My Writing

Introduction:
Before I learned to read, I filled my life with picture books.
My parents read to me everyday. We did so much reading, that we developed a reputation at the library.

We must have read hundreds of books, but there were two books in particular that changed my life.
They were, Something From Nothing and When Jessie Came Across the Sea.

Something From Nothing tells the story of a little boy whose Grandpa makes him a baby blanket. As he gets older, the grandfather changes the blanket into a coat, a vest, a handkerchief, and finally a button. When the button goes missing, the boy makes "something from nothing" by writing a story about the whole experience.

When Jessie Came Across the Sea made me cry every time. It's about a young woman who leaves her grandmother to start a new life in America. She works in a tailor shop, learns English, and falls in love. Years later, she saves enough money to bring her grandmother to America as well.

These two books were my fist loves. I read them again and again until I could recite them verbatim.
When I read these books, I saw my history. I saw my culture. Most importantly, however, I saw myself.

When I was reading, I was the little the boy who made "something from nothing." Between the pages of those books, I was Jesse.

When I learned to read on my own, I graduated from picture books. I read veraciously for years...but no books ever affected me quite like Something From Nothing and When Jessie Came Across the Sea. 

Now that I'm older, I've done a lot of thinking about this.
Why?
Why did these books mean so much to me? Why did they touch me in such a profound way?

To be honest, I think the Jewish element of these stories captivated me. I loved seeing my well-loved traditions and customs displayed in the pages of a book. I felt a connection to those books that has never been replicated to this day.

When I graduated to chapter books (and eventually to middle grade), I found that the selection of Jewish literature had gradually diminished. There were plenty of books about the Holocaust-- but there was very little about modern Jewish kids doing modern Jewish things.

The lack of Jewish books led me to write my own stories. These stories were about Jewish families and holidays. I wrote about family problems and religious identity and finding a balance between modernity and tradition.

In high school, writing became my outlet. I wrote my first novel (which not surprisingly turned out to be a young adult combination of Something From Nothing and When Jessie Came Across the Sea). The book was called The Dressmaker's Secret, and it was about a high school senior who struggles to understand her complicated family history.

I can't say that The Dressmaker's Secret was the best piece of writing I ever wrote (I mean I was 17 when I finished it). But it got me hooked on writing Jewish stories. AND THAT brings me to now-- my senior year of college.

I study elementary and special education, and my writing focus has shifted. I want to try my hand at writing for young children. I want to write the stories I so desperately craved in elementary school.

For my senior independent study, I will be composing my own original work of children's literature. Feel free to follow along on my journey :)

Something From Nothing and When Jessie Came Across the Sea truly moved my heart as a child. One day, I hope to move someone with my own words. It may never happen, but a girl can dream.

Here's to a fantastic year!
B'ahava,
Elana