Muriel Feldshuh

I have been reading Horn Book for so many years and have saved many, many issues. Each issue had articles that I have enjoyed and learned from. This last issue March/April 2023 was especially interesting to me as I enjoyed the two new additions to the magazine. The article by Dean Schneider really resonated with me. I applaud him for all the work he has done as a teacher and leader bringing good books to children and how he and his wife raised their two children with a love of books. I too devoted my life to bringing books to children especially in a disadvantage area in Brooklyn, NY. I returned to teach in a school I attended as a youngster in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and spent 38 years sharing my love of books, storytelling and writing with children and the community. My husband, an Elementary School Principal, and I continued our work as volunteers first to the Books for Kids Foundation and then joined their Early Childhood Board. We volunteered our time and expertise for twenty years after retirement to building small libraries, fifteen of them, in several boroughs and visited them reading and doing projects with children and teachers. I still continue to keep up with several former students who are now raising their own youngsters and share my love of books with them. Spreading and sharing our knowledge and love of books with children, parents and teachers is a wonderful way to spread our love of books and open this world to others. My husband and I also wrote and published a free quarterly newsletter for thirteen years called UP-FRONT with STORYTELLING. It grew in readership over the years. My Traveling Exhibit of 8 Large Literary Quilts visited sixteen Children's Museums and Libraries across the USA. I applaud Dean Schneider on his life well spent. It helped me look back and recall my own life and I thank him for that. Keep up the wonderful work that you and your wife do. I admire all that you shared in your article and was happy to share with you too. I am sure there are many out there in our community who read the Horn Book and have some wonderful stories to tell and it would be fun to learn about their wonderful work. Hooray for those who share!

Posted : Mar 02, 2023 01:41