Middle School Writing: Passion Projects
Ages 9 - 14
Aimee Gonzalez Niebuhr
It began on my grandmother’s lap, a tender devotion to storytelling. Here I learned that stories are the salve and literature, the language of love. Traveling together to faraway worlds, I now gather my own children close to recount those tales of adventure and reveal the hidden treasure of a good book.
As a child, I yearned for the freedom of a crisp, clean journal and the seclusion of a shady oak tree. Upon my first poetry publication at age ten, the love affair deepened. I knew that everyone had a story to tell and having those stories heard was an inherent right. Continuing to fill notebooks and gracing student anthologies throughout high school and college, I entered into the early years of motherhood as a freelance writer, believing that stories are what link us to one another, not only amongst generations of families, but beyond borders and across time. From teaching preschool to cofounding a homeschooling cooperative, where I’ve written coursework and led a variety of classes throughout the years, I have been honored to journey alongside children of all ages as they discover their own powerful voices.
My family arrived at homeschooling quite accidentally, deciding to delay kindergarten for my late-August born eldest. Seven years into our “delay,” I cannot imagine a path more delightful. Home educating allows for space to seek my creative endeavors while partnering with my children in the pursuit of theirs — what a dream! Freelancing, blogging, and diving deeply into the books I’m working to publish fill me to the brim with joy. When the scorching heat of the Texas sun isn’t driving us indoors to read mountains of (overdue) library books, you may find us at our family ranch right outside of Austin, learning to name every vibrant wildflower and delicate butterfly, happily sinking our toes into the sandy banks of the rolling river, and believing we can engage with the birdsong filling the blue skies above us.
