Welcome to my Blog!

Welcome!  I've started the "Usborne Books Lover" blog as a way to share books that are available through Usborne Books & More, as well as some general reading and literacy tips.  I thought that I'd start, though, by sharing a little bit about myself!

I've always considered myself to be a "reader."  I was one of those little kids who would go to the public library and check out a huge stack of books, only to finish all of them within a day or two.  As I grew up, I loved to read Little House on the Prairie, Amelia Bedelia, Mrs. Piggle Wiggle, the Baby-Sitter's Club books, Sweet Valley Twins, Sweet Valley High...you get the idea.  By 7th grade, I decided that I wanted to be an English teacher, and I loved learning about and reading the "classics" and the "great authors" through junior high and high school, and I loved my AP English Literature class.

I attended Franciscan University of Steubenville, where I earned my Bachelor's degree in English Literature, and I did become an English teacher.  I taught for 8 years in Colorado (grades 8-11) before we moved to Washington.  At that time, I started teaching English online, and here I am, 7 years later, still working for the same online education company (and I've added a Masters Degree in Educational Technology from Boise State University).  My favorite part of teaching has always been exposing kids to literature and books; I often told my students that if they thought they didn't like to read, it was probably because they haven't found the right books yet.

While I still love the "classics" and reading novels, my scope of appreciation has changed a bit in recent years.  I now have a three and a half year old son and a two year old daughter, and I'm expected our third child (a boy) in October.  Needless to say, I now spend quite a bit of time reading children's books!  After "attending" a few Usborne Books parties via Facebook and seeing how much my kids enjoy the books I'd purchased, I decided earlier this year to take the plunge and sign on to be an Independent Consultant.

With hundreds of titles available that cover a huge variety of topics and that are geared towards all ages of kids, from babies to teenagers, there is something in the Usborne Books & More catalog for everyone!  Feel free to browse my website, or let me know in the blog comments if there's something specific that you're looking for!  I love being a personal book shopper.  :)

I hope that you'll follow my blog, as I'm really excited to share my love of reading, literacy, and Usborne Books & More with you!