First-Time Author Writing Books To Help Children

Teaching children, sharing her faith, and starting a soup kitchen.

Those are Paula Giordano’s goals for the next phase of her life.

Giordano lived in Wayne for 40 years but recently relocated to Montclair. She attends .

She is writing faith-based children’s book after a 20-year at Verizon. She retired from the company last August.

Giordano wrote and illustrated her first book “The Honeybees: Going To A New School.” The book is meant to be the first in a series for young children.

“That allowed me the freedom to be able to really focus on the book and on the illustrations and really let my creative juices flow,” Giordano said.

“I wanted to be an art teacher and was accepted at an art school, but didn’t go.”

She said the experience is one children can relate to.

“A lot of children are in that situation. They’re afraid to go to a new school. They’re afraid for some situation or if they’re alone,” Giordano said. “In the book, I talk about David and Goliath and how David wasn’t afraid to fight Goliath because he knew God was with him.”

Giordano’s granddaughter was another inspiration for the series. She was entering a new school and was fearful about the move.

One of the most rewarding moments in Giordano’s new career was when she read her book to the young girls in a craft class that she teaches once a month at her local church. It was also rewarding when Giordano was able to put the first money she earned form the sale of the book towards starting a new soup kitchen that she dreams of one day having.

Half of the profit she receives from this book would help fund the endeavor. The soup kitchen will be unique in that the food will be brought to the people who need it, rather than the reverse.

“A lot of soup kitchens require that the people “have to somehow get to

The soup kitchen,” Giordano said. “We should go out to them and make it easier for them.”

Giordano reminisced how the journey to becoming a published author wasn’t always sweet, that there were some setbacks along the way. One of those setbacks was when she had to redo her illustrations and scrap the medium of art that she had been using.

“Originally, I tried watercolor paint, I tried acrylic paint and nothing was giving me the look that I wanted,” Giordano said. “So, I went to the art supply store and they introduced me to these pens. They’re Coptic pens and they’re what all illustrators use.”

Giordano is creating the second book in the series, “The Honey Bees: Truth Bee Told.” The third and fourth books are also on their way.

“We’re thinking and we’re hoping that there are going to be movies and toys and clothes and that it’s going to take off and be huge,” Giordano said with a smile.

Giordano was quick to dismiss the reason for the early success of the series as strictly coming from her efforts.

“I just think that the sky is the limit with God,” Giordano said.

For more information about Giordano and the series visit Giordano’s Web site.

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