Just4Kids

Kids aren't just immature versions of adults. They think differently. They feel differently. And they look at life through a special lens. In their world, a summer can seem to stretch out to the far horizons, filled with expanding days of long light. I remember when the period from June 1 through September 1 felt a great deal lengthier to me than a full year does now. I could look forward to travel with my family and neighborhood baseball games, corn on the cob and macaroni salad - and a version of freedom. As much freedom as I would sample for some time yet anyway, the luxurious sense that I could do more or less what I wanted, when I wanted. Well, kind of, within reason. There's real adventure that comes from being out of school for an extended block of time. That's what we're going to explore in this summer's edition of our kids blog.

This will be the third year in a row that we've offered this special series of brief stories for younger readers. From now through the end of August, we'll post a new one each Friday at this link: http://www.sunny.org/blog/index.cfm/Greater-Fort-LauderKIDS/. Please tell your kids and let your friends' kids know too. I think they'll enjoy it.

This year, we're bringing back the same cast as before. Isabella, the precocious blog writer who will turn 15 in July. And there's her bright BFF, Juliette, as well as Spencer, who's Juliette's pesky younger brother. They're a fun bunch and this time around they're going to really do up Fort Lauderdale right. It will all begin with scuba diving lessons for Isabella and Juliette, followed by their first ocean dive. As Isabella herself might write, "Gulp!" Sharks and sting rays and eels, oh my! They may try parasailing and surfing and a tour on one of those wacky Segway gadgets. But they'll also soak up long days on the beach and sample a little shopping on Las Olas. And there could well be a bit of teen romance in the mix. It will be an eventful, unforgettable summer for all three of our LauderKids. And we hope for our youthful readers. We say this blog is "Just4Kids," but we've learned that many adults also secretly check out each week's new installment. I hope you will too. As an author of 23 books for children as well as original programs on human values for the schools, I really love writing these fictional kids tales. There's something very appealing about trying to get inside the head of a teenager to see things through that special lens I mentioned earlier. It's a refreshing perspective for sure. Totally makes me want to, like, LOL! ;-)