As a working mom, Jennifer Karin Sidford understands how easy it is to overlook kids’ needs for quality time when the laundry needs to be done, the dishes have to be washed, and homework must be reviewed. DreamStarters, Sidford says, was born at bedtime when her children would ask her to tell a story, and, drained from a long day, she would begin a story then ask her kids to tell her what happened next. What began as a solution to her own lack of creativity at the end of the day is now a continuing source of new ideas and a favorite family tradition.
Sidford, an award-winning humor columnist, lives in Massachusetts where she writes for a living. Her previous books include Letters to a Girl and The Bear Who Loves Halloween. She also has had a twenty-year career in advertising and public relations. Her passion for writing—be it a press release, an advertisement, a column, or a short story— stems from her love of reading.
Growing up in Vermont, Sidford’s mother instilled in her daughter a love for reading very early on. They read every night and brought vocabulary words to the dinner table for discussion. “My earliest influence, without question, was E.B. White,” Sidford says. “Stuart Little, Charlotte’s Web, and Trumpet of the Swan were all books my mom brought home for me. I treasured each one.”
Sidford lives in Massachusetts with her husband and three sons in a 200-year-old home that was once inhabited by sea captains.
Where to find Jennifer Karin online
The Dreamstarter Book, Volume 2
The Dreamstarter Book, Volume 2 contains story starters and activities to help unlock the awesome power of your child’s imagination. The book is divided into helpful storytelling sections: Getting Started, Characters, Illustration, Setting, and Group Activities. And, at the request of young readers, this edition contains more hair-raising adventures. A perfect introduction to creative writing.
The Dreamstarter Book
The Dreamstarter Book is a storytelling activity book that introduces adventures and asks, “What happens next?” Through storytelling prompts, children learn how to stretch their imaginations while finishing the tale with infinite possibilities. A perfect companion for car rides and rainy days, The Dreamstarter Book is the winner of the Book of the Year Award from Creative Child magazine.
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