Let us introduce you to Marvin Mayer, author of Sammy Squirrel and the Sunflower Seeds and Ferdinand Frog's Flight. After a lengthy career in finance, he found his true calling – writing children’s literature.
By Marvin S. Mayer
In 2007, I retired from a lengthy career in banking, bank regulation, and asset management. My associates and supervisors consistently gave me high marks for my writing abilities. So when I moved from Dallas to East Texas, I enrolled in a "Writing for Children and Teens" correspondence course at the Institute for Children's Literature. That opened a door of fun and excitement I had not known.
I joined a local writing group and The Society for Children's Writers and Illustrators ("SCBWI.") In 2008, my first book, Sammy Squirrel and the Sunflower Seeds was published by Publish America. Ferdinand Frog's Flight, a picture book, was released in 2011 by 4RV Publishing. Both books have brought me, and the children to whom they were given (or sold) a lot of pleasure.
I enjoy being around young children and helping enrich their lives. As a result, I do and have done a significant amount of volunteer work involving children. If what I write encourages a child to embrace books, or if it brings him/her some enjoyment, I feel a sense of accomplishment. I want ALL of my books to be fun to read, so I don't write "heavy" stories. I'm not interested in being "politically correct" or in addressing social issues. Children should get their direction on those matters from their parents. As a result, some may consider my books 'old fashioned,' but the child who reads them, or has them read to him/her, just might find a subtle message that almost any parent would embrace.
In addition to the 2 books mentioned above, 2 more are under contract and should be released later this year. Both books will follow the pattern of their predecessors, i.e., they will be something a youngster might enjoy without having to endure a heavy social message embedded therein.
If you (or your readers) are old enough to remember Art Linkletter's "Kids Say The Darndest Things," radio and television sessions, you'll know why I love the honesty and innocence of children. That (innocence and honesty) is what appeals to me, and that's the child for whom I like to write. I hope I am 'hitting the mark.'
You can learn more about Marvin S. Mayer at www.kidsbooksbymarvin.com and if you’d like to contact him, his email is msm@kidsbooksbymarvin.com.
If you are an author and would like to write about your books for children - be they fiction or non-fiction - on the K5 Learning Blog, please contact asa (at) k5learning (dot) com.
