 Born to parents that were professional educators, Charles Noland began reading at a young age. As the oldest of six children, he then started reading to his younger siblings.“It wasn’t hard for me to get completely lost in a book for hours,” he says. “I’d actually become oblivious to everything that was going on around me.” He laughs when he recalls an incident that happened during reading time in the fourth grade. “A father of one of the students brought a Christmas tree into the classroom and set it up. When reading time was over, I asked the teacher where the tree had come from. She was so dumbfounded that I hadn’t noticed what was going on! She thought I must have been sleeping, but I told her I had just finished reading a really good book.”
It was in that same fourth-grade class that Noland wrote his very first book. Entitled Under the Sea, it had a table of contents, dedication, glossary and even a copyright date of May 18, 1970.
Through the years, the idea of writing another book was always in the back of his mind, and he thought that maybe one day he would try it again. The more books he read, the stronger the idea became. Three decades later, that opportunity finally presented itself in a very unusual way.
“I was sitting outside, enjoying a beautiful summer’s day, and thinking about a couple of children I had met a few months earlier,” Noland remembers. “I was also thinking about doing some writing. Then, as if someone was whispering in my ear, the story of The Magical Dress just unfolded in my mind.”
Before he even finished the first draft, he was already thinking about the next story. He realized that he wasn’t going to write just one book, but a chapter book series that would soon be known as The Adventures of Drew and Ellie.
Noland wanted to write stories that would teach positive life lessons and encourage the development of creative problem-solving skills. “I wanted the books to be helpful tools for parents trying to teach their children traditional values and beliefs, much like the ones I was taught as a kid,” he says.
Before finalizing each story, Noland likes to read his manuscripts to groups of children in order to get their perspectives and suggestions. “My goal is to make sure they identify with the characters in the book so they will better understand the positive lessons presented in each story,” he says.
His hard work has really paid off. Children enjoy his books because they are fun and exciting. Of course, parents like them, too, because of the positive lessons that are being taught. Noland plans to continue writing the series for many years to come. In fact, he sees no end to the many exciting adventures awaiting Drew and Ellie.
Noland is a business professional with experience in management and sales, as well as an award-winning speaker, engaging storyteller and avid reader. He lives in Rochester, N.Y.
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