by Cindy C Bennett

Reading books to your children at bedtime is a long-standing important tradition. I think the best way to introduce your children to the love of literature is to read to them from the day they are born.

As a writer, I'm constantly making up stories in my head. One night, when my sons were little, I was tucking them in and realized we'd forgotten to choose a book. Knowing that if I let them out of bed to choose one, it'd be another half hour before I got them back into bed, I decided instead to tell them a story.

I began telling them a story of two brothers and their adventures with a dragon. Of course the stars of the story shared names with my sons. They loved it! Every night after that, they wanted more, and we continued to build on the same story. I didn't realize what an impact my making up stories rather than just reading them was having on the boys until a few years ago.

My sons, now grown, were excited when I published my first book. Their only question was how soon I was going to write and publish the story I'd made up for them years ago. I had no idea they even remembered the story, but they do, and they want it in print.

I'm so glad I took the time to do something a little outside the box, something that all these years later my children remember and cherish. Something as simple as making up a story for them, and spending the time to share it with them.