Name Don Winn | ||
Inaugural Trailer for the award-winning Sir Kaye the Boy Knight series by Don M. Winn
Don M. Winn (born 1961, Denver, Colorado, United States) is an American award-winning author of children's books, radio show host, dyslexia advocate, speaker, and founder of Cardboard Box Adventures Publishing. As the main contributor to the Cardboard Box Adventures blog, Winn writes on educational issues, helping struggling readers, and fostering a love of story. He has authored 11 picture books for children, including the book Superhero, and four chapter books for middle readers centered on the adventures of 12-year-old knight Sir Kaye. He has won numerous awards including the Indie Reader Discovery Award presented at the 2013 Book Expo America, two Moonbeam Children's Book Awards, and a Readers' Favorite Book Award. Winn’s articles on dyslexia have been featured in TODAY Parenting, Costco Connection Magazine, MD Monthly, Fostering Families TODAY, Latin Times, and many others.
Contents
- Inaugural Trailer for the award winning Sir Kaye the Boy Knight series by Don M Winn
- History
- Presentations
- Radio Show
- Interviews with Don Winn
- Articles by Don Winn
- Reviews
- Awards
- References
History
Winn began writing in 1989: first, poetry, then children's picture books. In 2012, he began a series of chapter books for middle readers.
As a young dyslexic student, Don never imagined becoming a writer, since both reading and writing were such challenges. But working through those struggles taught him that the harder one works for something, the more treasured it is.
Winn has been candid about his ongoing struggles with dyslexia. Growing up at a time when little was known about the processing disorder or its implications, his educational experiences were strenuous and problematic. His empathy for children who deal with dyslexia motivates his activism and educational efforts. Winn speaks publicly and blogs about educational models, research, and home strategies to help struggling, at-risk readers. His model focuses on teaching a love of story and helping children develop their identity as a reader. He encourages lap reading as the foundation of this model. Winn has included questions in each of his picture books specifically to encourage the verbal exchange between reader and child. This format was inspired by Winn's childhood experience of reading with his grandmother, then talking together about what they had read.
Presentations
Winn delivers presentations for parents, teachers, and children at schools and literary conferences. Two such presentations he developed specifically for parents and educators are “Dyslexic Readers: Meeting Challenges, Reaping Rewards,” on how best to help dyslexic readers and "Discuss, Understand, Grow," which reviews the importance of using questions during lap reading. Winn has presented “Dyslexic Readers: Meeting Challenges, Reaping Rewards” at the Region XIII Library and Literacy conference and "Discuss, Understand, Grow" has been presented at the Region XIII Library and Literacy conference and Harmony Science Academy in Austin, Texas among other venues.
Radio Show
In 2017, Winn became the host of The Cardboard Box Adventures Radio Show, a monthly show broadcast by Podfire Radio. Featuring guests and different education topics each month, the show focuses on raising readers through fostering imagination, developing a love of story, and embracing learning diversity.
Interviews with Don Winn
Articles by Don Winn
Reviews
The Lost Castle Treasure was reviewed by the San Francisco Book Review. The Knighting of Sir Kaye was reviewed by BookLife for Publishers Weekly. Space Cop Zack and Superhero were reviewed by Joy Hannabass for Reader's Favorite. The Lost Castle Treasure was reviewed by Faridah Nassozi for Reader's Favorite. The Knighting of Sir Kaye received a review by Catherine Langrehr for IndieReader. The Lost Castle Treasure was reviewed by IndieReader. The Paramus Post has featured reviews by Mel Fabrikant of The Tortoise and the Hairpiece, The Incredible Martin O’Shea, Chipper and the Unicycle, and Twitch the Squirrel and the Forbidden Bridge.