For Kids

Are you a writer or do you dream of becoming a writer? When I was a kid, I wanted to write and illustrate books when I grew up (I also wanted to be a teacher, an astronaut, and a politician). But I didn’t just dream of writing. I spent a lot of time actually doing it. I wrote research articles for the newsletter my brother and I founded. I also wrote a lot of imaginative stories. Thanks to my mom, a couple of them still exist. So don’t just dream it–do it!

Original cover from The Giant's Glass by Serena Gingold, 1986
Original cover from The Giant’s Glass by Serena Gingold, 1986 (I was 7 years old).
Original text (first page) of The Giant's Glass by Serena Gingold, 1986
Original text (second page) of The Giant's Glass by Serena Gingold, 1986
Original illustration/text of Adventures in the Future. The Planet Serenatron by Serena K. Gingold, 1986
Adventures in the Future. The Planet Serenatron, by Serena K. Gingold (written either in 1986 or 1987). Note: Serenatron is pronounced sur-EN-uh-tron
Original illustration from Adventures in the Future. The Planet Serenatron by Serena K. Gingold, 1986
Original text of Adventures in the Future. The Planet Serenatron by Serena K. Gingold, 1986

As a kid I used to like dressing up. A lot. And not just for Halloween. Here are a couple of examples. I still like dressing up. When I was a teacher, I dressed up at every opportunity. But these days it’s usually just on Halloween.

Photo of Serena Gingold Allen as a child
Photo of Serena Gingold Allen as a child
Original art by Serena Gingold
Watercolor and pencil by Serena Gingold, 1986

I also loved to draw and paint. I’ve always loved animals, particularly cats, and the cat above (front and center) is a classic example of how I drew cats. I actually still draw cats that look like that!