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Kathleen grew up in Connecticut, but spent her teen years in Florida and Kansas. Marriage took her to Virginia, then to North Carolina. Much of the time spent in Connecticut was spent having fun like kids usually like to do. In sixth grade, the teacher devoted the whole class period to reading. During this class, Kathleen discovered she liked to read.
Once she discovered she liked reading, she began to order books through the Scholastica forms that were distributed at the school. She used her paper route money to buy the books. Thus, the highlight of her school day was when the ordered books had arrived. She was so engrossed in reading, that she eventually learned how to walk and read while still seeing where she was going.
At age fifteen, she found that dealing with growing up was rather difficult. So, instead of acting out, she decided to write out her own emotions in the form of short stories. Some of the stories were written in school, but others were written at home.
After graduating from high school, her parents urged her to enter the work force. So, she found a job at a restaurant. While she didn't particularly like this kind of work, she did realize that she liked to cook. After a few years, she realized that working in the foodservice industry was not for her. Overfilling coffee cups while talking to the patrons and not being able to remember what food went to what table were glaring indicators.
Next, she decided to go into retail. The best part of the job for her was interacting with the customers. Over time, though, the job became too physically demanding. Thus, after a few years, she decided it was time to move on.
She, then, decided to go back to school. She enjoyed all the writing that was required. It was what she liked the most about her classes. Eventually, she received her Associate Degree in Accounting. Having enjoyed the experience, she continued her educational journey. The next two years were more time consuming but still enjoyable. She successfully completed the program and obtained a Bachelor Degree in Business.
Currently, she enjoys spending her time as the manager of herself. The majority of her time used to be spent in North Carolina, but now it's California. With her husband, of course. :-) Another part of her time is spent taking art classes, thinking of new story ideas, and visiting her parents and siblings in Kansas.
Reviewed by Mamta Madhavan for Readers' Favorite
A PinkBoat Adventure by Kathleen Ivan revolves around the adventures of two young girls, Kathlean and Crustina. Both girls go sailing one day in Crustina's pink boat. They sail a bit farther away from the shore and, strangely enough, the story takes a different turn when Crustina is turned into a crust and she falls onto the deck in a heap of crumbs. A bird comes and eats the crumbs, as Kathlean watches the bird eating her friend. She is stuck in boat, alone, without her friend, when a stranger appears from nowhere. He takes her back to the shore. Will Kathlean be able to find out what happened to her friend Crustina?
The story has a mysterious and open ending which leaves room for readers to interpret what happened to Crustina in their own way. The story is a sort of a puzzle which will fascinate kids and make them think. The pictures are lovely and vibrant and breathe life into the scenes and characters. The surprise twist in the middle and the unexpected ending make it an enjoyable read for children. It is a good book that can be used in read aloud sessions in classrooms. It will be nice to see the way the kids come up with different interpretations for the ending. I enjoyed the book mainly because the story is original and it breaks away from the norm. The author gives young readers the space and opportunity to think with the ending.
