Why Write for Children?

Why write for children? To delight the eye and ear. To feed the mind and challenge the soul. To encourage the child to expand his/her horizons and imagination. To help quiet a restless body or stimulate a lethargic one. And best of all...to provide the same for the writer!

Kathleen Molaro

Why I Write for Children by Kathi

We are experiencing sensory overload. Cell phones, video games, and violent movies are a few distractions bombarding our young people's eyes, ears, and minds. My hope is to provide a respite for them by writing stories they can sink into and stir their imaginations. 

Why I Write for Children by Babette

I actually write in several genres, but it is extremely satisfying to write for young children. First, when it is read, it is usually read aloud. I like to think of language as having motion and gesture. Second, we are usually introducing something new to a young child. We must put ourselves in that place of wonder at a new experience. Third, children re-read something they like. It is a dream to measure the success of my work by the response of a child.

Writing for kids

I didn't start out writing for kids, but once I started telling nightly stories I made up for my own children, it was just a matter of writing them down. I have no problem coming up with ideas, but it does take some discipline to put them on paper, which is one reason it's so good to be part of ABC Writers. The routine of submitting stories to be critiqued requires that I sit down and write. And the act of sitting down and writing causes me to sit down and write some more.

Why I Write For Kids

When I was a kid I had asthma and often couldn't  be physically active, so I spent lots of time reading. Books took me to other places and let me experience things I could only imagine. Reading was so much fun! Even when my health improved I still read every day and my love of reading has continued to enrich my life as an adult. The main reason I write for kids is to give back some of the wonderful things other authors gave to me.

Who We Are

Welcome to our blog!

Here's an introduction to the members of our group:

Kathi Acker raised six children of her own, was caregiver for a relative with Down's Syndrome, and was a secretary in two alternative education schools and Juvenile Hall.

Joyce Borgman has a masters degree in education administration and has taught in many places including England, Italy and the Island of Cyprus. She has been an ambassador to China and currently leads in a children's theater group she founded where children learn about acting, music, dance, and art. Most of her published work so far has been articles on publication.

Janet Ann Collins has been a parent, foster parent, grandparent, and teacher. She has a lot of experience working with preschoolers and children who have special needs and her work has been published in many periodicals. For more information please go to her website, www.janetanncollins.com.

Babette Donaldson is a parent and has worked with children as a classroom volunteer, art teacher, and occupational therapist. For more information about her books and writing please go to www.emmaleabooks.com.

Janet Miller's past life as an engineer has been superseded by her careers as a technical writer, school teacher, and writer of children's fiction and nonfiction.

Kathleen Molaro is a parent and school teacher as well as a writer.

In case you didn't notice, the first four on the list have last names in alphabetical order, which was an inspiration for the name of our group.