Synopses & Reviews
When he was quite young, the Word Burglar desperately wanted to learn to read, but his mother and father were too busy working and caring for his big brothers and sisters to stop long enough to teach him. “Please,” he begged. “The words look good enough to eat. Please, somebody! Teach me how to read!” Children at the cusp of reading will understand the insatiable desire that turns this quiet little boy to a life of crime, stealing words from the books of friends and neighbors with the faint hope that one day he will be able to read. The Word Burglar reveals the beauty and power of language and helps children understand that without reading skills they become diminished. With a glossary of the Word Burglars purloined words and intriguing art that puts the power of books in proper perspective, this tongue-in-cheek tale will delight logophiles of all ages and encourage new or struggling readers to persevere.
About the Author
Like most writers, Chris Cander was first a reader-of books, of course, but also cereal boxes, shampoo bottles and billboards. Her favorite gift as a kid was a dictionary, which she read from cover to cover. After graduating from the Honors Program at the University of Houston, she attended the Ploughshares International Fiction Writer's Seminar at Kasteel Well, Netherlands and the Bread Loaf Writer's Conference, where she worked with the creators of some of her favorite books. In addition to writing children's stories, she writes fiction and screenplays and works as a journalist. A member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors, Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, the Author's Guild, and MENSA, she lives with her family in Houston, Texas.Katherine H. Tramonte holds her BA in Art with a concentration in watercolor from St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas. The founder of Horseshoe Studio she is known mainly for her portrait work in watercolor and acrylics, but she enjoys exploring other mediums. She and her family live in Texas with a cat, a dog, a fish, and a corpulent hamster named "Big Momma."