Dear Readers,
I've been on sort of a sabbatical these few months to help take care of my wife, Anna, who had a total knee replacement surgery, my Mom who is sick and unable to walk and my Dad who is depressed because of my Mom's condition, and the fact that it is the dead of winter and he can't go out.
My wife is recovering nicely. My Mom and Dad, along with their 4 aides, Dora, Carmen, Concetta and Sister Tracey, and my brother, Vincent, and my aunt Susie, as well as my wife and I, all take part in getting my parents well.
It's not easy. We all wish that for Christmas, God blesses them with a miracle and gets them well.
I've also been taking a children's picture book writing course online with Gotham.
The instructors are great, and the course work is very intensive.
At the end of January, I am going to a writing convention for children's books at a famous hotel in Manhattan. I've gone three times in the past, and I will keep on going until my picture book is published. You meet a lot of other writers, and agents, editors and publishers there. You get a chance to read your story, and then you get critiqued by 10 writers and a publisher. This writing convention is very worthwhile, and you see other writers who are in the same boat as you. This is the beginning of my 13th year of writing.
I'd like to tell you about a special group of friends, who I taught with for over 20 years. We are all retired. My wife, Anna, and I are part of their Christmas ha-ha luncheon. Sabra and Jerry, Tony, Kathy, Connie, Georgine and my wife and me,
go to a different restaurant each month and have lunch, and we chat, chat, chat laugh and eat. What wonderful camraderie we have had all these years! We have known each other for more than 25 years. What a blessing! Sometimes, we go to each other's house for the holidays. We are family.
Last week, we went to my cousin, Madalene's, mother-in-law's(Ida) 90th birthday.
They had a Filipino guitarist who was adopted at birth by an Italian family, and he played and sang all Italian songs. It was wonderful. Everybody banged on the table, and sang the songs with him. It was held in Trattoria Lucia's Restaurant in
Queens. The food and service were exceptional. No one wanted to leave at the end.
And Ida, she didn't look a day over 60.
Now, you are wondering what picture books are good for your child to read.
Here's a list of them(next time I will summarize two books like I always did):
1. Loudmouth George and the Sixth-Grade Bully-Nancy Carlson
2. Rotten Ralph-Jack Gantos
3.Goggles-Ezra Jack Keats
4.Chester's Way-Kevin Henkes
5.Little Blue and Little Yellow-Leo Lionni
6.Who Took the Farmer's Hat?-Joan L. Nodset
7.David Gets In Trouble-David Shannon
8.Will I Have A Friend?-Miriam Cohen
9.Don't Let Auntie Mabel Bless the Table-Vanessa Brantley Newton
10.Subway-Anastasia Suen
11. Do You Want to be my Friend?-Eric Carle
12. My Mouth is a Volcano!-Julia Cook
Your children can write about Chanukkah, Christsmas, New Year. Other topics could be birthdays, anniversaries(we just celebrated our 26th), grandma and grandpa, celebrations, family and friends, and of course, they can read and write about what they read.
My wife, Anna, and I, want to wish all our family and friends and readers out there, A VERY MERRY AND BLESSED CHRISTMAS AND A HEALTHY AND HAPPY NEW YEAR.
Keep reading. Go to the library with your child. Read aloud. Have your child tell the story in his or her own words. Let him or her draw things from the story.
Sincerely,
Frank
(a.k.a. Ravenous Reader)
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