Picture Books, Easy Readers, and Chapter Books...
These are books and ideas that I have been working on for years, or months, or days. If you are interested in anything you see, let me know and I will ferociously whip it into the best shape for you. There are two themes that take center stage in my writing: 'Tolerance', and 'Self-Esteem'. It's probably a little crazy to list books that are not yet published but I never claimed to be sane. In my life, I've made a conscious decision to trust before I don't trust. I work hard at writing, editing, and revising my work and always welcome the challenge to becoming the best I can be.
PICTURE BOOKS
LUCKY THE COCKROACH - All Lucky wants is a place to sleep, but when he wanders into the wrong house, he realizes this is no time for a nap!
RAINBOW ROOSTER & THE VULTURE - When Rainbow is born he looks different than everyone else. When he is befriended by a Vulture, he learns the meaning of true friendship.
LARRY LOVES LOX ON SUNDAYS - Larry loves being a traditionally Jewish dog, especially for all the food he gets to eat. He especially loves lox on Sundays, but must realize that his tummy is going to pay a price for that!
SHMOO AND SHMO - Two noses set out in search of the perfect face and realize that it was under their nose all the time.
THREE DAYS AT ELLIS ISLAND - When Grandpa arrived at Ellis Island, nobody came to get him. He waited three days, hungry and cold before someone finally showed up. He learned the hard way that the roads in America are not paved with gold.
MOSES THE STUTTERER - Moses was slow to speak and there are many reasons why. In this book, I explore the feelings he had when G-d chose him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt.
THE PEOPLE COLLECTOR - When Kiki was forced to spend the summer with Gramps, she was upset, until she learned his secret. He was a People Collector! When Gramps says he'll share his secret with her, it becomes the best summer ever.
THE SOMERSAULT QUEEN - Daisy wants to be the best at something, anything! When Grandma teaches her how to somersault underwater, she finally gets to do something most people don't know how to do and soon becomes the Somersault Queen.
THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM - Alfred the Elephant won't let little Joey leave his room until he confesses his secret.
RUMBLEBUM - Rumblebum hates her name! Well, that is until she discovers it's only a nickname and she has a better name. But then again, when someone else wants the name, Rumblebum is reluctant to give it up.
It's Howdy Doody Time!
CHAPTER BOOKS/EASY READERS
DEAR AUNT EDITH - A FORGOTTEN HEROINE - This book kept me busy during the pandemic. I teamed up with my friend, Actress Lynne Moody, to bring to light the amazing story of her Aunt, Edith S. Sampson, an African American champion for education, a civil rights leader who worked under four Presidents, and one of the first female African American Judges in America. Though it began as a Picture Book, the material was so diverse, that it became a Chapter Book.
ROCK & SHELL FOREVER FRIENDS - Formerly titled "The Adventures of Rocco and Jellie", this was the first book I wrote and still the one I love the most. I am waiting for the time when someone feels the same way as I do about it. When Rocco from the ocean, meets Jellie from the sand, they become best friends, even though rocks and shells are not supposed to mix. When separated by a humanpeep, they both face the fear of the unknown on the journey to find each other again.
RAISING JACK - Jack is a delightful Golden Retriever without a home. As he sets out to find his mother, he is met with many obstacles. After finding his mom at an animal shelter, he must find a way to save her and his sister. Scheduled to be put to sleep, he is rescued at the last moment and eventually finds a place and an owner to call his own. This book is what I imagined my rescue dog's first six months to be.
WORKS IN PROGRESS
THE SQUIRREL WITH THE GREEN COLLAR - A baby squirrel is captured by a tree cutter as a pet for his son's birthday. They take care of him for a while, then forget about him. He escapes and runs into a gang of bully squirrels who dare him to become one of the 'suicide squirrels'. He doesn't want to but he doesn't have any other friends until a girl squirrel befriends him and tells him the bullies are wrong!
SASHA'S NEW BOOTS - Based on the first play I wrote, this is the true story of my grandfather's brother in Russia, when the Russian army took over the fields in their backyard during the Bolshevik Revolution.
Art Work by Illustrator Shanz Boilini
"Anything I've ever needed to know, I learned at the library."
Lizzie Maxwell
