Child literacy is important to me. I hope that I can promote an interest in reading. I have become a founding member of Children’s Authors Alliance, a newly created organization founded by Carylee Carrington. I also want to share books of interest with adults.
Initially, I only had writing one book in mind using photos that I had collected over several years. 2025 turned into a busy year writing three more. Some photos were even taken during the creation of the books. I was thrilled that a skink and writing spider showed up in my yard. The house sparrows that built their nest at my front door made observing them quite a treat.
I haven’t read with a child using a tablet. (Even though my daughter has spent countless hours gaming, she still prefers reading a physical book. Maybe it harkens back to earlier bed times of reading together. I don’t know how quickly that may be changing for some families.) I enjoy reading using a tablet because of quick downloads and the ability to enlarge the font. Most public libraries offer free downloads with library membership. Kindle Unlimited requires a subscription, but considering how quickly some children’s books can be read, it can seem like a bargain. One series is Discover America State By State, books covering the 50 states, with a fact shared for each letter of the alphabet, with lovely illustrations
As with TV streaming options, when using Kindle, suggestions come up as a result of past selections. I found my way to two books that took quite a while to read because I kept diverting to information in other books or websites.
The Velocity of Being: Letters to a Young Reader, by Maria Popova and Claudia Bedrick.
and
The Book of Awesome Women Writers: Medieval Mystics, Pioneering Poets, Fierce Feminists and First Ladies of Literature, by Becca Anderson.
Carylee has been extremely active writing her own books, creating a YouTube channel where she interviews authors prior to them reading their books and doing a TedX talk. readwithcarylee.