I am participating in the March Slice of Life Story Challenge. Thanks to the co-authors of              Two Writing Teachers for creating this  supportive community.

Ask yourself this question in the morning when you wake: in a world of possibilities, today, what will you make?    (from Be a Maker by Katie Howes)

There are birthday parties for babies and grandpas and everyone else in between. I’ve even been part of birthday parties for pets, houses, and cars. But one of the best celebrations is a book birthday – the day a book is released for sale.

Last night I attended the book birthday of Be a Maker from author, Katie Howes. I met Katie last year at a conference and was excited to join the birthday celebration of her third book. Be a Maker challenges readers to consider creativity, imagination, and purpose in the choices we make every day. It’s about considering possibilities in a world where everyone can make a difference.

Like most birthday celebrations, book birthdays have certain requirements. First, there must be an enthusiastic author ready to read aloud. I loved watching Katie share her labor of love, her passion for words and story clearly displayed. Bonus points if the illustrator can also be part of the celebration. (Be a Maker’s illustrator, Elizabet Vukovic, lives in San Francisco, so she wasn’t able to attend.)

Second, there definitely should be kids. Kids ready to interact and listen, kids ready to cheer and clap and laugh in the right places. Kids ready to warm the heart of the author and anyone else who happens to be listening.

Of course balloons and snacks are a must. After all, it is a party. A planned activity or craft is a nice touch. Last night we made bracelets from pre-cut measuring tape strips and decorated them with bits of colorful foam shapes.

I left with books and a little swag – bookmarks to help spread the news about this wonderful new book, and a button proclaiming that we can all help make the world a better place by being a maker.

It was a great way to spend an evening!