Moms publish award winning books to parent, teacher applause

Stacey Kannenberg and Linda Desimowich are neighbors and "walking buddies" who took steps toward their dream to write books and came up singing their ABC's.

Did you ever have a dream that sparked your enthusiasm for life? Has it become like a burning ember being smothered by the remnants of everything else you do? Have you ever wondered what would happen if you fan the fire by taking action to make your dream become a reality?

Stacey Kannenberg and Linda Desimowich are neighbors and "walking buddies" who were stay-at-home mothers when their dreams became ignited while watching an episode of the Oprah show about a contest for fulfilling dreams. Desimowich suggested that they write the book that they had often talked about.

While the friends went on their walks, Desimowich often discussed what her Kindergartener daughter was learning in school. Kannenberg was astonished to learn how much curriculum was covered within a year. She thought about the "No Child Left Behind" policy and how parents could be better prepared to help their children if a book for parents existed that detailed the curriculum for each school year. Kannenberg feels most parents want to be involved in the educational process but do not know what to do. They imagined the book to be a fun way for parents to be involved with their children's education.

Desimowich and Kannenberg decided to make their vision a reality. They began writing the book during the Fall of 2003, and formed a company in June of 2004. Throughout the process, Kannenberg found inspiration, motivation and technical support through watching various Oprah shows. Kannenberg stated once they had their book completed, Oprah even had a show on self-publishing.

Today, Desimowich and Kannenberg are co-authors of Let's Get Ready for Kindergarten and have sold over 8,000 books. Their work has received several awards including the Adding Wisdom Award from Parent to Parent, and a Silver Addy for illustrations. Also selected as one of the top new products for kids in Orca Communication's Fall Media's Best Guide, the book is currently used in over 40 school districts, and is in the review process for distribution to all California State Schools.

Let's Get Ready for First Grade! will be available for sale beginning in January 2006, and Let's Get Ready For Second Grade! is already under development. This dynamic duo learned as long as they keep their fire burning, there is no limit to their success. To learn more information and to see sample pages of the book, go to www.cedarvalleypublishing.com.