One of the best things about being a kid is discovering books. I packed my inner child off to camp years ago, but a recent mission to buy books for some young cousins to take to Korea evoked happy memories of that vanquished imp. We had to get one Olsen Twins book, but the rest were all things I liked when I was a kid: Call of the Wild, Maud Hart Lovelace, Three Investigators mysteries. Washington author Mary Quattlebaum traces her own interest in writing to reading books like Amelia Bedelia and Curious George aloud to her brothers and sisters. Her books for kids grow out of her life in D.C.—her subjects include the Metro, her plot in a community garden, and the comings and goings on her street. Today, Quattlebaum conducts a workshop for kids interested in writing and illustrating their own stories at 1 and 2 p.m. at the Capital Children’s Museum, 800 3rd St. NE. Free. (202) 675-4120. (Janet Hopf)