In the News

Area Authors write for children

By Melina Huddy, Parkersburg News, published Friday, August 24, 2007

PARKERSBURG - Janet Myers was looking for nonfiction works for her fifth-grade students, Mary Curtis sought an entertaining story to illustrate the Ten Commandments for her grandchildren and Margot Justice wanted to share the stories of her Windswept Farm.

They each found a way to accomplish their goal by setting  pen to paper. Now published children's authors, the three will all be present  for a booksigning beginning at 2 p.m. Sept. 8 at Borders at Grand Central Mall.

Myers, a Parkersburg native, returned to the area after she and her husband's retirement and now resides in Mineral Wells. She is the author of seven children's titles, nonfiction works targeting the fifth-grade audience.

Myers' three latest works will be offered, including "Spooky Creature Riddles," "Critter Jokes and Riddles," and "Water Wonders of the World."

"I write about things that make me want to learn more about them. "Water Wonders" has everything from tsunamis and giant squid to killer whales and Atlantis," Myers said.

Curtis, in the midst of a move from Walker to Central, will be on hand with her first work, "Little Stinky Gets Ready for School," the first in a planned Ten Commandment series.

"My granddaughter liked the stories I told her better than the ones I read to her. One day, my daughter suggested that I publish. I did and now I'm writing children's books," Curtis said.

Margot Justice, Little Hocking, was given a book of animal stories by her mother. The date on the fly-leaf is 1948.

"I loved those stories and always said I would write animal stories of my own someday," Justice said. "Then, when Abby, the first baby alpaca, was born at Windswept Farm, there was no one there but me. I had to tell somebody, so I sat down, right then and there, and wrote it. That was the beginning of "Tails from Windswept Farm,"

With illustrations by local cartoonist J.D. Williamson, Justice's work takes the reader throughthe seasons on the farm, teaching a little about life and a lot about alpacas along the way.

"It's written to be read aloud or for third- or fourth-graders. I thought the whole time I was writing it that it was a once-in-a-lifetime, but now, there's another book forming in my mind. Alphie, our mascot, is from Chile and Bolivia, so it seems only fitting that he teach children Spanish, I think," Justice said.

Alphie will be on hand at the Sept. 8 book signing.