Celebrating Teachers, Books and Mothers

by Susan Berger

May is full of interesting and wacky holidays. (Do visit Brownielocks. It's a blogging gold mine. I have a special fondness for No Sock Day, No Diet Day and National Laughter Day)

This week’s celebratory events include, among other things, Teacher Appreciation Week.

 


Children’s Book Week,  and  Mothers Day.

I am going to steal a quote from Peanuts' Author Charles Schultz.
1. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winner for best actor and actress.

2. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.

How did you do?

Now try This

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.

2. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.

Easier?

The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care.

Right On! 

I went to 19 schools and met many wonderful teachers who instilled in me a love of language and the written word.  They shine in my memory.  To me, teachers are the real stars.

I remember my second grade teacher reading To Think I Saw It on Mulberry Street  to our class.(Dr. Seuss' first book)  I fell in love with rhyme and the story.
 

Then in third grade, my dad gave me a book, Louisa May Alcott, Girl of Old Boston  - One of the "Childhood of Famous Americans" series and I fell in love with the process of reading on my own. I became a bookoholic.

That led to me writing books. But I began writing when my children were nine and thirteen, so I had some occasional free time. I stand in awe of the authors who raised small children, and managed to write at the same time.




Sonia Levitin, my writing teacher at UCLA, wrote Journey To America when her children were young. She said in class that sometimes her books took several years.to complete.

Judy Blume  wrote The One in The Middle is a Green Kangaroo  when her children were in preschool. (Click on the link to read her account of that.)

I think everyone knows about J. K Rowling and I know there are many others who started writing when their children were still in diapers. 

There are also mothers that raise children, hold down a full time job, do the housekeeping and still manage to write. I do NOT know how you do it.

This category includes my critique partners, Kris, mother of six year old Tommy, writer blogger, full time financial consultant and author of three picture books that are going out and about,

Tommy

Hilde, Victoria and Sam

and Hilde, mother of six year old Sam and Victoria, full time teacher and student, baseball coach, superb cookie maker, and author of a kick ass YA novel, Wet Foot Dry Foot. You both have my awe.

So here's to all of you: The Authors, The Teachers, The Mothers.  You are the ones we remember the most. Thank you for everything wonderful you brought into our lives.



These are not Hilde's Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies, But I wish they were.

How about you, Dear Readers - Who taught you to love reading?  What was the first book you fell in love with?