After 25 years in the classroom, retirement brought another avenue and mission in getting youngsters to read for educator Tracy Conti Potash.
Just in time for the holiday season the third book from the Hamilton author has been released. The children’s book is titled Grumpy Claus and is intended for readers ages 4 to 10.
Potash retired from teaching in 2022 and pressed ahead with another passion: writing books for children. For 25 years, Potash taught reading skills within the Hopewell Valley school system.
“I started as a classroom teacher, but finished as a reading specialist, in the elementary and middle schools,” she says. “It was so rewarding, but also kept me up at night worrying about some of the students. Some came in from other districts and were behind, some were from multilingual families, some were challenged with dyslexia. We tried to help all achieve their goals and get their skills up to where they belonged. When we achieved success, it really made my heart grow.”
Potash grew up in Mercerville, attended St. Anthony’s elementary, then Nottingham when it was a middle school. She graduated from Steinert High School. She got her teaching degree at The College of New Jersey and a graduate degree from Rider University.
“I have always loved writing. I journaled as a teen. It was and still is my meditation. My journaling started out fairly mundane, but then became more creative, humorous and interesting,” she says.
Potash credits her mother’s storytelling to her and her siblings that got her hooked into fiction and deeper into reading.
“She would tell us stories when we were children that would draw us in like magic. We loved that,” she says.
Potash, who also has a son and daughter-in-law local to Hamilton, is keeping up this tradition by sharing her stories. She started writing children’s books in 2016, and had a New York literary agent for two years.
“Having an agent is a large affirmation that the books and stories are viable. We were working on 10 manuscripts and submitting them to publishers.”
Retiring from teaching in 2022 reinvigorated Potash’s quest to get her books published. She found an illustrator from her online writer’s support groups and went the self-publishing route.
Her first book was Swish! Swirl! Swoosh! In the story, a young boy teams up with a gusty wind and has interesting travels and adventures.
“I got the idea when I saw a shopping bag blowing all over the place when I looked out the window on a blustery day.”
Potash is also a breast cancer warrior who, after four surgeries a couple of years ago, is now cancer free.
“It really was a battle; I see why they say ‘warrior,’” she says. “After I retired and recovered, I went full force into writing. I wake early, pray and meditate then work on my writing tasks for the day. I update my web needs, prepare for appearances, and do some actual writing for new books.
“I get out of the house around lunch time as I deliver for DoorDash. I love it. It gets me out of my writing room, and I get to interact with people. I have only been retired for less than a year, so I still need interaction with people. We all need that. Then I put in another 4 hours on the writing in the afternoon.”
Her second book, Vroom! Vroom!, was inspired by my son’s affection for monster truck rallies. He took me to see one, and I thought, this would make an interesting book for kids.”
Potash’s latest offering is Grumpy Claus and is dedicated to anyone who has awakened on the wrong side of the bed.
She partnered with a different illustrator on this book, and felt that they were simpatico on the images right away.
“I met the illustrator for Grumpy Claus through an online writers’ group. Kimberly Young is her name, and she is based in Oregon. I loved her work right away,” she says. “We have been working on the images since this past May.”
She received her first copies of the book last month and was very pleased with the way they came out.
“It is like opening a Christmas gift when those boxes were delivered,” she says. “I love seeing the ideas, words and images come to life!”
Potash admits that she is still learning when it comes to the marketing portion of being an author. She was happy to receive the books in time for the holiday season.
“One giggle at a time,” she says. “I donated my books to the Hamilton and Hopewell libraries. When I see a kid reading the books and smiling, it makes it all worth it.”
The new Grumpy Claus books will be offered at Carella’s Chocolates and Gifts in Mercerville on the local authors bookshelf. The book will also be available for sale at the Eet Gud Bakery on Hamilton Avenue.
The books are also offered online in various web shops.
“My whole life experience has been teaching kids to read,” she says. I know what they like and what they don’t like. Kids love to read. Books are the best.”
Children's book author Tracy Conti Potash.,
