Why My Mama is a Grouch and More -

That Baby Woke Me Up, Again! gives a realistic account of an older sister who reveals her frustration about her brother, the “noisy baby,” down the hall. He awakes her from dreams and he awakes all the members of the house with his cries. Author, Sherry Ellis, tells a wonderful story using rhyme and beautifully designed illustrations (by Don Berry) showing exactly how the characters feel, and a tone that helps you to understand the narrator, the parents, and the “noisy baby.”

This book is one that every parent, especially those who have younger children, should have. It is an excellent teaching tool for mothers-to-be, new mothers, and children who have a new addition/baby in their homes. If you take the book another step, it could help us understand an ailing child or having a sick person in our homes. 

Lesson: The situation will not last forever—that is one of the main messages.

That Mama is a Grouch

I bought That Mama is a Grouch for my sister because she has young children, and they are expressive, saying exactly what they have on their minds. My sister, a teacher, likes to help her children to understand what they have read, and this book is one that helps parents and children to communicate better. Why is Mama a grouch in the child’s eyes?

This story teaches how children behave, how they feel, and how they perceive their parents, but most importantly, the story teaches children to be more responsible. Caretakers, nannies and early childhood educators should have this book in their book collection.

You can find Sherry Ellis by clicking on her blog link called Mama Diaries, and if you'd like to purchase the books for yourself or as gifts to others, click this link Amazon. 

Lolita: Writing for Your Readers

As I think about writing or myself as a writer/author, I become more aware that I should give back to readers something for the time they invest to read my work. I place more effort into how I tie my words together. I read works by authors who knew/know how to write good stories to aid my writing development. I think about writing for my readers.

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov, for example, is a frighteningly repulsive story about an older man, the protagonist Humbert Humbert, who preys on a naive child he perceives as a “nymphet.” Lolita has a plot that includes pedophilia and murder. Though I feel a sense of guilt and shame because I could be perceived as encouraging such actions, I must admit that I love the writing because Nabokov spins a tale so powerfully appealing with suspense, pathos, puns—countless literary devices that the reader forgets that the protagonist is a beast.

Nabokov writes for the reader.  He clearly expresses that throughout the book each time Humbert directs or speaks to the reader. Below are some examples from Lolita.

·       "Now, in perusing what follows, the reader should bear in mind…"

·     "The reader must know now…"

·     "[The reader must]  accompany us West..."

·    "Oh, do not scowl at me reader..."

·        "Reader must understand…."

He steals readers' attention with breathtaking scenes for readers to feel, touch, taste, smell, and see.

Nabokov escorts readers into a paradise of beautiful prose that keeps them turning the pages. He makes the readers enjoy the novel despite the actions of Humbert. Nabokov gives the reader an investment for their time and more.

Good writing takes time to develop, and writing for your readers is a skill. You should think of yourself as one of your readers while writing. Among other things, think about what readers would want to happen, how you think your readers would want to solve a conflict, and if readers think the story is believable. Write for your readers, not only for yourself.