I’ve always loved time travel. The idea of being immersed in times that are beyond my knowledge or understanding. Just to experience, not necessarily simpler times, but the unknown of times so unlike what we see today…I took that obsession and put it into my trilogy- taking readers to a real place with a few actual events and challenged myself to imagine what it would have been like growing up like my father did in rural Minnesota. If you enjoy the country, take a trip back with Linked Through Time….and then take a trip even further back in time with Lost Through Time. A quaint Minnesota town with a little bit of murder…

https://www.amazon.com/Linked-Through-Time-Jessica-Tornese/dp/1477570799

Check it out!

As a teacher, I come across so many books for children. I love picture books so much; they are amazing teaching tools even for those “too cool” big kids! Just like the regular novel, there are great books for kids and some not so great. Sometimes, when I pick up a book aimed at my little 6 year old audience, I wonder who makes those final decisions on what makes the grade? I try to keep up with my YA books ( I’ve fallen behind since I left teaching middle school) and now I am always on the prowl for that next great picture book for my first grade students. Certain books work (I Need My Monster) and certain books fall flat. Recognizing what students love, what they understand, and what visual stimuli works is such a big project. I love the cute ideas like The Bad Seed and The Paperbag Princess, The Interrupting Chicken, or Click Clack Moo. I applaud the authors and illustrators who just plain “get” kids. I find myself getting excited to read the books to my students because I love them so much. Mo Willems is an excellent example of knowing what kids love and what draws them to read. I mean, the pigeon? Who doesn’t love the pigeon character? I know no matter how old I get, I will always be looking for that next kid read. When I have grandchildren, they will be inundated with all of the characters  I have “met” over the years.

What is your favorite childhood story or character? Is there a story you have fond memories of hearing?

Thank goodness for picture books…..

After taking quite the hiatus- I am trying to get back into the book world- not just in devouring books myself, but talking about them and possibly, writing again. In the meantime, I spent most of COVID lockdown reading so many types of books- and leaving many books unfinished (which I never used to do) I realized I am searching for that life altering book. That book that leaves you with a book hangover because you are so altered by how invested you are in the characters and their lives.

I have to say joining an online book club on Facebook really helped direct me to better choices in books. I went through a dry spell where I couldn’t invest in ANYTHING- and this book club really helped me find readers with my same interests and passions, but also helped me go outside my comfort zone. Some of my favorite titles this past COVID lockdown time were: The Authenticity Project, Anxious People, In Five Years, The Language of Flowers, and Finding Georgina. One book that I really loved and didn’t expect to was, Have You Seen Luis Velez. Some heartfelt reads there in the list and not some of my usual picks.

I realized it is close to a decade since my book trilogy had its meager beginnings, and as my children get older I am finding that maybe I can return to the keyboard once again. But first, let’s see if I can manage a few posts on the old website. Here’s something to think about….what do you look for when choosing a book…I’ve used several methods including the “eye catching cover”…but the one thing that never fails me, is to read the first page. The perspective/viewpoint is what gets me every time. I find this is what I want to keep in mind when I write my own stories. Certain voices are so catchy- they grab you from page one. Authors that can master that voice intrigue me, because to me, they have mastered getting into the human brain so well it feels like they could write about something mundane but make it so relatable and interesting you don’t even notice-

Why do you read? to learn? To escape? To feel? All I know is…there is nothing better than a good book. You can take a story anywhere….