same...to affect change of some nature, in some way, big or small, in the hearts and minds of those reading my books.  I want others to WANT to read my books in the same way I love to read books myself.   I do feel empowered when I write, and, hopefully, this empowerment translates into a positive change for those choosing to read my work.

Read Widely

This morning, I was reading PAGE AFTER PAGE by Heather Sellers.  She was talking about needing to read widely as a writer.  It was like confirmation for me.  I LOVE to read, maybe even more than I love to write.  I'll read almost anything and could lounge for days in my bed with just books for company.  I've often felt badly about always wanting to read rather than do something else, something more productive.  When I read Ms. Sellers' words, it was like an affirmation. 

She says, "You can't get too far off track as a writer if you are reading.  In fact, I don't know any successful writers who don't read.  Writers read.  Reading completes the gesture.  Reading is what we do."

Well, there you go...couldn't have said it better myself.  I'll now feel more productive in my writing life when I am reading.  Thank you, Ms. Sellers!

Your True Self

I recently started reading Cecil Murphey's book, UNLEASH THE WRITER WITHIN. I'm not very far into it but wanted to share a few wise words. Mr. Murphey focuses not only on improving writing in this book but on figuring out who we are and not forgetting our true self in the writing process.

He says, "I write to find out who I am...I write because it is a gift." He further suggests, "your most honest writing becomes your best writing."

It was in reading his words, albeit not very many thus far, that I realized I've lost sight of the true reason I started writing in the first place. It was the sheer love of writing and the urge to create a sense of desire to read and a love of books in children that drove me to my first ICL course.

In the recent past, it has become more of a chore to balance all that goes into it...maintaining a presence to generate interest and increase publication chances, marketing, reading job boards, creating resumes, etc. All of these things are a necessary evil in a writer's life; however, I am now going to try to separate out just the writing in terms of how I look at it all. I will write from the heart honestly and, in the process, figure out who I am as a writer and the rest, hopefully, will fall into place.

I look forward to finishing this book and "unleashing the writer within." Please share your means of creating your most authentic voice.