Praise for Address Unknown:
“Right on target with what homeless students and families go through.”
Dee Dee Wright, Homeless Liaison for Students in Polk County, Florida
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Address Unknown Available on Kindle
Address Unknown, my novel about the struggles of a homeless student is now available for Kindle and many other eReaders through amazon.com.
Praise for Address Unknown:
"A compassionate and engrossing story about homelessness in America. Its vivid descriptions bring each character and scene to life, helping the reader to experience some of the pain and anxiety the homeless endure. I highly recommend 'this read'!!
This novel will help promote awareness and empathy for an ever growing problem that families often keep secret due to shame and fear. It is a great story and a timeless social commentary for students, teachers, and community members. Bernice S. Warren, Elementary School Counselor for 30 years, National Board Certified
Praise for Address Unknown:
Monday, January 9, 2012
My Novel: Address Unknown, the Story of a Homeless Teen Is Available
Many of you have been asking when my novel Address Unknown would be available. I am happy to report it can now be purchased on www.amazon.com and other outlets.
This is a novel for middle grade students, eight to thirteen years old, about a boy who becomes homeless. Those who have read it give it high praise. I hope you will enjoy it as well.
This is a novel for middle grade students, eight to thirteen years old, about a boy who becomes homeless. Those who have read it give it high praise. I hope you will enjoy it as well.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Resources for Bullying
Here are some very helpful websites for information on how to deal with bullying.
www.PacerKidsAgainstBullying.org
www.StopBullyingNow.hrsa.gov
www.tolerance.org
www.StopCyberbullying.org
www.Safeteens.com
Do you know of others to share with us?
www.PacerKidsAgainstBullying.org
www.StopBullyingNow.hrsa.gov
www.tolerance.org
www.StopCyberbullying.org
www.Safeteens.com
Do you know of others to share with us?
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Do You Know If Your Child Is Being Bullied?
Up to 160,000 students miss school every day to avoid being bullied. As many as 25% of students say they have been bullied in school. With such high numbers saying they have been bullied, how do you know if your child is one of them?
It's not easy to know and it's not the first thing one usually thinks of when school isn't going well.
Following are some signs that parents should look for that are possible indications of being bullied. While bullying isn't always the answer, it is always something that should be included in the possible reasons for these symptoms.
Let him know it's not his fault-it's the bully that has the problem.
Whether or not your child admits to being bullied, let him know that no one has the right to bully him. Encourage him to tell you and an adult at school if anyone bullies him.
If your child isn't sure, have him answer these three questions:
1. Did someone say or do something that made him feel bad or afraid?
2. Has it happened more than once?
3. Is that person bigger, older, or more powerful than your child?
If the answer to these questions is "yes" then he is being bullied.
Go on your local school board's website and learn what resources they have in place to deal with bully behavior and what their policies are. Work with school personnel to stop all forms of bullying.
What has been your experience with bullying behavior? Do you have any suggestions to add that might be helpful to others?
It's not easy to know and it's not the first thing one usually thinks of when school isn't going well.
Following are some signs that parents should look for that are possible indications of being bullied. While bullying isn't always the answer, it is always something that should be included in the possible reasons for these symptoms.
- Has his behavior changed lately? Is he more sullen, withdrawn?
- Are his grades going downhill?
- Does he not want to go to school? Is he often sick or not feeling well on school days?
Let him know it's not his fault-it's the bully that has the problem.
Whether or not your child admits to being bullied, let him know that no one has the right to bully him. Encourage him to tell you and an adult at school if anyone bullies him.
If your child isn't sure, have him answer these three questions:
1. Did someone say or do something that made him feel bad or afraid?
2. Has it happened more than once?
3. Is that person bigger, older, or more powerful than your child?
If the answer to these questions is "yes" then he is being bullied.
Go on your local school board's website and learn what resources they have in place to deal with bully behavior and what their policies are. Work with school personnel to stop all forms of bullying.
What has been your experience with bullying behavior? Do you have any suggestions to add that might be helpful to others?
Friday, October 28, 2011
Homeless Statistics Aren't Just Numbers, They Have Faces
The numbers of homeless people continues to increase every year. In the 2008-2009 school year the Hearth Project identified 2,038 homeless students in Polk County, FL. In the 2009-2010 school year the number increased to 2,289. For the 2010-2011 school year it continued to increase to 2,453.
We must never forget that these are not just numbers. Each of the 2,453 has a face. Most of the homeless are single moms with small children.
My soon-to-be-published novel, Address Unknown, speaks to this issue and encourages discussion. Perhaps it will lead to more being done to assist those in this very difficult situation. That is my hope.
We must never forget that these are not just numbers. Each of the 2,453 has a face. Most of the homeless are single moms with small children.
My soon-to-be-published novel, Address Unknown, speaks to this issue and encourages discussion. Perhaps it will lead to more being done to assist those in this very difficult situation. That is my hope.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Road Kill Snow Skiing
I've been snow skiing one time. "Road Kill." That's what they called me.
As I struggled to the beginners class over snow and ice, skis clamped firmly in place, I had two "aha" moments:
1) I would rather be walking barefoot across hot beach sand and 2) do I have an up-to-date last will and testament?
We beginners stood in a line facing the instructor. He told how to bend our knees and lean this way in order to go that way. He very gracefully demonstrated. Then it was our turn.
I bent my knees and leaned as instructed, but my skiis apparently weren't listening--they never went in the direction the graceful instructor said they would go.
I did learn how to stop. All you do is fall down. I practiced stopping more than I wanted to. I was good at it.
Often, when I stopped, the skiers behind me were surprised since we weren't practicing stopping at the time and, being beginners, they practiced stopping also--by running into me. Road kill.
The class grand finale was to go on a ski lift and ski down the "easy" beginners slope. For those of you who have never been skiing before let me tell you a secret they don't tell you until you are in line for the ski lift-the lift doesn't stop for you to get on.
When your turn comes you have to hurry to position yourself so the lift chair hits you in the buttocks and you fall into the seat. It sounds easy, but here's the tricky part-you're wearing skiis. When I hurry, I practice stopping. You're not supposed to stop when in line for the lift.
Another secret they don't tell you until you are actually seated on the lift-it doesn't stop for you to get off.
Directions for getting off the ski lift:
1. Jump.
2. Land upright on your skis.
3. Very quickly ski out of the way so the person seated behind you,
who will be jumping into the very same spot you jumped, does not
land on your head. Falling is not recommended.
I do not remember skiing down the easy beginners slope. This should not come as a surprise--people who go through a traumatic event often can't remember anything they did while going through said event.
I wouldn't mind going to a ski resort again. But next time I'll watch the skiers from the lounge with a hot drink in my hand. And I won't have to worry about my last will and testament.
As I struggled to the beginners class over snow and ice, skis clamped firmly in place, I had two "aha" moments:
1) I would rather be walking barefoot across hot beach sand and 2) do I have an up-to-date last will and testament?
We beginners stood in a line facing the instructor. He told how to bend our knees and lean this way in order to go that way. He very gracefully demonstrated. Then it was our turn.
I bent my knees and leaned as instructed, but my skiis apparently weren't listening--they never went in the direction the graceful instructor said they would go.
I did learn how to stop. All you do is fall down. I practiced stopping more than I wanted to. I was good at it.
Often, when I stopped, the skiers behind me were surprised since we weren't practicing stopping at the time and, being beginners, they practiced stopping also--by running into me. Road kill.
The class grand finale was to go on a ski lift and ski down the "easy" beginners slope. For those of you who have never been skiing before let me tell you a secret they don't tell you until you are in line for the ski lift-the lift doesn't stop for you to get on.
When your turn comes you have to hurry to position yourself so the lift chair hits you in the buttocks and you fall into the seat. It sounds easy, but here's the tricky part-you're wearing skiis. When I hurry, I practice stopping. You're not supposed to stop when in line for the lift.
Another secret they don't tell you until you are actually seated on the lift-it doesn't stop for you to get off.
Directions for getting off the ski lift:
1. Jump.
2. Land upright on your skis.
3. Very quickly ski out of the way so the person seated behind you,
who will be jumping into the very same spot you jumped, does not
land on your head. Falling is not recommended.
I do not remember skiing down the easy beginners slope. This should not come as a surprise--people who go through a traumatic event often can't remember anything they did while going through said event.
I wouldn't mind going to a ski resort again. But next time I'll watch the skiers from the lounge with a hot drink in my hand. And I won't have to worry about my last will and testament.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
The Writer's Life
It's not easy being a writer. Oh sure, you say, writers just sit around all day drinking coffee and thinking of cool things to write. How hard is that?
It's hard. Really hard. First of all, drinking all that coffee requires a lot of bathroom breaks. So I write half a sentence and then get up for a break. By the time I return, I've forgotten what I was going to write so I start over. That's why you'll see many writers only using very short sentences. Meanwhile this blank page is staring at me, taunting me to write something really cool.
Pressure. There's lots of pressure in writing. And I don't mean just in the bladder. Think of the last time you read a book with a really scary scene. Well, here I am, sipping on a latte trying to think of a scary scene to write. Not just the scene, but the right words to make you feel really scared.
Finding the right words is a matter for our brains. But brains don't always cooperate. I know you've tried to think of something and couldn't: the name of a movie, the name of that guy you met ten minutes ago who's walking towards you right now and you need to introduce him to the person standing next to you, the names of your children; and your brain has locked it away so that you can barely see it, but not enough to remember it.
What was that actor's name? I know it started with a "P." ...Peter?...No, not Peter...Phillip?...No, that's not it...Patrick?...Maybe it starts with a "R"...Yeah, I think so...Robert?...No...Say, Hon, what was the name of that actor we saw in the movie last night?
"We didn't see a movie last night?"
"What did we do last night?"
"I can't remember either."
"I think it started with 'B.'"
Some brains are better at this than others. Some brains specialize. Names seems to be a favorite, but some lock away dates, or memories, or words. If you're a writer--it's words.
What does your brain lock away? And how do you retrieve it? While you're trying to remember, I'll go get another cup of coffee.
It's hard. Really hard. First of all, drinking all that coffee requires a lot of bathroom breaks. So I write half a sentence and then get up for a break. By the time I return, I've forgotten what I was going to write so I start over. That's why you'll see many writers only using very short sentences. Meanwhile this blank page is staring at me, taunting me to write something really cool.
Pressure. There's lots of pressure in writing. And I don't mean just in the bladder. Think of the last time you read a book with a really scary scene. Well, here I am, sipping on a latte trying to think of a scary scene to write. Not just the scene, but the right words to make you feel really scared.
Finding the right words is a matter for our brains. But brains don't always cooperate. I know you've tried to think of something and couldn't: the name of a movie, the name of that guy you met ten minutes ago who's walking towards you right now and you need to introduce him to the person standing next to you, the names of your children; and your brain has locked it away so that you can barely see it, but not enough to remember it.
What was that actor's name? I know it started with a "P." ...Peter?...No, not Peter...Phillip?...No, that's not it...Patrick?...Maybe it starts with a "R"...Yeah, I think so...Robert?...No...Say, Hon, what was the name of that actor we saw in the movie last night?
"We didn't see a movie last night?"
"What did we do last night?"
"I can't remember either."
"I think it started with 'B.'"
Some brains are better at this than others. Some brains specialize. Names seems to be a favorite, but some lock away dates, or memories, or words. If you're a writer--it's words.
What does your brain lock away? And how do you retrieve it? While you're trying to remember, I'll go get another cup of coffee.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)