G. M. Staley lives in California with her husband Bob. They share their home with Sonny Bob and Pearl, two rescued cats, along with Rocky the turtle and many colorful koi who swim in the back yard pond. She is a retired elementary school teacher. During her teaching career, she saw a need for a longer, easy to read chapter book in which reluctant students could become motivated readers. In this book series children can read about the struggles of life, loss of a parent, feelings of being alone and abandoned, and trust issues, be it through the eyes of a kitten. Life in the Basement with Mother has chapters with few pages, low vocabulary with high interest, and a unique Name Giver theme.… This combination will motivate a struggling student to finish a chapter book and feel the gratification of reading. This book is also easy to listen to at bedtime. Everyone enjoys listening to a story that is easy to understand, especially if someone they love is taking the time to read the book to them.