Social media and the blogging world have brought me closer to some amazing people in this world of ours. I have had the privilege of meeting some IRL, in real life, but some others I have yet had the pleasure.
Someone I have recently come across and have started working with, has definitively caught my heart, imagination and optimism.
Her name is Paula Hollins, a 71 year old classy lady, family group therapist, turned real state agent, turned author.
She has 7 books out there, and we are working towards helping her spread the word on her children's books. These are unique personalized books that by using a child's name you derive other word to discover and learn to read. Take for example SOPHIE Makes Words!: A personalized world of words based on the letters in the name SOPHIE. It is one of a series of books that use the letters in popular children's names to make other words. Each book incorporates color, poetry, definitions, humor, illustrations and more. Each page is self-contained and offers a nugget of information that is intended to stimulate discussion between parent a child.
Be on the look out as she tells us "we are trying to include Spanish, French and Italian simple words in any book where the combination turns up from the name and so far we do have 'si', 'oui', 'peso' and 'Pisa' (leaning tower) with 'besa', 'Chile' and 'basta' in the next three books coming out. We have included the Hopi Native American tribe and as many references to other cultures as we can get from the name on the book, within reason. They are not Spanish speaking books, but we are inclusive and multi-cultural. We have 'ahi' which is tuna in the Japanese restaurants, of course"
Author’s Note
The “Makes Words!” books cannot easily be
pigeonholed into a specific children’s book or age
category, because they provide multiple learning
avenues and challenges, conceptually and visually,
and appeal to a range of children’s interests from
toddler to latency age. They are like “dictionaries”
of words created from a child’s name, with
humorous rhymes and colorful illustrations, the
content varying depending on which child’s name is
There are 3-year-olds who can read and 8-
year-olds who are struggling to make sense of
the written word. If the book’s title matches the
name of the child who receives it, the child learns
to recognize and spell their own name from an
early age, and they will have a very special pride
of ownership in the book. But regardless of the
name on the cover, a young child can learn letters,
colors, and picture/object identification, and the
design encourages hand-eye coordination while
learning about the creative fluidity of language.
Early readers can listen to their parents recite the
verses and follow along. Each page is self-contained
and offers a nugget of information that is intended
to stimulate discussion between parent and child.
We cannot find any children’s books on the market
that combine this style of learning enhancement,
opportunity for parental discussion, and outright
fun and laughter.
We invite you to take a peek at her books. If you like what you see, encourage her work by leaving a message for her here
You can enter a giveaway for a PDF version of her book at the Muy Latinas Network
