Illinois Authors

Fulton Books 2022

What a delightfully poetic story about a baby pig! This adventure begins with a child saving, caring, and raising a tiny runt of a pig's litter. But the pig isn't the only one to benefit from this relationship. Ellie did too! And this book is a fun introduction to homophones as well. This is a charming and touching book based on a true story!

Fulton Books La Vergne : 2022

Lessons Learned from Our Travels Travel broadens our minds, but until we leave our "safe home space" and have seen how other people live, we really can't grasp that concept! Until one venture out into the world, all we really know is our own existence. We really have no idea how others around the world survive, what they're experiencing, or the conditions others are facing to meet their needs. When one witnesses firsthand the extreme poverty in many parts of the world, it is truly an eye-opener! Some people are forced to sell their children in order to buy food to survive. Many cultures still persecute people and prevent them from many of the accepted freedoms we have here in America. Wars are being fought in many parts of the world, with people barely surviving. We are so blessed in this country to have the freedoms that we have but are often taken for granted. Travel allows us to really see the world as it is today and how we should never take anything for granted again! Having traveled to most parts of the world, we've found that people are all basically the same! No matter what our ethnicity, race, religion, gender, or culture, we all need the same basic things. Shelter, food, and clothing are most necessary to provide comfort in our lives. They may look different, taste different, or be different, but they still serve the same purposes for all of us. After those basic needs are met, most humans want good jobs to provide a decent living for themselves and their families. People all over the world want their children to succeed and be happy. Peace, health, safety, education, security, and acceptance are also desired by mostly everyone no matter where they live in the world. My grandma and parents always taught me the "golden rule" to treat others the way I would want to be treated. I have found that when I applied that simple rule, it was a great way to get along with people in any part of the world. Greeting people with a kind smile, sharing thoughtful words, and showing an interest in another person's culture are simple things to do but accomplish much. If people would just realize that we're all very much alike, embrace the few differences we have, and show respect for one another, then possibly, our world could truly experience peace on earth!

Fulton Books La Vergne : 2022

Poetry is a timeless form of writing, and it is just as meaningful today as it was when it was written. Poetry can comfort, heal, bring joy, encourage, and inspire. Everyone deals with joys and sorrows in life. Along with her strong faith in God, creating oil paintings and doing many kinds of crafts; writing poems helped my mom get through devastating losses in her life. These poems give us hope and let us know that we aren't alone and that we can survive difficult times too. May my mom's poems be uplifting and help you on your life's journey!

Fulton Books La Vergne : 2021

Wisdom is a gift received from traveling life's journey. Everyone experiences situations in life, though unique to them, that are either pleasant or painful. Grandma's charming, witty, and heartfelt sayings may be familiar and others not so much. But most everyone can relate to all of them. May these sayings provide renewed purpose, courage, strength, and inspiration, helping to navigate through the joys and challenges in life. They truly are "gems of wisdom"!

Fulton Books 2022

Anyone who lived through the 9/11 terrorist attacks will tell you how horrific that time was in America. But as the saying goes, "Every gray cloud has a silver lining." The third graders in Illinois reaching out to the traumatized children in New York City through a pen pal project was exactly the type of healing our nation craved! Unlikely friends, the two classes wrote to each other for an entire school year. May we all learn to be kind to others, just as these small-town students were to their inner-city pen pals. Featured in the New York Times, local newspapers, and the Today Show, the children's patriotic example shows us what a difference caring can make in someone's life!