A sister and brother, forced to write in the summer, and share ONE journal? Ugh.
This is exactly what happens to 10-year-old twins Maggie and Max Pruitt. When Mom comes up with a plan for them to keep a summer journal, Maggie and Max can’t believe it. Worse yet, they have to share!
Through their writing, Maggie and Max find out they have very different (and hilarious) views about growing up, family and life – a conclusion they only discovered because, as Max and Maggie say, “Mom Made Us Write This.”
Mom Made Us Write This In The Summer is a journal-style book for children that captures the essence of sibling relationships. Anyone with a brother or sister will identify with the fun and struggles that Max and Maggie experience this summer! From a trip to the zoo to the annual check-up at the docs – read all about the life adventures of Maggie & Max.
Targeted Age Group:: 8 – 12
What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
I love kids and everything kid-related – so writing for kids just made sense to me! My degree is in elementary education and I have always been a huge advocate for reading and writing. As a mom, I always encouraged my kids to read and write, especially when they disagreed. My kids get along pretty well, but inevitably, they often had the same he-said, she-said arguments I used to have with my sister when we were growing up. My book’s characters, Maggie and Max, are 10 year old twins whose mom makes them share a journal. Sometimes the agree, sometimes they don’t, just like in real families. The journal-style of the book is a great way to see how two kids can have very a different point of view of the same events. I originally created the characters of Maggie and Max to entertain my kids, and to try to help them understand each other’s point of view. I wanted to show my kids that it is ok to disagree, but there is a way to communicate your differences without arguing, and I think Mom Made Us Write This In The Summer encourages that.
How Did You Come up With Your Characters?
The characters in my book are loosely based on the antics of my children and our family, but I definitely embellished a little along the way! My family is very much like the Pruitts in the book – I am the former teacher, who is always pushing everyone to read and write, my husband is the “fun” parent who eats too much ice cream, and my kids are very much like the characters Maggie and Max. Some things are made up- like the hippo “toot” ( I got that idea for a you tube video that made my son laugh for about an hour) but some things are based on our real life – We do actually have an ice-cream day every year like the Pruitts!
About the Author:
Ali was born in Johnstown, PA, and grew up Upper St. Clair, just south Pittsburgh. She now lives in a Cleveland suburb with her husband and two children.
Ali has a BA in Elementary Education from John Carroll University. She loves spending time with her family, reading, writing, kayaking and paddle boarding on Lake Erie. Ali also loves to travel with her family, and has visited 16 different countries and many places in the beautiful USA.
Ali chose to write the Mom Made Us Write This series to encourage young readers to do something she loves – to read! Ali wanted to write a book series that would allow readers to laugh and encourage them to write and share their own stories.
Links to Purchase Print Books
Link to Buy Mom Made Us Write This In The Summer Print Edition at Amazon
Link to Buy Mom Made Us Write This In The Summer Print Edition at Barnes and Noble
