'If You' Love Reading

If you've ever wondered what might happen if you took a mouse to school, the latest Early Readers Club is for you.

Best-selling children's author Laura Numeroff has been making kids giggle for years with books such as "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" and "If you Take a Mouse to the Movies."

Her famous mouse is now heading to the classroom in Numeroff's latest story, "If You Take a Mouse to School."

The author joined The Early Readers Club on Friday to read her book and discuss her love of books.

Laura Numeroff grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y., the youngest of three girls. She spent her childhood in the local library, gobbling up books by Berverly Cleary and Marguerite Henry, the Dr. Doolittle series and anything about animals.

When she attended college, Numeroff decided to follow in her sisters' footsteps and go to fashion design school. Luckily for her fans, a course in writing and illustrating children's books helped her find her future profession.

As a homework assignment, she created her own book, about a third grader who was the tallest girl in her class. The story earned her more than a good grade. It attracted attention from the publishing world. She graduated from college with a degree and a contract for her first book.

Her first successful book was "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie," which was ranked as a New York Times No. 1 best-seller along side her later book, "If You Take a Mouse to the Movies."

In addition to the "If You ..." series, Numeroff has written many other books for kids. The author describes herself as a 50-year-old who never grew up.

Numeroff says royalties from her book are going to the not-for-profit group First Book.