MEMBER AUTHOR
Introducing Socks and Mean Sister By Shannon Lorenzo-Rivero, TN Chi
S
ocks, a playful and inquisitive house cat, was introduced to young readers in June 2020 by Melanie Collins, TN Beta Theta, in her book “Socks on the Loose.” It was so well received that she followed it with “Socks on the Loose Again” published in November 2020 and “Socks and the Mean Sister” released in July. In his first adventure, Socks finds himself in the jungle. In his second adventure, he is in space. The illustrations by Saba Ijaz add to the enjoyment of the stories. The idea for her books began with Melanie’s love for her own three cats. Socks is named after her own Socks, and Mean Sister is like her cat, Kira. When COVID hit, Melanie decided to complete a manuscript she had begun years earlier and Socks was born. In the books, Socks lives with his Humans and Mean Sister. The books are described by reviewers as enjoyable for young readers and cat lovers alike and are recommended for ages four to seven. Melanie, a native of Nashville, TN, joined Beta Theta in 2019 and is currently the chapter’s vice president. She holds a B.S. in Elementary Education from the University of Tennessee and an M.Ed. in Education Administration and Supervision from Covenant College. She began her teaching career in 1992 as a kindergarten teacher in a private school. She also taught first grade in the Metro Nashville public schools and was a reading specialist for eight years in that school system. She retired in 2013, but returned to do reading intervention for three years. Melanie is a past president of the Tennessee Reading Association and is now the Middle Tennessee District Coordinator for that association. She is also president of LEADER, a special interest group with the International Literacy Association. Socks can be found at Target, Walmart and on Amazon.
“Love only grows by sharing. You can only have more for yourself by giving it away to others.” ~ Brian Tracy, Canadian motivational speaker Carol Johnson , TX Beta Omicron
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