Susanne Kessaris

The Checkerboard Quilt Susanne Kessaris

Susanne Kessaris shares rich memories from her childhood spending happy summers with her grandparents. They modeled frugality and contentment through simple pastimes and activities. The book's title recalls the hours she spent making checkerboard quilt squares with her grandmother. Susanne's childhood was filled with many adventures: exploring jungle attractions in southern Florida, hunting for treasures in her grandparents' basement, bug and bird-watching explorations as well as plant identification forays in her grandparents' garden. Her imagination expanded through such creative playtimes.

Memories of these special times awoke the author's passion to raise awareness of how our modern overemphasis on technology has begun to affect relational and developmental growth in children. Her book offers activity ideas for children as an alternative to the use of digital gadgets for entertainment. In this "memory collage," she shares some of her many exploits through her gift of storytelling.