For My Readers
As a child, I loved books and reading. My mom would read to me for hours every day. Once I could read independently, my dad would take me to the public library and I would check out 17 books at a time and read them all before they were due back in! Books took me to a different place and time; they were an escape from my world. As much as I loved books and reading, I loved to write too. I would write poems and stories and illustrate them. Later on in life, as a Mom, I would create homemade books with my kids to help them through different experiences in their lives. It was always my dream to write children’s books and I am living proof that dreams do come true!
My two favorite books were Charlotte’s Web and Stuart Little, both by E.B. White. I kept reading both books over and over again throughout my childhood. I kept the original copies and today they are on my bookshelf in my home office. I also loved the Encyclopedia Brown series. I loved many poetry books too, especially poems by Robert Louis Stevenson. I still remember the sound of my mom’s rhythmic voice as she read me the poem, “Bed in Summer”.
I was a teacher by trade with a love for children’s books. My son Logan has had a physical disability since he was a toddler and started wearing leg braces in lower elementary school. As a parent of a child in need of leg braces, I searched for both fiction and non-fiction children’s books on this topic, but at that time it was hard to find. It was then that I decided I would one day share the story of Logan’s leg-brace journey, and include photographs instead of illustrations, to help educate other children and their parents in similar situations. I also wanted to share our experiences as Logan grew older for families to realize that braces are a tool, not a limitation. I hope that everyone who reads this book will treat others with kindness no matter their situation.
