The Makings of a Writer

I have such vivid memories of being in elementary school years ago. 

I really loved elementary school.

My favorite thing to do was to write stories. 

The teachers I remember most, whose classes I loved the most, incorporated a lot of writing into our days. 

It started out in first grade with reading The Monster books.  Then we were asked to write our own Monster stories, and illustrate them. 

 I still have mine. 

The next year we graduated to writing our own stories, from our own imaginations. 

 And illustrating them. 

 This is before the days of desktop publishing or even printers. 

My teacher would painstakingly take our finished writing, type it out (on a typewriter!!!) and then hand-bind each one into a book.  We were then able to illustrate it, write a biography in the back, and then add it to the classroom library where our friends could check it out. 

I loved Miss Hall!!!

Now years have passed. 

I realize that, though a lot of good came out of going to NYC to study music, what I really should have done was continue to do the thing I've always loved:  to write.

And now I'm "Miss Hall" to my own class of students. 

The best ones, really, because they are my own children.

And they are getting the writing and illustrating bug in one form or another.

Each unique to their personality.

My girl has a few writing notebooks which she fills with charming and quite good!!! stories. 

We buy bare books for her and she handwrites and illustrates these and gives them as gifts to her brothers and cousins.

She claims to want to be a writer and a baker when she grows up.

And my youngest has just caught the writing and reading bug. 

Recently he was reading from one of his favorite easy-readers.  One that he can read easily by himself....and chooses it everyday for the comfort and joy of it.

I suggested that he write his own version. 

Here it is in progress:

I like to write!