Don M. Winn
Don M. Winn (born 1961, Denver, Colorado, United States) is an American author of children's books, founder of Cardboard Box Adventures Publishing, dyslexia advocate, and public speaker. 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 10 picture books for children, including the book Superhero, and two chapter books for middle readers centered on the adventures of 12-year-old knight Sir Kaye with a third book currently in production. He has won numerous awards including the Indie Reader Discovery Award at the 2013 Book Expo America and the Moonbeam Children's Book Award
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.
Media
There are several news articles featuring the author and his works. The Round Rock Leader is a newspaper published for the community of Round Rock, Texas. The Leader published an article entitled "Local author looks to foster parent/child reading process" in which the paper gave information concerning his background as well as the motivation behind creating his picture books. The article also outlines presentations that Winn has delivered to teachers and parents in different locations including schools and stores catering to children, and most recently reported on his IndieReader Discovery Award. There have been four separate articles published about the author and his works in the Paramus Post. The Paramus Post is a newspaper catering to the Paramus, New Jersey area. Each of the four separate articles highlight a different picture book by Winn, including Twitch the Squirrel and the Forbidden Bridge, The Tortoise and the Hairpiece, and The Incredible Martin O'Shea. The most recent article features Chipper and the Unicycle, which is a follow up to his earlier work Chipper the Clown. There was a recent article in the Williamson County Sun dedicated to the author. The article was published in the Wednesday, November 6, 2013 EDition. The Williamson County Sun caters to the Williamson County, Texas community. Winn was interviewed by Education News three times: on all three occasions the interview was conducted by Michael Shaughnessy. The IndieReader interviewed Winn regarding The Knighting of Sir Kaye.
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.
Awards
- The Lost Castle Treasure received the Gold Medal given by the Mom's Choice Awards.
- Space Cop Zack received the Seal of Approval from the Family Review Center Book Awards 2015.
- Superhero received the Seal of Approval, Gold, and Best of the Year Award from the Family Review Center Book Awards 2015.
- Space Cop Zack, Protector of the Galaxy won honorable mention in the Reader’s Favorite Book Awards.
- The Knighting of Sir Kaye won the 2014 Voyager Marble Award from Storytellers Campfire for Best Pre-Teen, Teen, and Young Adult book.
- The Lost Castle Treasure was a finalist in the 2014 Wishing Shelf Awards.
- The Knighting of Sir Kaye won silver in the 2013 Wishing Shelf Awards.
- In the December 2013 issue of Shelf Unbound Magazine, The Knighting of Sir Kaye is listed as one of 12 notable books.
- The Knighting of Sir Kaye won first place in the 2013 Dragonfly Book Awards in the Children's Chapter Books category.
- The Knighting of Sir Kaye received the 2013 Indie Reader Discovery Award in the Children’s Category on Saturday June 1, 2013 at Book Expo America in New York.
- The Knighting of Sir Kaye is the 2013 Silver Medal Moonbeam Children's Book Awards winner under the Pre-Teen fiction category.
- "The Knighting of Sir Kaye" received the Gold Medal given by the Mom's Choice Awards.
- Mr. Winn received the Silver Medal awarded by Mom's Choice Awards for all 10 of his children's picture books in the Children's Picture Books category.
Bibliography
Picture Books
- The Don M. Winn Cardboard Box Adventures Picture Book Collection Volume One (5/2015)
- The Don M. Winn Cardboard Box Adventures Picture Book Collection Volume Two (3/2015)
- Twitch the Squirrel and the Forbidden Bridge (1/2012)
- The Higgledy-Piggledy Pigeon (10/2010)
- The Tortoise and the Hairpiece (9/2011)
- Shelby the Cat (5/2010)
- Superhero (3/2010)
- The Incredible Martin O’Shea (12/2009)
- Chipper the Clown (6/2010)
- Chipper and the Unicycle (6/2011)
- The Watch Cat (3/2010)
- Space Cop Zack (6/2013)
Chapter Books: Sir Kaye Series
- The Knighting of Sir Kaye (9/2012)
- The Lost Castle Treasure (11/2014)
- Legend of the Forest Beast (coming soon)