True Story: First Edition of Wyatt the Wonder Dog Learns about Giving Goes for $1,000.00!!

Wyatt the Wonder Dog Learns about Giving

It's true... one of the first copies of Wyatt the Wonder Dog Learns about Giving went for $1,000.00!  Here's the scoop:  One of the teachers at my school rewards her students for good behavior with "dollars"  they can add to their  "bank account".  It might be $10.00 for following directions or $15.00 for turning in an assignment on time.  Each student keeps up with their mounting bank account (some good math practice is going on here) and at the end of a grading period there is a much anticipated auction where students can spend their "money" by bidding on various items.  There is lots to choose from: candy and toys, books and stuffed animals. One of the items in the auction this week was a copy of Wyatt the Wonder Dog Learns about Giving.  Guess what the book went for?  $1,000.00!!  My friend Daniel was the winner and is pictured below:



The Story Behind Wyatt the Wonder Dog

In a society where a feeling of entitlement is commonplace, it is refreshing to meet children and adults who express gratitude and generosity. When I began writing the story, Wyatt the Wonder Dog Learns about Giving, I wanted to help children understand the power of being generous and giving, no matter their age or economic status. Some of the most generous people are not necessarily the wealthiest. Mother Teresa or Nelson Mandela are examples of people who have given their lives in service to others.

When Wyatt's story begins, he is concerned about how long he has to wait until Christmas and what gifts he will receive. However, by the end of the story, Wyatt understands that his ability to be giving to others is a more important concern. It really is more blessed to give than to receive!

Three Concepts to Learn about Generosity

Developing the trait of generosity and kindness is something that can be started early in small ways and then developed into bigger projects as children grow.  Wyatt the Wonder Dog Learns about Giving   teaches the following concepts:

• Kindness and generosity can be something very small, such as letting someone go first in line. We all have opportunities to be kind and generous daily.
• Kindness and generosity encourages kindness and generosity. When we are kind and generous it begins a never ending spiral of similar acts.
• Everyone, no matter their age or finances can be generous. 

There Are Bonuses!!

Beginning Sunday, October 20 through Sunday October 27th, Wyatt the Wonder Dog Learns about Giving will be discounted on Amazon.  In addition, every book is loaded with bonuses.

There is a link to an audio file of Neil Scott-Barbour--The British Voice Talent,  reading the story. This audio is a real gem!  Neil reads the story with an engaging and compelling voice.  His rendition of Wyatt is classic.  Each book includes the following additional bonuses:

• discussion questions
• directions for creating a paper chain Christmas countdown
• information on therapy dogs, which are models of generosity
• a template for a Christmas coupon book 
• coloring sheet

Wyatt the Wonder Dog Learns about Giving is available in both paperback and Kindle formats. 

Please share this post with your friends on Facebook and Twitter!!

New Wyatt the Wonder Dog Book Coming Soon!!

It may be summertime but Wyatt the Wonder Dog and friends are hard at work producing his newest book, Wyatt the Wonder Dog Learns About Giving.  In the picture above you can see myself, Sammy Sudbury, our book layout expert and Pam Gardner, the illustrator pouring over the new edition.  Every book gets better and better and this one promises to be the best one yet!

 

Wyatt is always wondering about something and in this story, he is wondering what he  will receive for Christmas.  Wyatt's wise mother suggests he needs to learn the meaning of the word, generosity and instead wonder  what he will give others for Christmas.  By the end of the story Wyatt has not only learned the meaning of generosity, but he has also discovered many ways that others give of their time and talents. The book features not only Wyatt and but our very own, Lacy the therapy dog who regularly visits Sixes Elementary. 

As we get closer to publication date, I will be sending out regular updates.  Join the Wyatt the Wonder Dog facebook page to stay informed.  Be on the lookout for a free download that will include an audio recording of the book!  I can't wait to share Wyatt's newest adventure with you!!

Share this post on facebook and twitter!!

Summertime Reading for Children of All Ages

Summer is a great time to encourage kids to spend time reading. Not only is it entertaining but studies have shown that over the summer months, students typically lose many of the reading skills that they have worked so hard to gain throughout the school year. Parents can prevent this by making sure that there are plenty of opportunities to read. There are a lot of great books out there too that are not only exciting adventures but wonderful messages as well.

Friend and newly published author, Martha Orlando has a trilogy that is just out this spring.  If you want a young adult book that is packed with action, humor and inspiration, you can't beat A Trip, A Tryst and a Terror, Children of the Garden and the newest one soon to be out,  The Moment of Truth.

My friend Erin Casey, editor of Success magazine, has penned two terrific young adult books in her Zany Zia Hats To Where series. In the first book, An All Knight Adventure, Evan Tanner is transported to a castle in the middle ages where he conquers his fears in order to battle dragons and bullies. In Lost in Comanche Country, Marianna bravely navigates between Indian warriors, hungry mountain lions and cowboys out for revenge, while learning that despite all our differences we still have much in common if we will but take the time to get to know each other. For more information check out the Zany Zia website here. 

Jordan Crowl, author of Ed's Journal is a talented author and illustrator who has written a series of character education books which allow the reader to determine possible choices and consequences.  These books make for great discussions between children and parents, as well as a wonderful lesson too. He's written several but here are a couple of my favorites:

Finally, I just have to mention my own series of books about Wyatt the Wonder Dog.  In the first book, Wyatt the Wonder Dog Learns About Good Manners, Wyatt learns what to do about a bossy friend who doesn't use his manners. In the second book, Wyatt the Wonder Dog Learns About Being Organized, Wyatt learns how to plan ahead and organize his day, a skill that I've had many adults tell me they need to develop as well!  In the most recent book, Wyatt the Wonder Dog Goes to Kindergarten, Wyatt learns that adjusting to change can often be very rewarding.  All the books are available on amazon.com  and I have included affiliate links.  Curious about the next Wyatt book that will be out soon this year?  Follow our progress on the Wyatt site.  Happy Summertime Reading!

Like this post?  Share on facebook or twitter!

Do you know a child who would like to attend our writing camp?  Check out the information in the Events Page on this site.

Wyatt the Wonder Dog Loves to Visit Cherokee Christian School!

Wyatt and I loved visiting Cherokee Christian School last week!

On October 25th, Wyatt and I visited Cherokee Christian School in Woodstock, Georgia. We had a blast! Our good friends, Kimberly Caldwell and Lacey, her therapy dog joined us for each of the classes. Lacey was a great listener although sometimes you might think that she was sleeping instead of listening. Her owner assured us that she often listens with her eyes closed.

Notice how the children are panting like puppies...

Each class listened to a Wyatt story and then made Wyatt puppy dog ears to wear.

Here's the ears ready for a little creative coloring.

Here is one of the classes wearing their ears:

More panting students...

In kindergarten, we read Wyatt the Wonder Dog Goes to Kindergarten and in first, second and third grade we read Wyatt the Wonder Dog Learns About Good Manners.

Who knew there were so many different ways to  wear puppy dog ears!

Older classes after listening to a Wyatt story, then identified the parts of the story and learned how to create a story themselves.

It was definitely a Wonderful Wyatt kind of a day. Wyatt will again be visiting Cherokee Christian School on November 10 for their Evening in London.  We will have a booth with Wyatt books to sell and special treats for Wyatt fans. Hope to see you there! Here's the link to this event if you need more information!  Thanks to Cherokee Christian School for inviting us!

Want Wyatt to come visit your school?  We'd love to!  Just follow the link to Wyatt's website and let us know what you need.

If you like this post, please share with your friends on Facebook and Twitter!

Parenting The Shy Sensitive Child

You gotta love kids.  I was recently teaching a class on feelings and the book I was reading had the line in it... "Are you feeling bold?".  I've learned never to assume that children know what I am talking about, so I stopped and asked the kindergarten class if they knew what bold meant.  Being five and six year olds they of course did.  The child I called on confidently replied "You know, it's when you have no hair."

We have been talking about the different personality styles in children and today's post is about the 'S' personality style.  Bold is definitely NOT a word that would be used to describe them.  In fact, they often tend to be shy, reserved and reluctant to move outside of the status quo.  They have lots of wonderful qualities including:  steady, stable and supportive. They are people pleasers with a servant's heart, who often  consider others and their needs first. 'S' type children are delightful to be around and if you have one in your family, you are blessed. Teachers especially enjoy having 'S' type students in their classroom. They are highly motivated to perform and please the adults around them. They are the students who draw a picture or write you a letter to let you know that you are the best teacher in the world. About 30-35% of the population is wired with the S type personality and as adults, they are most commonly found in service industry jobs. Teachers and nurses for instance, are usually S types.

What is the downside of the S type personality? They can be too devoted to pleasing others. They may need to learn that friendship sometimes needs to take second place to other aspects of their lives. In addition, they need to learn that conflict can be healthy and necessary. Be sure to balance doing things for your 'S' child with encouraging the child to do things for himself. They often need help starting tasks and making decisions although they are great at finishing tasks once started.   They will need to learn to form opinions for themselves and not to be easily influenced by others who have a more dominant personality.  Make sure you offer lots of appreciation and support to the 'S' child and they will thrive. Take a softer and more gentle approach by speaking in softer less demanding tones.  Show appreciation for who they are rather than on what they accomplish.  Celebrate the dependable, compassionate nature of their personality which always strives for peace and harmony in the family.

Image by Andrei! via Flickr