Miranda Mittleman writes children’s books about seeing the world from a dog’s-eye view, focused on teaching young readers important lessons about self-confidence, perseverance, teamwork and more.
Through her company PAWS and THINK Books, Mittleman has been writing children’s picture books about her rescue dog, Weaver, for the past eight years. A portion of the proceeds from each book sold are donated to charity, with over $20,000 donated so far.
Mittleman lives in Ellicott City with her husband, Mike, and their children Hunter (9) and Reese (5).
How did you get into writing children’s books?
I always knew I wanted to do something creative. I wrote poems for fun whenever I had the chance. It was when we adopted our dog, Weaver, that I started writing poems about him. I never actually intended for it to become anything more than a side project. But when I showed my husband, he loved the poems and thought it would be fun to look into getting them published. At the time, I laughed it off, and thought, “There’s no way this could be anything real.” But as time went on, I thought about it more and more.
When we had our son, Hunter, and I was reading him children’s books, it got me thinking that I should revisit those poems I wrote. That’s when I started looking into getting published. It took almost a year from finding a publisher to actually getting the books in my hands. After that, writing became my new career. It really took off like I never expected, and it’s been my full-time job for the past eight years. I have visited over 600 schools at this point, and I have so much fun with it. It doesn’t feel like a job for me.
Were there any challenges that came with breaking into the children’s writing community as someone without a creative background?
People will tell you that writing a book is the easy part. Once the books are in your hands, that’s when the real work starts. Having a business marketing degree was very beneficial for me. I’ve done all of my own marketing, but the first year of it was a huge grind. I did as many school visits, book signings and festivals as I could, trying to get my name out there and make connections with educators, librarians and other authors.
That word of mouth paid off, and I started having schools reach out to me. I’ve been able to share my stories with so many children and families, and I love what I do. There are still times when it’s very challenging, but this is really [like] running a business, and I was able to use everything I learned in college to turn this side hobby into a full-time job.
How is writing for children different from writing for a more general audience?
My poems are always playful and lighthearted, so I wanted to target very young readers. I had to put myself in their shoes and figure out what kids wanted and needed to hear. My books are fun and have bright, colorful illustrations, but I wanted to be sure they also teach important lessons without being too pushy. I’m able to visit so many schools because the lessons my books teach relate to social-emotional learning, which schools love because it’s very important for young children.
Are there any ways you’ve tried to foster your children’s love of reading?
My husband and I have always loved reading to our kids, so they’ve loved reading since they were young. Part of it is about reading consistently in our home, finding books they love. My son, who’s just turned 9, is obsessed with reading, and it makes me proud as a parent because I feel like I had a part in that. It’s important to show kids at a young age that reading can be fun!
What do your kids think of your job?
They think it’s pretty cool, and I’ve been able to visit both my children’s preschools and elementary schools. Not only does their mom write children’s books, but they’re about our family dog, Weaver, so they get to live with a star. (Laughs)
Family Favorites
Meal: Pizza
Local Spot: Camden Yards. We love to watch Orioles games.
Vacation Spot: Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
Game: Uno
Activity: Playing wiffle ball outside
