About Randie

Randie D. Camp, M.S., is the creator of Randie's Book Reviews and Empowering Families with Randie (including blog imprints: Bibliotherapy Hangout and Your Voice Empowered: Interviews and Inquiries with Randie), a single mother, a PhD student, an avid reader, a volunteer, and an advocate for children and families. She received her B.S. in Elementary Education and Child, Adult, & Family Services Minor from Iowa State University in December 2010 and her M.S. in Education with a Special Education emphasis from Iowa State Univeristy's School of Education in August 2015.  Randie began her doctoral program in Iowa State University's department of Human Development & Family Studies in August 2014. She has experience teaching children and adolescents with and without special needs in classroom settings. Randie's research focuses on bibliotherapy (using literature as a tool to cope with everyday and sensitive issues) and she collaborates with Dr. Amy Popillion and the Ames Public Library on a Bibliotherapy Project that produces materials primarily for parents and families. For more information about Randie's background and experiences visit https://linkedin.com/in/rdcamp. 

Avid reader…I’m not sure this accurately depicts my relationship with reading. Obsessed and addicted come to mind but I could do without the negative connotations. Bookworm? According to Merriam-Webster.com, a bookworm is “a person unusually devoted to reading and study”. Hmmm, getting warmer but I collect books too. Bookworm + collecting books = bibliophile. That’s better but there is still huge piece of my relationship with reading being left out. I love the smell of books, the confirmation email noting an ebook purchase, the way books gather on shelves, the moment the author hooks me into either loving or hating a character, browsing the library, talking about books, reading books aloud, sharing my love of reading with others (especially children or adult non-readers), when one more page turns into three more chapters, helping others understand the value of early literacy, turning to a book for the support and love that the world cannot offer, finding friends in a character, using books to educate myself on an unknown, holding presentations to teach others how to use books as a supportive tool for coping with everything and anything. I just love reading, everything about reading. As it happened, my childhood was very rocky. Books were my constant. My love of reading made it possible for me to develop the skills I needed to cope with life and pursue something better. Now, I seek to empower others.

Randie's Book Reviews features my thoughts and responses to books through insightful reviews of children's, young adult, and adult books from many genres. Be sure to visit Randie and Dr. Amy’s Bibliotherapy Hangout for book reviews, recommendations, and other resources more directly focused on bibliotherapy and using books as a tool for coping with life's issues--big and small. For a more comprehensive following of all my reading habits and book ventures, join me at goodreads. 

You can also find me on twitter, smashwords, facebook, pinterest, and blogher.