Hello, I'm "Gramma Shirah", aka Shirah Penn, M. Ed. I taught elementary school for over forty years and am now an Author, Certified Hypnotherapist, Workshop Facilitator and President of Joy Song Creations.

I worked on developing my own self-esteem for 69 years and am still working on it! I've gotten a whole lot better and I want to share what I have learned with others, especially young adults who are facing many of the issues that I didn't handle so well. If I only knew then what I know now!

Many of my former students are now in their 50's and they are becoming grandparents. My mission is to keep many of the skills and values that were important when I was a child alive. They are still important today, even though things have changed so much.

Nothing replaces reading to your child. Children need the closeness, quality time and interaction created during reading. In addition, seeing mom & dad reading their own books models good behavior children are likely to emulate. Definitel