Raising a smart, scrapbooking young-adult literature fan? That’s what we call doing parenting right.
Myke Cole is a military reservist and security contractor with experience in counterterrorism and cyberwarfare. He’s also a huge science-fiction/fantasy fan and a successful novelist. On his website, Cole credits “fantasy novels, comic books,” and “late night games of Dungeons and Dragons” with helping him get through his three tours in Iraq.
The best part about Cole’s geek status, however, is that he may have passed it on to his young niece. Here’s a photo Cole shared on Twitter on Tuesday, taken straight from his niece’s handmade scrapbook:
My niece showed me her scrap book. This entry made my heart grow three sizes. Made of hope. pic.twitter.com/I9phjItxCG
— Myke Cole (@MykeCole) December 16, 2014
For anyone not up on their young-adult literature, here’s a key to his niece’s reading habits:
- Katniss is the tough, never-quitting heroine of The Hunger Games.
- Hermione is the iconic and brilliant girl wonder from Harry Potter. She’s known as the “brightest witch of her age.”
- Tris is the heroine of Divergent. She chooses to reside in a community called the Dauntless which emphasizes bravery and courage.
- Hazel is the heroine of John Green’s critically acclaimed tearjerker The Fault In Our Stars, written in honor of real life heroine Esther Earl.
- Eowyn is the famous shieldmaiden from The Lord of the Rings. You know her from the Internet’s countless homages to her “I am no man!” speech as she rides into battle alongside her brothers in arms.
- Merida is the unruly princess of Pixar’s Brave who fights for the right to avoid an arranged marriage and train to hunt, fight, and ride.
The demonstrated love for all of these heroines paints a picture of a little girl who is feisty and independent.
Pete Cole, Myke Cole’s brother and Mia’s father, is one half of the rock band Lost Leaders. We asked them both if Mia’s love of literature ran in the family. Peter told us it was all her.
@ajaromano @MykeCole She’s my daughter & Myke’s niece. We encourage her to read. Period. She lead the YA charge in our home.
— Peter Cole (@lostleader_) December 18, 2014
But it seems she may have an enabler in the family:
@lostleader_ @ajaromano I have a rule with her: she asks and I drop whatever I’m doing and buy her any book she wants.
— Myke Cole (@MykeCole) December 18, 2014
@MykeCole @ajaromano Thus I avoid having to spend money on my own child.
— Peter Cole (@lostleader_) December 18, 2014
Somehow we suspect Cole is being modest about his parenting skills. Mia sounds like she’s doing great.
Meanwhile, for anyone still on the fence about whether young-adult literature is helpful or harmful, Flavorwire recently reported that the genre pretty much singlehandedly kept the publishing industry alive in 2014.
A sustainable genre that instills confidence in young girls? Mia’s reading list is on our list of favorites, too.
Photo via Disney
