Two former teachers who believe in the magical effect read-aloud books can have on young minds have created The Story Snuggery as their own contribution to introducing even more up-and-coming future readers to the fun.
Their first two books are already available on their website (thestorysnuggery.com), with a third to be available by month's end.
The women have been friends for 40 years, though they never taught in the same schools. And both ended up retiring in the same area when Fluke (now a Grafton resident) told her friend how great Cobourg is.
Fluke became a teacher in her 40s, teaching in both junior and primary grades and working in an early-literacy program.
Kekewich taught for years, in Grades 1 through 8, and also worked part-time for years as an educational author, editor and contributor at Nelson and Pearson publishing houses.
Both agree reading aloud to a child opens mental and creative pathways that lead to measurably better outcomes, and both are inspired by how much reading has meant to their students.
Fluke remembers the first time she read Molly Moon to a Grade 4-5 class in Castleton. “It came to the end, and there was a silence. Then, all of a sudden, they just started clapping.”
She also recalled the fun they had with a book called The Important Book, great to read aloud at any age, inspiring students to go on to creative activities and critical thinking on their own.
“Even my Grade 8s loved to be read to,” Kekewich said.
“I used to read to my Grade 8 students, just for fun, rhyming books, primary books, and they would do activities from that at their own level. They found so much joy in these younger books.”
Both also have personal stories that had happy endings because of a love of reading that was nurtured. Kekewich's daughter went from a long struggle with phonics to two university degrees. Fluke's dyslexic grandson went from having to be home-schooled to a degree from the University of Wisconsin at 19.
They cherish the idea that their books could play a small role in helping new generations of students discover the joy of books, and their first step in that direction is Foster The Dog. This was inspired by their own beloved golden retrievers - Fluke's Winston and Kekewich's Foster, who both loved their stuffies. The illustrations by Barbara Bickell will bring fond smiles to any dog lover.
Then came the Maizy books, a four-part series (illustrated by Sherrie Greig) on Maizy's quest to find the perfect pet. Maizy's Pet Quest: A Pony, Please! explores her plans to give a pony a home, but she ultimately has to agree that wearing diapers and having barrettes in its mane wouldn't be much fun for the pony.
In October, you can read about how she fared with her idea of a porcupine pet.
While Foster introduces children to the wonderful traits of a devoted pet, the Maizy books are written in rhyme, which the authors believe is not only enjoyable but a positive tool for the children's future development on so many levels. “Just listening to the cadence prepares their ears,” Fluke said.
“If they are read to from an early age, they are already hearing and they connect.”
“We know these books can't be translated into a thousand languages and go around the world,” Kekewich added.
“But coming from different experiences, we know the rhyming books do it for all kids.”
Fluke recalls how they began writing in Florida just as a lark. What could be simpler, they thought.
Don't fool yourself, Kekewich said. It was the steepest learning curve one could imagine, in which they have immersed themselves in such minutiae as learning how a book is formatted for the printer, obtaining an ISBN number, setting up a website, then getting involved with Shopify so they could sell their books on-line.
“People have no idea what goes into a finished product,” Kekewich declared.
“We got to the point where we would say to our husbands, 'Going to work now!'” Fluke said.
Then came the challenge of COVID-19, cancelling plans to appear at book fairs, to attend conferences, to give readings at libraries and bookstores.
On the other hand, it made home-schooling the norm, Fluke said. And even though some children are returning to classrooms, there seem to be more home-schooling families than ever. That inspired them to put activities in the back of each book – and with a website, they can add new ones all the time.
Fluke called the books teacher-ready, and shared the thoughts of a Cobourg friend who said they could be invaluable for a substitute teacher to keep on hand, take into a classroom with her, and have ready in case a lesson plan leaves her with more time to fill.
The Snuggery ladies take pride in making the whole business a local initiative, with local artists illustrating and Willow Publishing in Brighton doing their printing (as opposed to the big publishers who use offshore resources to put out children's book). This makes the books more expensive, but there's so much to be said for staying local – such as supporting local businesses and local jobs.
Among those businesses that have supported them with advice and expertise are Let's Talk Books and Cardboard Reality in Cobourg and Hidden Brook Press in Brighton, Fluke listed.
Looking ahead, they are hoping to get better at the on-line marketing thing. They have qualified for a grant from the Business and Entrepreneurship Centre Northumberland, which will help them get some professional guidance in that regard.
And if it gets to the point where there are profits, Fluke said, they hope to be able to make donations to literacy programs. In the meantime, they can at least donate books, and this is something they are planning to start in the near future - “particularly in women's shelters, so kids can have their own books.”
At the Cornerstone Family Violence Prevention Centre in Cobourg, for example, women sometimes have to leave in a hurry, taking few possessions with them. For children involved in such situations, Fluke said, having books of their own can not only be comforting but uplifting,.
“There's a message in every book – perseverance, friendship.”