Young Readers Books
I have always loved to write. I loved writing old-fashioned letters describing my travels to friends. In my business career, I have been tasked with writing, or helping to write, numerous business plans, securities documents, advertising copy and the like. I have been known as a story teller, telling the story of personal adventures as well as telling my now grown children and grandchildren imaginary tales just to amuse. I am also a photographer and sell my photos through several galleries.
My first children’s book, The Adventures of Snuffy the Wonder Dog, was written at the urging of my granddaughter, Britney May. We had returned from six years in Belize, settled on the Texas Gulf Coast, and acquired Wildhaven, a small 30-acre farm on the banks of Chocolate Bayou. Then we got Snuffy, an American Water Spaniel puppy. Snuffy was wonderful with the grandchildren and was their constant companion when they were at Wildhaven. He would fetch for them, swim with them, hunt grasshoppers with them, and from time to time prevent a snakebite or other danger. About the time we got Snuffy, digital photography was booming, and I re-ignited my career as a photographer with new Nikon digital equipment. I also began writing the stories of Snuffy and how he interacted with the family. I began adding pictures of the animals, birds, fish, flowers and frogs on the farm. The text of the Snuffy adventures book is complete, and I’ve nearly completed sorting the photos to make the story come alive. This is a great story–actually each chapter is a story in itself– to read to children or for them to read for themselves. In addition to being entertained by the story, children will come away with an enhanced appreciation for our beautiful part of the world. Hopefully, it will also trigger the curiosity of the young readers to actually look at what is around them in the natural world and see and enjoy it no matter where they live.
The Boy With White Hair, How Lightning Changed Everything is a story about a young man still in school who lives in our beautiful Gulf Coast area and is struck by lightning without warning. Not only does his hair turn white, but he finds he has acquired a strange ability to hear animals, birds, and even fish or shrimp on a level no one else can. Learning to deal with this is challenging. This coming-of-age book emphasizes his strong family connections, hard work, rewards for that hard work, friendship, bullying and winning. While not a textbook, the story is rich with details about the culture, natural events including hurricanes, the animals and other wildlife. It also speaks about how teenagers interact with each other and overcome problems. In addition to the human characters, the book features deer, feral hogs, alligators, fire ants, ducks and geese, snakes and more. Readers will also meet Squaretail and Two Bit, an alligator and a turtle (subjects of another book), as the story unfolds. A great read for young readers or anyone. For a preview of this book, please Click here
Reptile Tales, The Story of Squaretail and Two Bit is a story of an alligator and a red-eared slider turtle that come into the world in the same nest on the same day. Because both alligators and turtles live long lives, there are many adventures for the two as their lives periodically intertwine. Squaretail and Two Bit’s lives are seldom boring as they face challenges from weather, predators, and humans. The story does not anthropomorphize the two main characters, and they have no super powers, it is just a gripping story for young readers to get lost in. In telling their tale, there are lots of facts about the area that should fascinate young readers as they learn about the always beautiful Texas Gulf Coast. Interestingly, Squaretail and Two Bit’s lives intersect with the Boy With White Hair on a number of occasions to add depth to the two stories.