Community Feature: Jordan Fleming

Meet Jordan Fleming: Amazing OwlCrate Team & Community Member!

Hi Jordan! First of all, tell us a little about yourself and how you became a part of the bookish community.

Hi! I'm Jordan. I'm a book lover, parent, and professional daydream dragon slayer. Day to day you can find me moderating OwlCrate's bookish app, The Nest, or at the barn spending time with my fuzzy equine friends. 

I was first introduced to the bookish community when I was very newly postpartum and struggling to reconnect with myself. A friend of mine, Sarah, noticed I was having a hard time and introduced me to an online book group called "The Unofficial OwlCrate Book Club". Over time, and driven by audacious dreams, I eventually developed the seed that was that group into my book club and brand - Words & Whimsy, which is now powered by OwlCrate!

You have a wealth of knowledge when it comes to book clubs! Why do you think joining book clubs or read-alongs are a good idea for readers?

I don't just think it's a good idea, I think it's life changing.

Joining a book club, especially a global one, allows for readers to experience books and backgrounds they would not otherwise get to do so. This cracks open people's ability to empathize and learn from others. From increasing the amount of books you read to dipping into genres you might never have known existed, book clubs and read-alongs are a gateway to higher learning, relationship building and adventure!

Which books would you say turned you into a lifelong reader?

Lord of the Rings is a top culprit, but I'd have to go back even further and mention Walter Farley's Black Stallion. If written today, it would be placed into the early reader category and I picked it up when I was just 6. Now, I've always been pony crazy and my young mind expected horses, but also unexpectedly got heartbreak, adventure and the depth of an animal/human bond that braved a shipwreck. It was then that I decided that I'd have my own black stallion and now at 35, I do. Not a stallion, but a black mare who would definitely brave seas for me. All thanks to a story.

Do you have any advice on how to foster an interest in reading in your home?

If you want to raise a reader, you also need to be a reader. Read often, talk about the stories you enjoy (or don't!) and let your child see you reading for pleasure. 

If you have a younger child, read to them everyday. Prioritize reading during the day and not just at bedtime. Set aside specific quiet time that's just for reading as well.

And, if you have a kiddo like mine who loves screens, don't fight it. 

A fun activity that my daughter and I do together is read a book alongside the film adaptation, chapter by chapter, and then compare the differences. The great thing about this is that your child will find the book is almost always better.

Who would have thought? 

Catch up with Jordan on their Instagram, Website, and the OwlCrate Nest App!