The Greatest Reward

            What is the most important award that you have received? What one do you value most?

            People often ask that question.

            Although I value all of the awards, honors, selections, and complimentary reviews that I have received on my books and periodical publications, the ones that mean the most, bring the greatest joy, are the simple ones that show me that I have accomplished what I set out to do.

            Before I start working on a book, I ask myself, “Why am I writing this book? What do I hope to accomplish?”

            As examples, I often give the school appearance that I made many years ago to a class that had spent most of the semester learning to read the series of books I had created to help children learn to read. And now, most recently, I’ve added a school appearance to a class where I spoke several years ago and demonstrated “The Little Ghost” marionette from the book, Storytelling Discoveries: Favorite Activities for Young Tellers.

            When the summer school teacher called to invite me back again to be part of this year’s summer camp, she said, “Every year since you first told “The Little Ghost” and showed the ghost marionette, the kids have insisted on doing that program again.”

            When I told the story this year, and skipped one part, the kids all knew it well enough to notice the change. But they enjoyed learning how “The Little Ghost” now had marionette friends in my new e-book, and how they could easily make their own stuffed toys into their own storytelling marionettes.

            The Little Ghost from Storytelling Discoveries, and the Sock Doll and the Quick and Easy Marionette in Easy Beginner Tales are all good projects for this time of year, late summer but not time for school schedules to start yet, when kids are looking for something new to do.