MONTICELLO - Margaret Wenger has always had a love of children and writing.
Now retired after more than four decades teaching elementary school in Monticello, she is finally getting a chance to combine her lifelong loves. The Monroe resident recently published a children's book, "Christopher Cricket's Christmas."
She read the story to kindergarteners and first- and second-graders Monday morning at the Monticello Public Library. After the reading, she presented a copy to the library.
In the past couple of weeks, Wenger has also read it to preschoolers in the area and to a group of children from Big Brothers Big Sisters who was singing carols at Monroe Manor, where her 93-year-old mother lives.
"I enjoyed their reactions," she said. "Their eyes lit up."
Inspired by Dr. Seuss, aka Theodor Seuss Geisel, Wenger wrote the book under a pen name, Tera Regnew (her last name and the last four letters of her first name backwards.) The story follows the adventures of a cricket who is transported in a load of firewood from his home in the woods to a house basement. On one of his investigations around the house, he discovers the family's Christmas celebration.
"Christopher Cricket's Christmas" is Wenger's second children's book. Trafford, an independent publisher in Bloomington, Ind., printed the book and connected her with an illustrator.
She aims to keep her stories as realistic as possible. Children spend a lot of time living in fantasies, she says, and appreciate literature that mirrors reality. The cricket story is based on a true experience: Years ago, Wenger found a cricket in a pile of firewood in her basement.
Next she plans to write a memoir of anecdotes from her years teaching first grade. She's calling the book "Well, I'm 7 now." That's the hands-on-hip reaction she got from a boy one time, after she told him how big he was getting.
"As if that explained everything," she said with a laugh. She's dedicating the book to him.
Wenger works on the memoir whenever she gets time, but isn't pushing it. She's got traveling to do and grandchildren to see.
"I'm retired. I'm enjoying life," she said.
"Christopher Cricket's Christmas" is available for purchase via trafford.com or Barnes and Noble.
Now retired after more than four decades teaching elementary school in Monticello, she is finally getting a chance to combine her lifelong loves. The Monroe resident recently published a children's book, "Christopher Cricket's Christmas."
She read the story to kindergarteners and first- and second-graders Monday morning at the Monticello Public Library. After the reading, she presented a copy to the library.
In the past couple of weeks, Wenger has also read it to preschoolers in the area and to a group of children from Big Brothers Big Sisters who was singing carols at Monroe Manor, where her 93-year-old mother lives.
"I enjoyed their reactions," she said. "Their eyes lit up."
Inspired by Dr. Seuss, aka Theodor Seuss Geisel, Wenger wrote the book under a pen name, Tera Regnew (her last name and the last four letters of her first name backwards.) The story follows the adventures of a cricket who is transported in a load of firewood from his home in the woods to a house basement. On one of his investigations around the house, he discovers the family's Christmas celebration.
"Christopher Cricket's Christmas" is Wenger's second children's book. Trafford, an independent publisher in Bloomington, Ind., printed the book and connected her with an illustrator.
She aims to keep her stories as realistic as possible. Children spend a lot of time living in fantasies, she says, and appreciate literature that mirrors reality. The cricket story is based on a true experience: Years ago, Wenger found a cricket in a pile of firewood in her basement.
Next she plans to write a memoir of anecdotes from her years teaching first grade. She's calling the book "Well, I'm 7 now." That's the hands-on-hip reaction she got from a boy one time, after she told him how big he was getting.
"As if that explained everything," she said with a laugh. She's dedicating the book to him.
Wenger works on the memoir whenever she gets time, but isn't pushing it. She's got traveling to do and grandchildren to see.
"I'm retired. I'm enjoying life," she said.
"Christopher Cricket's Christmas" is available for purchase via trafford.com or Barnes and Noble.