What a day to write for this blog. Children will be knocking at your door tonight asking for a trick or treat. If you are like me, you always give a treat. Here’s a treat for your family to share.
If you have a young reader in your life, or a young listener, I’d like to share a little of the truth in fiction behind my early reader chapter book coming out tomorrow, November 1, 2024. The story is “Caleb and Great-Grandpa Fred: Moving Days.” When I first started writing for children, I began this story with my then young grandson and my dad in mind. Dad lived through many changes in his life from horses to missions into space. Dad was a scientist who actually was part of the space race. He wasn’t exactly a rocket scientist, but he did test the fuel that propelled the earlier rockets into space.
That grandson met Dad as a baby, so they never really got to know each other. I wanted to bridge that gap by creating a book that shares the historic times Dad lived through with the younger generation. I’m working to create a series of stories revolving around STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) topics that are currently encouraged in schools. In this first book in the series, Great-Grandpa Fred and young Caleb both have to move. As they go through the changes affecting their lives, they subtly discover the history of photography through looking at family pictures. There are humorous and touching moments within the story. Faith is an element within their interactions. If your family has ever experienced moving with children or elderly folks, this story will be a treat. Family activities are in the back of the book for follow-up fun.
Many years have passed since I started writing about Caleb and Great-Grandpa Fred. Now the book has a publisher. I also have another young grandson who gave me plenty of suggestions when it came to illustrating the story. He helped me realize that he needed to be the model for the boy in the story. I hope he will find this to be a treat for Halloween when I give him his copy. I hope you will enjoy getting this treat for your child or grandchild.
Boo! Sometimes we get a trick on days like today. I had planned to write about a different children’s book earlier this year and totally forgot to mail in my blog. I tricked myself and Ms. Heeren. Ugh. Sorry about that.
So, here’s another treat that I hope won’t be a trick this time. “Simeon’s Search” is a children’s picture book about a young boy hoping to cheer up his grandmother after her pet passes away. He tries to find things that will make her happy, but something or someone is playing tricks on him by destroying treats and flowers from the garden. The barn cat and her expected kittens are also missing. That stinks, but he and grandma will have some sweet surprises during this story. Prayer plays a big part in this story.
A little truth in fiction, for “Simeon’s Search,” would be in how this story came to be. My publisher asked me to illustrate for another author. Things didn’t work out. The publishing house had a problem. They needed a story for a certain publication date that was coming quickly. Unlike Caleb and Grandpa, which took years to come to life, they asked if I could come up with a different story using the illustrations. I prayed and wrestled with the idea, like Jacob in the scriptures, and woke up early one morning and wrote Simeon’s story. I had to alter or create different pictures for the new storyline, but we edited and completed the book before the deadline. The publisher’s grandson, Simeon, just happened to look like the boy in the story. What felt like a trick, ended up as a treat with a surprising ending. I hope you will share this book with a child in your life.
An added treat is “Simeon’s Search” is bi-lingual using English and Spanish.
Blessings, Bettie Boswell
Bettie Boswell always loved to read and create stories for family and friends. In 2016 she began writing and illustrating stories to share with the world. She is now an author/illustrator of both children and Christian adult fiction and non-fiction books. Her efforts include contributions to educational works, leveled readers, magazine articles, and devotional and short story anthologies. Bettie has two grown sons, one daughter-in-law, three grandchildren, and a busy minister husband.
Visit her here.
Both books may be found here.