Greenwich Mom Looks To Share The Magic Of Reading One Book At A Time

GREENWICH, CT — When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Greenwich resident Brooke Vitale found herself at home with her two young children, one of whom was in his last year of preschool before going into kindergarten.

With schools closed, her son was losing valuable classroom time to hone his reading skills, so Vitale, a children's book editor and author with nearly 20 years of experience, took matters into her own hands.

"I have written so many early reader books for kids, and I started thinking to myself, 'These books all feel too hard, he can't read any of them,'" Vitale said. "I started writing new stories for him that were simpler, and started teaching him the sounds that went along with all of the letters."

Around the same time, Vitale spoke to Marisa Ware, another Greenwich resident and a literacy specialist, who taught Vitale about the science of reading and how children learn to read.

She showed Vitale decodable reader books, which teach children to master reading in different stages and reinforce material they've previously learned.

Vitale's work as a children's book editor involves helping authors who are self-publishing. Her past experience includes working at top publishing companies like Penguin Random House and Disney Publishing Worldwide, and she now runs a freelance children's book editorial company.

Her books have sold nearly 500,000 copies, so she was familiar with the publishing process from a publisher's perspective, but not from an independent perspective and trying to figure out the details of printing, distribution and other logistics.

So with a love for books and a desire to share the magic of reading with as many children as possible, and to help other authors, Charge Mommy Books, an independent children’s book publisher with a focus on early childhood literacy, was born.

The company officially formed in March 2021. Vitale is the founder and CEO, Ware is the literacy specialist, and Michael Caputo serves as the art director.

There are a variety of picture books and early reader books, from Vitale and other authors, and decodable readers now available, with more to come, on the Charge Mommy Books website and shop.

There will also be read-along videos posted on the shop website soon for each book, so parents can make sure they find something they like for their children.

Parents can also learn how to teach their children how to read, and also download free activity pages on the website.

First and foremost, Vitale said she wants reading to be fun, humorous and whimsical.

"My rule with every book I've ever written is I read it to my husband, I read it to my kids, and if they don't laugh, I scrap the story," Vitale said.

Some of the offerings from Charge Mommy Books also fold in a learning component for children.

For example, "Bug Hunt" is about a boy who goes on a bug hunt in his backyard. As the book progresses, the reader learns the difference between an insect and a true bug.

"Not every one of our books is based on learning, but there's a fair number of them that have something in there," Vitale said.

Through Charge Mommy Books, Vitale said she also wants to make sure children have all the tools necessary to learn how to read at a young age, which sets them up for the rest of their lives.

"I know there's a large population that doesn't have the tools they need, which is why right now, what we're planning to do, is donate 10 percent of our net profits to a literary organization," Vitale said, adding that the goal is to eventually donate books to schools to reach more children.

"It's all about promoting reading, and recognizing that reading doesn't have to be a chore," Vitale said. "It can be something that's enjoyable, so as children move on to bigger books and longer books, they can really enjoy being whisked away into a world that's not their own, and experience the magic of reading a book, getting lost in it and meeting new characters. We want to be that starting point for them."

The name and logo for Charge Mommy Books stems from a game Vitale's children created when they were stuck at home in quarantine.

"They would pick up a plastic baseball bat and they would run at me shouting, 'Charge mommy!'" Vitale recalled. "I had to grab the bat, swing them around and let go, and they'd fall in the grass and start laughing."

But there's another meaning that's equally important to Vitale.

"I also liked that secondary meaning of 'charge mommy.' She's going to pull out the card and pay for it, because mothers are the ones who are making most of the decisions around a child's reading," Vitale said.

Vitale believes the early days of the pandemic turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

"I think that if I had not had six months stuck at home, six months where I had to figure out what to do, how to entertain [my children and determine] what they were missing by not being in school, I probably would have just kept going on with my work as normal," Vitale said. "I'm sure I would've worked with my kids on reading because I'm an editor and my house is full of books, but not in the same way."

Charge Mommy Books has been active at the Old Greenwich farmers market and other events in Fairfield and Westchester County.

On Nov. 26, Vitale will be at Stamford High School for a holiday gift fair. Parents can get personalized messages from Vitale in any book both in-person, or in the online shop.

For more information, check out the Charge Mommy Books website and shop.