Cozy Armchair Books
Stories for all Ages
The Cozy Armchair Blog
The Gift of Reading
Nurturing a life-long love of stories
From charming tales for children to comforting reads for adults, Cozy Armchair Books invites you to slow down, breathe deeply, and
rediscover the simple joy of reading.
There is something both peaceful and fascinating about opening a book. It invites us to slow down, breathe deeply, and step into a world beyond our own, a place where imagination blooms, hearts grow braver, and minds open wide.
Reading is more than just a skill. It’s a gift; one that shapes who we become, how we see the world, and how we understand ourselves and others.
Reading: A Foundation of Imagination
For children, stories are the first stepping stones to imagination. Before they ever set foot in another country or meet someone different from themselves, books allow them to travel, explore, and dream. Through stories, they begin to understand that courage, kindness, and curiosity can change the world, even in small, quiet ways.
Children who fall in love with reading early often grow into adults who continue to seek knowledge, creativity, and understanding. They learn that books are more than pages. They are doorways to wonder.
The Middle Years: When Reading Takes Root
The middle school years are especially important. It’s a time when children are discovering who they are, testing boundaries, forming values, and seeking their place in the world. Reading during these years can offer both escape and connection. A good book can whisper, "You are not alone". It can show a young reader that it’s okay to be different, that courage comes in many forms, and that heroes don’t always wear capes.
Adventure stories teach resilience.
Mysteries sharpen critical thinking.
Heartfelt tales build empathy.
Every story a child reads adds another layer to their understanding of themselves and others.
Building Confidence, One Page at a Time
Reading helps children find their voices. Each story they finish strengthens their confidence, not only in their ability to read, but in their ability to think, imagine, and express themselves. It’s through reading that children learn to ask questions, challenge ideas, and form their own opinions. Books give them words for feelings they can’t yet name and courage for moments that feel uncertain.
Creating Lifelong Readers
So how do we help children and middle schoolers fall in love with reading?
We make it joyful.
We give them choices, not assignments.
We surround them with stories that make them laugh, wonder, and dream.
When reading becomes a pleasure rather than a task, a child’s imagination blossoms and from that moment on, the world becomes a brighter, bigger, more hopeful place.
Closing Thoughts
As an author and lifelong teacher, I believe reading is one of the most powerful gifts we can give a child and ourselves. It opens doors, nurtures compassion, and plants seeds of courage and creativity that keep growing for a lifetime.
At Cozy Armchair Books, my greatest hope is to create stories that spark and nurture that love of reading. Here you will discover stories that invite children and adults alike to curl up, turn a page, and discover the joy that lives inside a good book.
When a child learns to love reading, they don’t just become better students, they become lifelong learners, dreamers, and storytellers in their own right. Middle schoolers and teenagers learn to love adventure and learn to step outside their limited circumstances and see a world full of possibilities. Adults continue that journey of adventure, learn to re-shape their thoughts and build resilience, empathy and understanding.
Never Let Go of Your Dream
Dreams don’t have expiration dates.
If your dream is from God, it will not disappear.
God-given dreams deepen over time.
It is never too late to write the story that your heart has been waiting to tell.
Dreams have a way of waiting for us.
Sometimes quietly. Sometimes for years.
But they never truly leave.
For as long as I can remember, I wanted to write stories. Stories that would inspire, comfort, and stir the imagination. Yet like so many of us, I became busy doing life. Teaching, caring, giving, working. All good things, but things that left little space for my own dreams to breathe.
And yet, deep inside, the dream remained.
Life Moves in Seasons
Some seasons are full of movement and responsibility: education, career, commitments. Others are quieter, giving us room to reflect and remember what once made our hearts light up. Dreams don’t disappear in those busy seasons; they simply wait for us to catch up. They linger like bookmarks in our hearts, waiting for us to open the book again and turn the page.
When I finally began to write, I realized my dream had been growing all along. Every classroom discussion, every story shared with family, friends or a student, every late-night reflection. All of it was preparing me for this chapter of creativity and courage.
It is Never Too Late
Some people believe dreams have an expiration date, that they belong to youth, or to people with more time, talent, or opportunity. But I’ve learned something beautiful: dreams don’t age, we do.
If a dream is truly yours, it will wait for God’s timing. Whether you’re 8 or 80, it’s never too late to begin. The first step might be small. A few words written in a notebook, a class you’ve always wanted to take, a story you’ve been waiting to tell. What matters is that you begin.
A Dream Reborn in Story
When I wrote my children’s book, Never Let Go of Your Dream, I wanted to remind young readers that their dreams matter, that even small hopes can grow into something extraordinary with courage and persistence.
And now, as I prepare to release my adult allegory, Izzy and the Dream Parade (coming in January 2026), that message feels even more personal. It is a story about rediscovery, faith, and the courage to chase what once felt out of reach.
These books, and every story I write, come from the same heartbeat: a desire to inspire others to believe in their own dreams again. Never quit and give up!
For the Dreamers
If your dream feels far away, please don’t stop and give up.
The path might twist and turn, and it might take years before you can walk it, but it is still yours.
Maybe your dream has changed shape. Maybe it looks different than it once did. That’s okay. Dreams grow and shape as we do. What matters is that spark inside you, the one that refuses to go out.
So, write the story. Paint the picture. Start the garden. Learn the instrument. Take the leap.
Because the world still needs the beauty only your dream can bring.
Closing Thoughts
At Cozy Armchair Books, I believe dreams are like stories; meant to be shared, nurtured, and never forgotten. Whether we are young, or simply young at heart, our dreams remind us that hope is still alive and that it is always possible to start again.
So, if you have set your dream aside, pick it up. Dust it off.
It has been waiting there for you all along.