CUTV News Radio spotlights Brenda Fickey of the Reluctant Reader's Friend

Camden, AR – Too much of reading for children is homework. As a result, they never truly learn how to read for enjoyment, to place themselves in the story and unlock their imagination. There has to be a balance.

Brenda Fickey has dedicated her entire career as a teacher to strike that balance. As the Reluctant Reader’s Friend, Brenda promotes literacy among young readers.

“When I decided I wanted to write for children and young people, I decided what I wanted to do was reach out to those reluctant readers, because they need some good materials to work with,” says Brenda. “In the process of educating them, I'm entertaining them and giving them a purpose behind the reading itself.”

Brenda is the author of The Arkansas Oil Days series for middle readers, fifth through eighth grade. The series includes Whispering Darkness, Echoing Silence, Beckoning Shadows and Kidnapped Justice. Readers will be excited to learn Brenda is currently working on a fifth book in the series, Stolen Slumber.

“It gave me the opportunity to share these stories and fascinate them with adventure, as well as place them within the context of the story themselves. It's like virtual reality without the virtual reality goggles,” says Brenda.

“It's much more challenging than writing a novel for a particular genre,” says Brenda. “I include enough in it so the avid reader can enjoy them, too. I have challenging vocabulary as well as typical vocabulary for those age groups.”

For more information on Reluctant Readers Friend, visit https://brendafickey.com.