Growing up is tough! There are so many life lessons to learn that it can be challenging for parents to satisfy their child’s wonder and explain things in terms they’ll understand. Fun and educational resources can be a great way to help kids learn more about their expanding world of new adventures and first experiences. Author Jeanne Bender discovered a great way to help children learn all about life lessons in her Lindie Lou Adventure Series. Children follow along with an adorable brown puppy named Lindie Lou as she experiences new things and shares learned lessons with young readers such as a visit to an organic farm.
The Story of Lindie Lou
Who is Lindie Lou and how did her story come to fruition?
Author Jeanne Bender was inspired to write the Lindie Lou Adventure Series from her own dog’s incredible journey. Lindie Lou, or “La Petite Lindie Lou,” traveled all the way from St. Louis to her forever home in Seattle with Bender. With encouragement from friends and family, Bender wrote the “Lindie Lou Song” and later began writing children’s books to help kids experience something new with each story.
Lindie Lou’s character is based on Bender’s beloved pup and possesses similar behavioral traits. She is friendly and greets everyone with a tail wag and a butt wiggle of excitement. Young readers learn through Lindie Lou’s adventures, which are based on true stories.
What was it like to meet Lindie Lou? How did your relationship grow?
Bender recalls waiting by the large storage area at the airport for the baggage and wondering what Lindie Lou would be like, and if she would be playful or flamboyant. She hoped Lindie Lou would be healthy and thought about the green eyes she had seen in online pics of her new pup. When Lindie Lou arrived, Bender was surprised that she had grown so much and was already nine pounds. Bender brought Lindie Lou home and a newfound friendship was formed.
“Lindie Lou never cried,” says Bender. “She always was in the moment, never left my sight, and absolutely loved the yard. She played with all of her toys and chased the ducks.”
What are some of the most important life lessons children will learn from Lindie Lou’s books?
There are typically about four lessons within each book. Each lesson is printed in red letters for readers to easily identify as they follow along in the stories.
Book 1, Flying High
Kids learn how to overcome their fears as Lindie Lou faces her own fear of being outside and flies in an airplane for the first time.
Book 2, Up in Space
As Lindie Lou settles into her new life in Seattle, she meets new friends and embarks on an adventure to the Space Needle. Readers learn the importance of caution and how certain adventures are too young to do all on your own.
Book 3, Harvest Time
When Lindie Lou travels to an organic family farm, she discovers a whole new way of life and helps readers learn how farm families help feed the world.
Who are some of the other characters in Lindie Lou’s stories?
Lindie Lou’s canine family characters were influenced by lyrics of the “Lindie Lou Song” and based off jewel names such as Topaz, Jasper, Ruby, and Diamond. An exception, however, is Lindie Lou’s mother, Molly, named after Bender’s sister’s dog.
Where are Lindie Lou’s next adventures going to take place?
The next adventure in Book 4, Big City Magic, will be based in New York as Lindie Lou tries to find her way through the Big Apple. She finds out there is a tree in Manhattan with apples the size of a human head! Big City Magic should be ready for readers in October or November.
In 2019, readers can follow along with Lindie Lou in Book 5, Ride The Wave, as she learns how to surf in San Diego and gets lost in Mexico. How will she find her way?
Pina Publishing plans to feature at least twelve books in the Lindie Lou Adventure Series. Each book includes clues and hints about the pup’s next adventure.
About the Author
What inspired you to become a children’s writer?
Jeanne Bender started writing stories in the second grade. As she later developed into an author, Bender wanted readers to experience something through her writing. She loves children and eventually wanted to write for kids.
How did you find the right words for young readers?
With the help of her sister and editor, Nancy Kiefer, Bender crafted books for an appropriate younger reading level. Research also helped Bender find just the right fit of word imagination to achieve maximum reader comprehension.
How did you meet your illustrator and graphic designer? And why were they the right choice for your books?
After the first designer of the Lindie Lou series didn’t work out, Bender didn’t give up and felt, “God would find a way.” She later found Kate Willows a few weeks later and Willows’ adorable illustrations were a great fit for Lindie Lou’s adventures. Graphic designer Susan Harring does the layout and cover designs for the Lindie Lou books, as well as the logo, poster, and bookmarks. Bender is thankful she ended up with her team and considers Pina Publishing as family.
What do you enjoy most about being a writer?
“Waking up excited every day to learn what the next adventure will be,” says Bender. She thanks God that she took this path and does not regret pursuing this career.
What is your favorite part of the writing process?
Bender’s favorite part of the writing process is “the adventure and imagination.” She enjoys how the characters develop on their own and the books take on their own personalities. “It’s a journey to the end,” says Bender.
How was the experience of holding a copy of your book for the first time?
When Bender received her first print books, she remembers screaming in excitement. At the time, she was at her sister/editor’s house. Both Bender and Nancy Kiefer shared the thrilling experience by hugging each other and jumping up and down. “It felt gratifying to hold the book after enduring more than fifty rounds of edits,” Bender stated. They even smelled the freshly printed pages!
They first showed the books to Kiefer’s husband, and then brought copies over to one of her neighbors. The sweet family with three kids had acted as beta readers during Bender’s writing process, helping to identify which words were too difficult for young readers in previous drafts.
Click here to learn more about the Lindie Lou Adventure Series.
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