Charles LaBelle is a grandfather, storyteller, and author who uses childhood memories to create the Jake Series and the Shannon's Backyard Series of sixty illustrated children's books. Dyslexia shaped his life. Writing stories would never have happened without encouragement. His first story about a boy and his dog won first prize in a writing contest conducted by the Humane Society. His grade three teacher gave him an "A" in a story about atomic bomb survivors in a bank vault. This encouragement allowed him to continue believing he could write a story. Working as a heavy construction surveyor, real-estate developer and business owner, not much time was spent writing. During that time, however, he took short story and screen writing courses and noticed the same repeated mistakes in spelling and word construction. He was finally diagnosed as a dyslexic . . . not a stupid person! What a joy! This new understanding moved him to study neuroscience. He is convinced that the human brain can change and be improved. His own efforts in that direction have given him new abilities, new typing skills, improved organizational abilities, and working speed. Charles believes that ENCOURAGEMENT and PRAISE shape a child's future, That problems can be recognized and overcome, that reading, writing, storytelling, singing, poetry, and acting can be part of every child's life. Parents, professionals, and siblings can make it happen. His primary goal is to encourage all children to embrace their imagination . . . to have fun . . . to nurture their creativity by reading to themselves and to groups . . . to have the confidence to ask adults to read to them . . . to ask other children to read with them . . . to act out stories, to make music, sing songs, dance, and recite poetry. He believes that a story can include opportunities for a child to have fun and do new things. "New things change a child's brain. The child will develop new skills. When creative stories become a part of a child's life! Confidence will grow! Positive changes will happen!"