I still remember looking at all those letters jammed together on a page and not knowing what they meant.

 

I faked reading by memorizing what was read aloud.  My 3rd grade teacher found me out and yelled at me for being lazy. She put me in the "dummy class."*

 

My parents asked Mrs. Anderson, who had been my kindergarten teacher, to tutor me. With her gentle guidance I reluctantly began to decode words.

 

I didn't like reading until the end of 4th grade. That's when all of those letters jammmed together started giving me pictures in my head. 

 

All of the sudden, there weren't enough books in the world! 

 

Now I enjoy reading and writing all sorts of stories. I write about things that I've seen or heard. Sometimes I'm not quite sure where a story came from, but there it is, ready to be told.

 

I've been published in Highlights, Pockets and Sparkle magazines. Maddi's Fridge is my first picture book. 

 

*No one in my "dummy class" was dumb.