Cultivate Reading At A Young Age

You can cultivate reading in a child at an early age.  At his young age of 22 months, my grandson eagerly runs to gather a book for story time.  He will scoot up into your lap with his book of choice and follows along by pointing to the illustrations in the book.  He even makes the sounds of the animals and cars.  When being read "Goldilocks and the Three Bears", he points his finger at Goldilocks in a scolding manner.  He even groans when he sees the little bear crying.

I hope his love for stories grows and turns into a love of reading for years to come.

Books I Have Read and Recommend

Here is a list of books that I have recently read and recommend. 

"Bats at the Ballpark" by Brian Lies
"Bats at the Library" by Brian Lies

"Lessons From A Dead Girl" by Jo Knowles
"Jumping Off Swings" by Jo Knowles

"Moonpie and Ivy" by Barbara O'Connor
"Me and Rupert Goody" by Barbara O'Connor

"The Nutcracker Doll" by Mary Newell DePalma
"The Perfect Gift" by Mary Newell DePalma

Hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

Why do I write stories for children?

To cultivate a love of reading.
To open the world of wonder and magic in books.
To inspire imagination and creativity.
To create a smile.

Read to Write:

I read to write.  The more I read the more inspired I am to write.  Sometimes I will read something out of my comfort zone, taking a step in the "deeper end".  This is where you can find great stories, those that leave you wondering and wanting more.  One of the authors that I love to read, not only her books, but her blog, as well is Jo Knowles.  Jo writes YA Novels.  Her stories reach into your core and pull you right in.  Jo is so grounded I wonder if she knows how truly great a writer she is.  Maybe, that's what makes her so great!  She always strives to give a little more of herself each time she writes.  Stop, over and check out her blog for a little about herself and her books at http://joknowles.com/.  (Click on her Resources button and then her Journal to read her blog).  She is someone who inspires me to reach into myself and share my stories.  Do you have a particular author that inspires you?

Share A Bit Of Yourself In Your Story

Do you remember those first magical moments when you first chose to be a writer, or when writing chose you?  You felt wired, full of energy and a little scared.  Your words couldn’t catch up to the pace of the thoughts in your head.  Your creative genius kicked in, you were actually writing.    As you already know, writing is hard work and painful sometimes.  If sharing part of yourself, your uniqueness is what brings you to developing such wonderful stories, then keep sharing.  Make sure your story articulates your magic. 

Stephanie Burgis

  Kat, Incorrigible!  Congratulations Stephanie on your latest book.  Head over to her blog and check out her book trailers.  I am looking forward to getting this book!  You can visit Stephanie's blog at:    http://stephanieburgis.livejournal.com/233924.html.  Take a chance and enter her contest.

Great Giveaway at: www.bibliophilicbookblog.com

If you get a chance, check out the great giveaway at http://www.bibliophilicbookblog.com/.  Contest is going on until April 5, 2011.