About The Story Garden

Welcome to The Story Garden! I’m Mary Kate. I started this blog to share my love of children’s books. It is a place where you can find creative ways to take the stories beyond the pages, and to help your little one's imagination grow. At The Story Garden, you can find my favorite book recommendations for kids of all ages (0-100), project ideas, and tales of my life as a mother in Philadelphia.

The Seed

I grew up in New Jersey, the daughter of teachers and dreamers who always encouraged me to read, explore, and create. As a child, I could always be found with a book or notepad, and not much has changed as an adult.

The Sprout

My love of reading and learning led me to become a teacher. I spent four years as a special education and early childhood education instructor, with a focus in early literacy skills. Teaching children to read is a monumental and humbling task, but there is nothing like seeing a child’s face light up as they read their first words. I am so thankful to have been able to share the gift of reading with my students. Just think - there are dozens of tiny literate humans walking around the world, being transformed by the awesome power of words - and I played a tiny part in their adventure. Reading is magic, my friends; reading is magic.

In Full Bloom

I now live in Philadelphia with my husband, and am a full time on-the-go mom of two bright, energetic, and strong-spirited boys. To me, there is nothing better than cuddling up to read with my little ones (except maybe finding time to relax and read myself...).  When not chasing after my little guys, I can be found collecting recipes that I will probably never have time to make, tinkering with my camera, and finding new spots to hide the constant clutter of my book collection. Some of my favorite things include baby giggles, bedtime (or anytime) stories, strolls through the city, and brunch (French Toast>Waffles). Oh, and did I mention books?