 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE JANUARY 25, 2021 MEMPHIS, TN – A Memphis area mother and her two teenage daughters recently used the area’s COVID-19 restrictions to fulfill a dream and publish a children’s book to increase early childhood literacy. “We aren’t going out as much and it was a perfect time to work on this book,” said mother Ayanna Murray. “I’ve always told my daughters we’d give back to the community and write a children’s book to encourage children to read.” According to a Forbes article published late last year, the U.S. Department of Education reports that barely half of the adults age 17-74 read below a sixth-grade level. Low literacy starts in childhood. According to the Literacy Project, children are 90% more likely to be poor readers at the end of the fourth grade if they are a poor reader at the end of first grade. This is why Murray focused on writing a children’s book. “One of the greatest gifts we can give children is literacy and a love of reading. I’ve given that to my kids and I want to give that gift to others. Especially children in the Memphis area.” CUTLINE: Ayanna Murray and her daughters Jayda (16) and Anaya (14) holding their book, Bear Learns to Share. ABOUT: Ayanna Murray recently moved to Memphis, TN from Connecticut with her husband and four children. She is a homeschool educator and holds a BA in education and a minor in Spanish from the University of Oregon. CONTACT: For more information or comments, contact Ayanna Murray at murray.ayanna@gmail.com 
2 Comments
 That's right folks--the Bear Learns to Share Activity Book is now complete! This was such an exciting project because it took me back to when my kids were in preschool and as their teacher--I loved teaching them basic foundational knowledge. I can't believe I have four teenagers now!
Anyway I designed the workbook specifically for kids ages 3-5, and it is a great accompaniment to the picture book, Bear Learns to Share, which shows that sharing is fun! So now you can get the book, coloring book, AND the workbook! This 50-page workbook includes recognizing and tracing shapes, identifying colors, coloring, counting, mazes, and more. It's the perfect workbook for kids to practice their fine motor skills and a great way to develop skills for school readiness and success. Learn more here.  I am so excited to share, that after 6 years of writing, I am officially a published author! What’s really special about this book project is that I co-authored it with my 14-year-old daughter Anaya. And to make it even more significant, my 16-year-old daughter, Jayda was the illustrator and book cover designer. We started the project in May 2019 but moved from New York to the south so basically, our momentum and publishing process was completely interrupted. However, a few months ago, I picked the story back up and now we are happy to present, “Bear Learns to Share” with an accompanying, “Bear Learns to Share Coloring Book.” Kids will relate instantly with the main character, Little Bear, an only cub who loves to play by himself and is not used to sharing. He becomes terribly upset and engages in a full out tantrum when his cousins come to play. Ultimately, Bear realizes that if he calms himself down, he too can experience great joy and fun when sharing his things. The girls and I plan on writing a complete Bear Learns series which is geared towards children pre-school through second grade. Learn more by clicking here. |
AuthorAyanna is an author that enjoys writing fiction, historical fiction, non-fiction, and poetry for children. She has written over 15 stories and hopes to publish them in the near future. Archives
April 2021
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