Today I’m grateful for all the wonderful children’s and middle grade books that made me a reader when I was young and made me want to write books myself.

From Little Women to The Babysitters Club, from Nancy Drew to the Boxcar Children, from Narnia to Willy Wonka’s factory, and even including Amelia Bedelia, I was an avid reader as a girl.

Beverly Cleary and Judy Blume wrote some of my favorites. I couldn’t get enough of Fudge, Ramona, and Beezus!

I had so much fun losing myself in wonderful stories as kid. This included watching great stories play out on Wishbone on PBS. (Wishbone was a Jack Russell Terrier who would relate things happening in the life of his owner Joe to classic literature).

I would spend all summer reading, pretty much. I started writing fiction of my own in the third or fourth grade.

All because of how much children’s books inspired me.