Children's book by alumna up for award from ABC

Spartan alumna Wendy Rogalinski was tired of children’s books written with bad grammar and story lines, so she decided to take creativity into her own hands.

Now she can be found as a top 12 finalist for ABC’s “Children’s Picture Book Competition” with her book “Sorry Doesn’t Clean It Up.”

Rogalinski said the book was inspired when her nephew zoomed through the house knocking over items, and despite sincere apologies, he was forced to clean up his own messes.

“When my kids were little, I would change the words because I couldn’t stand it when they were grammatically bad,” said Rogalinski, who graduated from MSU in 1985 with a bachelor’s degree in communication.

Kelly Yauk, assistant store manager at Barnes & Noble, 5132 W. Saginaw Highway 245, in Lansing, said there is an increase in the number of children’s books being published, which leads to an increase in both good grammar and colloquial grammar — grammar most similar to talking.

“(Colloquial grammar) could be good in relating the story (to the children), or the bad habits could help teach them to learn what is correct,” Yauk said.

Yauk said children’s books are essential to education in general.

“Books are nearly a perfect way to teach information to children. Reading opens up a whole world of knowledge for children to learn,” she said.

Rogalinski said it took awhile to get down the formula and she did a lot of research to discover what she liked in a story. She said she wanted her books to appeal to adults, as well as children.

“I tried to have a sense of humor in the story,” she said. “If parents don’t like it they won’t reread it over and over again (to their children).”

Senior theater and comparative cultures and politics senior Allie Reid agreed that books with meaning, no matter how simply written, are important for everyone.

“The books that withstand time are those for both kids and adults,” she said. “A lot of people who write (children’s books) don’t keep that in mind.”

Yet the decision for the best book will be left up to readers. Online voting at abcbookcompetition.org lasts until Oct. 4 for people to read each story and vote accordingly.

“It’s extremely flattering just to have been selected as a finalist,” Rogalinski said. “I don’t know if I can prepare, I just have to keep thinking from a writing standpoint.”

Rogalinski said being a part of the competition has given her a taste of being a published writer.

“I’ve been doing several book readings because of the competition and I would love to do it full time,” she said. “I have no idea what that pays. No one is going to be writing (the next) ‘Harry Potter.’ It’s never what I’m going to be doing, but I’ve been having a blast.”