Imitation, so they say, is the sincerest form of flattery. It’s also a great way to start developing your child’s storytelling muscles.  Young children often memorize the words to their favorite books. It’s a short step from that to changing the words slightly to make your own version. Here are five popular picture books that you may have in your house that are a great jumping-off point for writing your own stories with your preschool-age child.  This is a great activity for a lazy vacation day.

I always wanted my kids to be readers.  Actually, let me rephrase:  I was determined that if I did nothing else in my career as a mother, my kids would be readers.  My own “book lover” credentials are pretty solid – editor dad, literary agent mom, elementary school career spent holed up in a closet writing (bad) poetry.  Throw in the fact that I put books in the same category as food and water, and that pretty much sums it up.

It’s a great time of year to try your hand at creating a ghost story, creepy Halloween story or other seasonal tale. Here are a few tips to take you beyond “it was a dark and stormy night….”