I’ve always liked poetry, even as a child. That’s why I decided to make a lens called Classic Funny Poems for Kids. I included poems like The Jumblies, Matilda Told Such Dreadful Lies and A Naughty Little Comet.

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I think I was about 6 or 7 years old when I learned to read and it was momentous. We were encouraged to read for pleasure at school and I took to it like a duck to water.

I can vividly remember saving up for five weeks to get a particular paperback book, The Children Who Lived in a Barn. Finally, I received my pocket money on Saturday as usual and I thought I had enough money but, when I counted it, I was one penny short. I was so upset. Luckily, my aunt was visiting us and she not only gave me the penny I needed, she gave me the whole amount. Virtue rewarded!

To show how long ago this happened, the book cost 2/6 as we used to write it which was two shillings and sixpence, the equivalent today of about 22.5 pence (50 cents approx). I got sixpence a week pocket money which is how I know how long I’d saved. I can still remember the book today and was amazed to discover that it’s been reprinted in the UK by Persephone Books and is for sale on Amazon.co.uk.

I love poetry and have many books of poems which I dip into often. My love of poetry began at infants school when we were read poems like Edward Lear’s The Jumblies and The Owl and the Pussycat.

I always encourage children to read and love books. I give any children of family and friends books as Christmas or birthday gifts. The only surprise for them is which book or books they’ll get. It seems to have worked well because those children that are now grown up all love to read too but I can’t take all the credit. Their parents encouraged their love of reading and books by reading to them and taking them to the library to borrow books. There have always been lots of books in their homes too and their parents set them a good example by reading a lot themselves.

My Squidoo lens about some of my favourite children’s literature:
Classic Funny Poems for Kids
The Dark is Rising Sequence
The Wind in the Willows
Richmal Crompton, author of the William books

I’ve already written several Squidoo lens (pages) about books and authors. The last one was about The Dark is Rising Sequence, a five volume fantasy series for children by Susan Cooper. I didn’t read it till I was 35 and it’s one of my favourites now. I’m considering doing more lenses about books but can’t decide which ones to do at the moment.

I’d also like to do some ‘How to’ articles, again I’m undecided about the subject.

When I received commissions to write articles for magazines, it was easy. The editor would ask for 2000 words on a particular subject and give me a deadline plus information if he or she wanted a particular angle. I’d research it using the internet and old-fashioned things like books. While I was doing the research, I’d find that the way I’d tackle it would form in my mind so I could sit down and pretty much write it straightaway when I had enough information. I’d leave it for a day, read it again, go through and take out repeated words and phrases, unnecessary adjectives and adverbs, and reword anything that was clumsy. If I had time, I’d leave it another day, read it again and do any polishing that was needed.

I found that my articles were used without any or much sub-editing because I took so much trouble to refine them myself.

The difficulty I have writing online is that I can choose any subject I like. It’s so hard to decide sometimes. I like it when a topic pops into my mind and I desperately want to write about it. My big problem, particularly on Squidoo, is that I’m spoilt for choice.