Hello out there gang….. I’m excited to have you all join me one way or another. I’ve built my last 2 books with my own readers, yup, in “real time,” too. What I mean by that is teachers and students have been following me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter when I’m out in the field shooting photos and getting info for my books, which are really now OUR books. My followers have some ownership in the final product. We are ALL authors, and I’m here to make it happen.
One book was set in the remote Himalayas with a young monk who will become a great teacher or Lama. He is only 5 years old, and it is so good for children to see other children their age, around the world, and what they are doing. This young lad is studying something we all should, “Loving Kindness” and this is the title of the book.
The other book is with the “Lion Queens of India.” There are only a little over 500 of the Asiatic Lion still in existence and they are all at Gir Sanctuary in Gujarat, India. I went deep into the forest with 2 of these female rangers called Lion Queens, and my followers went too, daily with my tweets and postings, and I read their responses very carefully! Eagerly waiting for them. And yes, we saw lions.
I was invited to speak about building books in real time with my readers, at the ECIS conference for International School Librarians having their annual meeting in Chennai, India. This was wonderful! The idea is spreading. So you can follow me now, and look back and see what we did, and then come with me to make our next book!!
Jan Reynolds is an adventurer, writer, and photographer, as well as a CLiF Presenter. Follow her travels at:
I have been hearing about it for months. Just a few days ago, I almost scalded myself while cooking when my husband Tom exclaimed, “IT’S ALMOST HERE!!!”
“What?!” I responded with more than a hint of annoyance. I assumed it was something dire based on his hurried inflection. I held my breath and waited for an admission of an upcoming bill or forgotten birthday.
“Talk Like a Pirate Day!” Tom replied, looking up from his calendar with a Cheshire Cat grin.
The Adventures of Raina in Rainworld is a collection of fabulous and creative stories starring Raina, the champion of all children who would be outdone by their older siblings.
Raina is glamourous, athletic, tough, adventurous and independent. She can do anything that an older sibling can do and then some. She can read, cook, climb, ride a bike, fly, and toggle between her world and ours in the blink of an eye.
Usually we here at CLiF eat, think, breathe, and blog kids and kid’s literature. We do love them. But some days you just have to indulge your own interests.
Fascinating! So exciting to learn of this work.