The Millstone Times October 2021

Two Times Mom’s Choice Award Winner Joan Ruddiman

Author and retired educator, Joan Ruddiman, EdD, received not one, but two, Mom’s Choice Awards for her two newly released children’s books, Little Children, BIG feelings, and Today Cara Goes to Kindergarten. Little Children, BIG feelings, gives real life examples for every day type of feelings, helping children discover words to express their emotions. Her second Mom’s Choice Award book, Today Cara Goes to Kindergarten, tells of the emotional experience of the first day of school, not just for the child, but for the parents as well. The books encourage extended activities to help readers apply lessons to their lives. Joan says she was surprised by her interest in writing children’s books. “They pre- sented themselves and demanded my attention!” Though she has taught kindergar- ten through college age, most of her career was spent with middle school students, where she shared her love of language arts and the humanities. Joan is a reading spe- cialist (Rutgers, Graduate School of Education), and holds a doctorate in curriculum and teaching from Teachers College, Columbia. From a very early age in life, Joan loved to write. She wrote poems and stories as a young girl. In her teen years, she wrote for newspapers. She wrote for a local paper for twenty years. She has also published articles for a host of professional journals. Joan has been married for 46 years and has three grown children. She lives in Al- lentown, NJ, where she has been very active in her town’s functions. Today she is enjoying the benefits of being a grandparent to five grandchildren, with a sixth on the way. Her grandchildren were a big inspiration for her in coming up with ideas for her children’s books. The contents for her books were derived from those ideas that Joan thought were worth sharing.

The book is beautifully illustrated by Jo Ann Kairy, who Joan originally contacted to become her book coach. Luckily for Joan, Jo Ann was also an award winning illustrator. Jo Ann coached Joan through the process of publishing her book and discussing idea’s for the illustrations. Through this process, Jo Ann was able to bring Joan’s book to life. Not only did she do the illustrations, as a book coach, she helped guide the process of publishing and marketing the books. Joann has two more books in the works. What Do You Call YOUR Grandmother? And What Do You Call YOUR Grandfather? You can check out her website for release dates and other important information. Books are available through Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, and other book sellers. You can also order through Joan’s website- just press the order button. www.JoanRuddimanEdD.com Joan would love to hear from you about her books, so after you read them, please feel free to send a review to Amazon.

42 The Millstone Times

October 2021