Preview of "The Dragon Who Laughed Fire"

Once upon a time in the Kingdom of Chalet, there lived a dragon.  His family had left the kingdom a long time ago to live up in the mountains where there were more caves.  The dragon had a friendly personality although he was quite sad and lonely.  He was misunderstood by the people of Chalet and had no friends.  

Everyone avoided the dragon as much as possible because of the fire from his mouth that always burned their houses and fields whenever he flew by.  They did not know the destruction was accidental.  Every friendly greeting or sound of laughter coming from the dragon resulted in a burst of flame and fire.  

The dragon was quite unaware of the fear he caused and continued to greet the townsfolk.  He wondered why no one came to visit him in the last dragon cave left in the kingdom and why no one wanted to be his friend.  He remembered what his mom told him. "To have a friend, you need to be a friend."   So, he kept flying over the villages at least once a week to be friendly.  But, his fiery friendliness was definitely a problem to the good people of Chalet.

song for my children

"When I Leave the Room" by Natalie Grant

Good night
Looks like we made it through the day
The moon sighs
And I know that we're okay

Sleep tight
I love to watch you drift away
I would come with you but on my knees I'll stay

Good night
Five little fingers holding mine
Take flight
Into your dreams and lullabies

There's nothing more that I can do
But just fall more in love with you
And ask the angel armies to stand by
When I leave the room

I'm gonna fail you
I already have
Ten thousand times
I will fall down flat

You'll have a seat in the front row
Of everything I don't know
And all I'm trying to be
You'll see

Good night
There will be storms that we come through
In time
We will slay dragons me and you

I'll always wanna hold you tight
Keep you safe with all my might
So I will leave Jesus next to you
When I leave the room

And you will run ahead
As if you know the way
And I will pray more
Then one should have to pray

There will be words we can't take back
Silences too
And I'll be on my knees
You'll see

One night
When I am old and unsteady
You'll want me to fight
But I'll tell you that I'm ready

When there's nothing left to do
I will still be loving you
Then you'll fold your fingers into mine
And I will let Jesus hold you tight
When I leave the room

Written by Bernie Herms, Natalie Diane Grant, Nichole Ellyse Nordeman • Copyright © Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol Christian Music Group, Music Services, Inc

Talk About Too Much Information!

Information and Education - Video

Change is hard. In the education world, teachers are still trying to use the same methods we have used in the past. This video shows why we are being ineffective educators. The harder we try, the more we get behind. We will either drown in information or we will learn to swim in new waters. As a future school librarian, I am excited by this new world. I want to be an educational partner as I enable others to gain information fluency. Bring it on!

The Buffalo Soldier by Sherry Garland

 Animoto book trailer:

The Buffalo Soldier by Sherry Garland

Happy Birthday, Becky!

Birthday Blessings   Instead of counting candles,
Or tallying the years,
Contemplate your blessings now,
As your birthday nears. Consider special people
Who love you, and who care,
And others who’ve enriched your life
Just by being there.   Think about the memories
Passing years can never mar,
Experiences great and small
That have made you who you are. Another year is a happy gift,
So cut your cake, and say,
"Instead of counting birthdays,
I count blessings every day!"   By Joanna

Quotes from Children's Books That I like

"Mom says each of us has a veil between ourselves and the rest of the world, like a bride wears on her wedding day, except this kind of veil is invisible. We walk around happily with these invisible veils hanging down over our faces. The world is kind of blurry, and we like it that way.

"But sometimes our veils are pushed away for a few moments, like there's a wind blowing it from our faces. And when the veil lifts, we can see the world as it really is, just for those few seconds before it settles down again. We see all the beauty, and cruelty, and sadness, and love. But mostly we are happy not to. Some people learn to lift the veil themselves. Then they don't have to depend on the wind anymore."

Stead, Rebecca. When You Reach Me. New York: Lamb-Random House, 2009.

to be continued...

ALL THINGS NEW Preview

PROLOGUE

            “Remember, my son, this place is not our real home! Never forget your true home.”

            The boy looked up with tears in his eyes. “But, Mother, I just wanted to play a game with him!”

            The mother regarded the small boy with little sympathy. Her husband was a weak person; a man incapable of conceiving the real reason for their marriage. She would not allow her son to become as these Americans, no matter if they were no longer called by that name. They were all weak and stupid. No, she must encourage the strength she must instill in her only son. “Games are for the weak. We are stronger than our neighbors. Look at them! Do they have a higher purpose such as us? No! They play games and waste their minds on endless TV. Someday, Son, you will have a name worthy of your strength. For now, you need to grow strong in mind and spirit. Have you completed your studies?”

            “No.” The boy felt defeated as he headed up the stairs to his quarters. His mother never used his name. She only referred to him as “Son.“ The only reason he was allowed to go to school was so he could learn to “fit in” but he was not allowed to “fit in” with friends. His mother kept hawkish eyes on every activity and insisted on diligence toward his homeland studies. He understood but he felt lonely. His only pleasure was in pleasing his mother. His father was hardly ever home and when he was, his mother had him completing her list of things that needed to be done. His father looked at him as if he belonged to only his mother anyway.         

            The computerized wall danced with images from his homeland. He watched in fascination. Would he ever have the chance to see this magical place? His real country was so different from PROD. His mother was right. They were better than Prodans. He would grow up to be stronger and braver and smarter than that boy with whom he had walked home from school. So what if he said his father was a hotshot astrologist. He touched the link that took him to the audio of a song from his homeland and sang with all his might along with the soaring crowd. He knew his mother would smile at him from downstairs. She was a strong woman.