Readers and writers

The turnout was wonderful, even though there was a glitch with the launch party for St. Louis Reflections. Robin Theiss, the book publisher sat up front taking orders, but the book was not available until the next day. However, in just a few minutes, the St. Louis Writer's Guild sold fifty-one books. Other local authors sold their own books displayed on tables around the train station. A night of fun, for sure.


We are having literary fun at preschool too. This is fun learning, not forced learning. The pre K 4 & 5 year olds learn ABC's and the letter sounds by May. Most are so ahead of the game, though. My little future authors are identifying alphabet letters, learning phonics letter sounds, matching letters and hanging the letter ornaments on the tree.
Two of my students are actual readers, but the rest think that they are readers too. They choose a word card, sound out the first letter and match it to the holiday picture. We do this activity with the words on a table first, so they can read left to right. The project is now on the bench, and looks overwhelming, but they can all do it and choose this as a free time activity. This is what I hear.
A "Hey, this word is "A, like apple." They walk up and down looking for a picture. Then I say, "A has another sound." They squeal, "A, angel."
B "I know-I know! This one is Baby Jesus."
C "Cuh-cuh...cookies" or Caa-caa, CASTLE."


And who doesn't enjoy trying to figure out what is in a wrapped present? It is my delight to watch their animated faces when they've 'read' a word or matched a picture to its package.

I hear the train acoming

Tonight, 7:00 p.m. at Kirkwood Train Station; yes, the real station,other writers and I will be reading aloud and signing copies of the St. Louis Writer's Guild anthology, St. Louis Reflections, in which my story appears. Cost $9.99, what a deal!

Other local authors will be selling their own books, so this will be a great oopportunity for last minute holiday shopping and a way to support local authors.

I hope to see YOU. The trains will be zipping down the tracks, rattling the walls, stopping traffic, interfering with our readings for brief interruptions, and it will be sooooo much fun to be this close to a train and published writers. Congratulations to all forty-five who made it into St. Louis Reflections. If you can't make this event, you can purchase a copy from Amazon.