Today I started a new class - Writing for Children. I aced the pre-test and the first quiz. I guess I'm already familiar with quite a bit of the subject matter, but one can always glean something new, especially from a different teacher. (This teacher spent time in Madison, WI, and was/is an editor at Scholastic) The teacher asked us to remember books that we enjoyed from our childhood. Here's what I posted:
My first memory is being tucked under my mother’s arm listening to her read to me. The book I most remember from those years is The Magic Bus (apparently renamed Jenny: The Bus That Nobody Loved) by Maurice Dolbier. I still own a copy of that book. As my mother had been a teacher, we learned all of the nursery rhymes and heard many fairy tales.
Our town (Marengo, IL - just south of Madison) had a small Carnegie library staffed by the stereotypical old lady librarian. I quickly worked my way through the children’s books. Even though the librarian didn’t help me with my selections, we always had excellent choices on the shelves. I read Kate Seredy, the Little House books, many in the Oz series, and 1001 Arabian Nights. I had to borrow Nancy Drew from one of my classmates. I started writing stories in 3rd grade.
During the summer after 5th grade, I switched sides of the library and started reading grown-up books beginning with Julius Caesar by Shakespeare (I needed every footnote, but I got through it) and The Big Fisherman by Lloyd C. Douglas. The librarian tried to steer me back to the children’s side, but it didn’t work. I read so much that my mother eventually set a kitchen timer on 60 minutes and said, “You will go outside and play until this rings.”
Although I was mainly reading adult books, I never completely left children’s books behind. Once in fifth grade, I asked permission to go to the third grade room and borrow a Dr. Seuss book, And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street. My senior high school term paper had to be about an author. I chose Dr. Seuss. I was allowed to do that since everyone knew I was headed to teacher’s college.
I took Children’s Literature in college. My final project was to write a children’s book. The professor told me I should get it published. At the time, I was too timid to submit the story. Since then, Houghton Mifflin published my nonfiction book Chickens May Not Cross the Road and Other Crazy But True Laws. Scholastic had the paperback version for a brief time. I’ve had some articles and stories accepted by magazines, but I hope to start submitting children’s books again.
After two decades of teaching, I am currently working in Information Services at our local library. (I can’t get away from books.) I still read children’s books and love them. I’m currently in the middle of the Lady Grace Mysteries and I pick up Newbury books with some regularity. My favorite of those so far is A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park.
Kathi Linz
Thanks for visiting with me.
