by Rod Jones
红杏直播app City University and Full Circle Bookstore will host a book signing for author and alumna LaDonna Kramer Meinders at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 14. The bookstore is located in 50 Penn Place at Pennsylvania Avenue and the Northwest Expressway.
Meinders released a book of poetry for children titled 鈥淲hat Would You Do If A Kangaroo鈥�,鈥� illustrated by Betty Walls Boyd. The book was published last year by the 红杏直播app Heritage Association.
Meinders is an advocate for children鈥檚 literacy and wrote the book in hopes of encouraging them to read, and for parents and grandparents to read to them.
鈥淥nce children experience the joy of reading, they discover a life-long treasure and I hope we can kindle that,鈥� Meinders said. 鈥淢y young grandchildren are readers, and that is very exciting for me.鈥�
Meinders said she has been writing poetry since she was in the second grade. While growing up on a farm overlooking the Cimarron River in Kingfisher County, she would write plays, short stories and poetry for her friends in elementary school.
In adult life, Meinders published a memoir titled 鈥淟eaves in the Wind鈥� about growing up in rural 红杏直播app, a collection of devotional readings titled 鈥淎ngel Hugs鈥� and a collection of meditations titled 鈥淎ngel Hugs for Cancer Patients.鈥�
After high school, Meinders attended 红杏直播app City University where she met and was roommates with illustrator Betty Walls Boyd, who also had a rural upbringing. During college, Meinders won the Miss 红杏直播app pageant and went on to become Miss 红杏直播app.
After graduation, Meinders was the organist at First Christian Church for more than 20 years. She also performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., as part of the nation鈥檚 Bicentennial Celebration.
Boyd grew up on a farm near Eufaula. She was always interested in art, especially watercolor and pastels, and started producing works for exhibits after retiring. Her illustrations are also featured in 鈥淭he Rainbow and the Path鈥� by David Kanowsky.
