My love for reading and writing began at a young age; so young I can’t actually remember ever not loving everything about books.
As a child, I would recite stories from memory before I knew how to read the words. I’d memorize the illustrations to spark the lines written on each page, thoroughly impressing my audience (by audience I mean my favorite stuffed animal, Teddy Freddy Apple Bear, and a few troll dolls). I’d mark my accomplishments by writing “Abby” with lipstick in the back cover of my books. Yes, when I could recite a whole book everyone knew that I, in fact, was a super kid genius. Or that’s at least how my first books made me feel.
As I got older and started truly reading, I was mesmerized with how easily I could get lost in a story. I was a third-grade schoolgirl by day, and living in The Little House on the Prairie by night. I could be adventurous like The Boxcar Children, or as fearless as the Goosebumps characters. And of course, I couldn’t wait to be old enough to become a member of The Babysitter’s Club.
I wrote my first book in pencil on Manila paper. It was for my babysitter, Allison, working towards her elementary education degree. I was in first grade and had a set amount of time to write a story with words and illustrations; so I wrote a book called “The Greatest Gift.” I am currently working on rewriting this story, among other new ones. Which leads to my first step in our More Than ATTIC journey: to continue writing and to start publishing children’s books. I recently finished writing my first one and the illustrations are in progress for it right now.
My drive to write children’s books intensifies the older I get. Because the older I get the more people I meet who don’t enjoy reading. The people I meet who don’t enjoy reading happen to not have read much as children. They can’t recite a Dr. Seuss line, or understand why I say “Stew” after someone says, “It’s not." I can’t bear the thought of children not having books as outlets, not being the star in their own toy rooms, and not using their imaginations to the fullest. I figure the more books, the more back covers in which a lipstick big lettered name can be written.
So this is the beginning of a long road for More Than ATTIC and I have no idea where our story will go. But please follow along—I have high hopes for this page turner!
