Let me introduce myself ...

Hello!

I am so excited to be here with other teachers that are crazy about books, love meeting authors, are avid readers, AND love teaching!

My name is Amber Kuehler (or Mrs. Kuehler, if you're a student) pronounced Key-ler...and I know it doesn't look that way... unless you speak German!) ;)

I absolutely LOVE lists, so I thought I would start off with a Top 10 List that describes me.

1. I teach 4th grade and I LOVE teaching! Teaching is a second career for me and after losing my first job during the 2008 recession, I decided to go back to school for a Master's in Elementary Education in 2010 and the rest is history. It was a leap of faith and I'm so thankful I leaped. Teaching fills me up and now, almost 7 years after making that decision, I still look around my classroom and get chills about how much happier I am.

2. I have been a reader for as long as I can remember. I cannot pinpoint it to a certain teacher in my life, but I do have my parents to thank and the environment I grew up in. I grew up in a house filled with books and in a family that made frequent trips to the library and bookstore. I was always given a choice when reading and my parents never scoffed at what I chose to read. If I wanted to buy or read another Babysitter's Club Book, my parents happily encouraged me. I can even remember trying to read Stephen King's It when I was about 10. My dad said I wouldn't like it ... and he was right! Mad respect for King though - he's a master at his craft. HOWEVER, all that aside, I am passionate about honoring a student's choice in books.

3. I also have the Sweet Valley Twins, all the members of the Babysitter's Club and Mandie Shaw from the Mandie books to thank for my love of reading. I clearly loved series as a kid and that is no different today! I frequently got lost in their world and often wished I lived in Sweet Valley, CA or Stoneybrook, CT.

4. I have a 14 month old daughter named Elise and I pray that she becomes a reader as well! We are currently working on a 1,000 book challenge through our local library. She always has books to play with as toys and we are doing our best to make sure she grows up with a flood of books.

5. My husband, Bill is not as avid of a reader as I am, but he is extremely supportive and knows how important it is to me that our daughter grows up with a lot of  books! We got married and bought our home together in 2014 and it's been happily ever after ever since. ;)

6. I live in Des Moines, IA which is also where I grew up. I moved around a bit after college (with a short stint in the South!) and I just missed the Midwest too much. I always tell people that Des Moines is the best kept secret in the U.S.! "Iowa Nice" is a real thing and I'll never believe anyone that says, "you're too nice!" because that just isn't a thing. We were put here to take care of each other, not tear each other down.

7. I am usually always reading at least one adult book and one middle grade or YA book. I tend to only buy books that I can eventually put in my classroom library. As much as I love owning books, they don't do much just sitting on my shelf at home. I religiously update Goodreads and that is the best place to look to find out what I'm reading!

8. I began blogging in 2008 and have blogged very off and on since then. I have met MANY amazing friends via blogging and even though we all live in different states, we have become great friends and I am so thankful for them! We all keep in touch through Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, email and the occasional video chat. Thank goodness for technology! (I would love it if you friend me on any of those platforms. I gave up Facebook for Lent, so I cannot link that one yet, but after Easter I will come back and edit to include the link).

9. I use a lot of exclamation points and smiley faces in my writing. I make a conscious effort to control the !!! but, if that annoys you, sorry. <wink>

10. I believe a person's favorite books tell you a lot about who they are. So, here are a few of my all time favorites. For kids books I love: The Giver, A Wrinkle In Time, Echo, Some Kind of Courage and Wonder. For adult books my favorites are: American Wife, Lilac Girls, The Nightingale and The Storyteller. If you're familiar with any of those titles you probably noticed I am a big fan of historical fiction. It is definitely my favorite genre!

I am so excited to be here and cannot wait to share my love of books with you!