Articles written by Maria Tussing

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About me - Maria Tussing

I'm a journalist by training, a mother by chance and a writer by choice. I love the outdoors and sharing them with my children. I'm working transitioning from a contract graphic design career to a freelance writing one. I work from home with my three kids

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Parenting & Pregnancy > Children's Activities (Other) Books to share with your kids: 1 of 10

As a lifelong bibliophile, one of my greatest fears was that my kids wouldn't share my love of reading. Luckily, that fear was never realized and my kids have found the magic in books since they were big enough to turn the pages of board books. Unfortunately, our tastes often diverge, with their preferences tending toward fa...
Arts & Humanities > Children's Literature Writing children's books: Getting started: 1 of 9

"'Gin." "You want me to read it again?" A sleepy nod was the reply. I opened the dog-eared book for the ninth time (literally) and we snuggled in for another round of "Stranger in the Woods." I turned the pages mechanically, reciting the words from a place that didn't require any active part of my brain. And this was a book ...
Arts & Humanities > Children's Literature Great children's books about trees: 2 of 10

The summer sun sifts through the leaves, pooling shade on the ground like a length of watered silk. A decade or two ago, this setting would have been irresistible to practically any child. It would beckon with the promise of a treehouse, a tire swing, an imaginary pirate ship or just a cool, shady place for a summer's dreams...
Creative Writing > Memoirs Memoirs: My unusual garden story about weeds or pests: 31 of 64

The sun baked the dirt into pebbles, each step grinding them into my bare feet. The row of onion sets stretched out before me like the trail through purgatory. Judging from the expressions on my brothers' faces, their thoughts were following a similar path. "While you weed the onions you can think about how you can get along...
Arts & Humanities > Children's Literature How books affect children: 18 of 36

"Once upon a time..." The very words are magic. Long before I could read I learned that the most magical words are neatly encased between the covers of books. Growing up in the modern age of the 1980s without a TV, my brothers and I learned that reading was a choice. And with my mother carefully selecting the first books we ...
Creative Writing > Essays Essays: Parenting: 26 of 39

The nightmare lingered through the day. At 4:30 this morning I got up, got a drink of water and stood in my daughter's doorway. The nightmares had started when Elisa started sleeping through the night. I didn't think I'd miss the thudding of footie-pajamaed feet at three a.m., but I'll take the endless stroking of the sleepy...
Arts & Humanities > Children's Literature Great children's books about springtime: 5 of 6

Rain. Growing things. Baby animals. Blooming flowers. Spring brings to mind a lot of things, and some great books bring spring to mind. Here are some good reads that bring the sights, sounds and feel of spring to paper any time of the year. 1. "Raindrop Plop" by Wendy Cheyette Lewison, Illustrated by Pam Paparone. "One littl...