BEACHWOOD, Ohio — Every time we see Charlotte Burgin, she makes us smile. That's because when we met her back in 2020 at Menorah Park, she made a big impression on us with her wit, charm, and love of kids and literature.
"I worked for 25 years with children who had learning differences, it was very gratifying work," she told us back in 2020.
We've been checking in with her ever since.
"I enjoy homophones. Words that sound the same but have different meanings," she told us during one visit a few years ago.
We paid attention to her words, and new Charlotte was extremely talented. You see, she had written a children's book about homophones, and even shared a little preview with us.
"A is for ants, wee tiny bugs. It's also for aunts, who like to give hugs!" she read a few years ago.
In December 2021, Charlotte became a first-time author at the age of 94, publishing Charlotte's Webster: A Vary Very Little Dictionary.
*You can purchase Charlotte's book HERE.
Today, at 96 years young, Charlotte is still passing along her knowledge of reading and writing. So much so, that it brings her endless joy.
"I am grateful. I'm grateful," she said of her time as a children's author. "I'm just grateful that somebody was interested and that if children enjoy it, then I'm happy."
Recently, the Literacy Cooperative of Greater Cleveland tapped Charlotte to be a special ambassador for it's annual corporate spelling bee, CLE Bee. They wanted to catch Charlotte in action, doing what she loves, so they came to Menorah Park to see her reading to a group of children from the Fundamentals Child Care Center.
"She's so sharp, she's so witty, and she talked about this importance of everybody reading and reading books and starting out early," said Bob Paponetti, president and CEO of the Literacy Cooperative of Greater Cleveland.
Bob knows just how important reading is to Charlotte, which made her the perfect ambassador.
"She continues to kind of play these word games. And she shared with me a whole list of words that have these double meanings back in the older days and what they mean now, and just fun to continue to think about that," he said.
In September, Charlotte will appear on video as a special guest at the CLE Bee. Twenty teams from the community will be representing different companies in Northeast Ohio. It's an honor for Charlotte because reading seems to be a lost art in today's digital world.
"It encourages, encourages curiosity, it encourages broadening your horizons. And it's just plain fun," Charlotte said of reading.
F-U-N is displayed on every page of Charlotte's very own book. And, on the faces of each and every child who hangs on her every word.
"I want a positive feeling about reading and if this helps, that's great. That's the idea," she said.
To learn more about the Literacy Cooperative of Greater Cleveland, click HERE.
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