Karl Beckstrand's Blog, page 6

Family Stories

This month I shared with librarians around the country my adventures in Family History.��Where is your family from? How can your personal or family story impact others? People of all ages find inspiration from the biographies of great men and women who faced difficulties. What many people don���t realize is that within their own families are stories of great courage and resilience. I grew up hearing the dry names of people I didn���t know���dates and places���that kind of bored me. But I also heard their stories. THAT always got my attention. My ancestors include pilgrims, Mormon pioneers, and possibly American Indians. I���m preparing the second book in a series on ancestors who immigrated to America as children. My roots are South African, Swedish, Scottish, Irish, and English. I read that a young man in prison said (after learning about his heritage), ���Had I known who I am���who I came from���I would never had ended up here.��� Knowing where/who you come from can change you.

To start go from the known to the unknown. Find your oldest living relative and interview him/her!

Prepare questions prior
Audio/video record it!
Take notes too (for unplanned questions���and technology backup)
Start with geography
Have fun being a detective!

Research ONE person at a time (but know a few family names, in case you stumble across Uncle Bob. Names are often repeated across generations). Know town, township/city, county, state, region, and country of origin (where possible. Sometimes towns disappear, counties split or merge, and countries��� borders shift���be sure any map you look at is from the correct era). Sometimes, just by Googling a name and place, you find gems.

Before governments kept records, they were mostly collected in:

Church records (birth, death, marriage, ordination, bar mitzvah, adoption, service, cemetery/headstones)
Family Bible, photo albums, scrapbooks
Family letters & heirlooms
Diaries/journals/biographies (DAR, DUP. Don���t overlook those of siblings, cousins, etc.)
Announcements, phone books, bills, organization directories

The best records are official (and can substantiate or disprove rumors)

City/county/national records: Census, military, Social Security Index, taxes
Certificates: education, awards, achievement
Wills, deeds, lawsuits/probate/court cases/jails
Immigration records, passenger lists
Business records/lists, hiring/promotions
Adoption/orphanage or hospital records
News articles, obituaries, event ads, museums
Bank/Insurance records, ledgers
Funeral/cemetery records (headstones too)

Historical & genealogical societies can be more helpful than city/county/state clerks. Find them online (also family tree-building sites):

USGenWeb.org
Ancestry.com
FamilySearch.org (free)
Findagrave.com, BillionGraves.com
Cyndis list
RootsWeb.com
EllisIsland.org
WorldGenWeb.org

Queries: It is NOT unusual for a stranger to happily search records���even headstones in local cemeteries for you (offer to cover copy/travel costs). Families often have official sites or Facebook pages, you can query those page owners too. Have friends or family in an ancestral place (you���re not in)? Ask if they���ll look up data/certificates/headstones for you. When all else fails, consider hiring a professional genealogist (or get free help at any LDS Family History Center. Ask for a tour. Become a volunteer indexer).

What do you do with the data?

Put copies of everything in your binder (pedigree chart, family group sheets, individual timelines, and a source/research log)
Share it on Ancestry.com and/or a specific family site (create one if you want)
Have a reunion to meet, swap stories, share data, and get emails for ongoing collaboration
Set up a family site/FB page
Publish it as an ebook and even physical book (for posterity���and even the world)

Dead men (and women) tell no tales. Document your own history. On a sheet of paper, write the year of your birth and then (a few spaces down) write the year ten years after that (add ten and ten ��� until the present). Fill in major events, and you���ll soon have a quick outline of your life. Here are some data ideas (also good for interviewing relatives):

Birth date/place, Christening/baptism
Siblings, education, special/funny experiences
Marriage, career, military, hobbies, travel
Affiliations, talents, accomplishments, volunteer work, church service
Children
Places lived (where died/buried)

If you���d like more info on publishing your story. There is a free audio here: KarlBeckstrand.com/Presentations

Read a Book with No Words

MIDVALE, Utah, Nov. 26, 2014 — Want to help kids cement their vocabulary skills? A new book—without words—can do just that.  Polar Bear Bowler: A Story Without Words is designed to help children create their own narration to engaging, funny images. It is Karl Beckstrand’s eleventh book.

Illustrated by Ashley Sanborn of Lehi, UT, the story is about a Polar Bear that hitches a ride to Antarctica. He’s never seen penguins before; to him they look like something fun to play with. So, the fun begins. The new title has been translated into more than twenty languages.

What would you do if Old MacDonald’s animals ruined your catering business? Ma MacDonald’s response is pretty clever in Beckstrand’s twelfth book: Ma MacDonald Flees the Farm. Activities include finding and naming animals and foods (for ages 3 – 8). The 32-page, soft cover and ebook was  illustrated by Alycia Mark of Providence, UT.

True to its multicultural tradition, Premio Publishing’s books feature learning activities and characters of color. Premio’s mystery and language books, non-fiction, ebooks and app are nationally-lauded, invite family learning and together time, and often end with surprises. Premio is celebrating its tenth year.

Most titles may be found via http://www.PremioBooks.com, Baker & Taylor, Barnes & Noble/NOOK, Amazon.com/Kindle, iTunes, Follett/Title Wave, Ingram, Mackin and select booksellers.

Spooky Halloween App & Mystery Books Teach Courage

Scared of the dark? Follow a gusty pup through an interactive Halloween app: Sounds in the House! Finally, an app that reveals what’s behind many, sometimes frightening, creaks and thuds that scare young and old on dark nights. Sounds in the House is a humorous interactive story with text and audio narration in both English and Spanish, a pronunciation guide, a finding activity and–of course–sounds.

Young children and adults will enjoy the jittery puppy, created by illustrator Channing Jones, who takes action and finds he is safe and loved. “It’s about facing fear,” says author Karl Beckstrand. “Once you know what causes those squeaks and bumps, you find there’s seldom cause to be afraid,” he says. Still, it is fun to see what makes a dog—or a person—jump, given the right start.

Not that anyone needs a comprehensive list of what keeps people awake at night, but Beckstrand’s mystery book Why Juan Can’t Sleep chronicles–with hilarity–every possible cause for insomnia. A finalist for a Utah Book Award this year, the newest edition in the Mini-mysteries for Minors series has finding activities and illustrations by Spanish artist Luis Sanz that grab readers and aid comprehension. From wild dreams to noisy neighbors, crazy critters and too much Chinese food, Beckstrand makes sure adults and kids are entertained at Halloween or any bedtime.

Beckstrand’s mysteries feature characters of color and usually end with a twist. They have been lauded by the Horn Book blog, ForeWord Reviews, Kirkus, and School Library Journal. Many are available in English-only, Spanish-only, and bilingual versions–with full text and pronunciation guide in both languages–and as e-books (for ages 4 – 10).

Other mysteries include: She Doesn’t Want the Worms – Ella no quiere los gusanos, Crumbs on the Stairs – Migas en las escaleras. Sounds in the House may be heard in any home. Ask for the app or mystery books at: Sam Weller, King’s English, Premiobooks.com, Ingram, Baker & Taylor, Amazon/Kindle, Barnes & Noble/Nook, Brodart, Follett, Ingram,  EBSCO, Qualtiy Books, Premiobooks.com, Custamizabooks.com, Android and iTunes stores and libraries nationwide. The Sounds in the House app is compatible with iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Android Tablets and phones, Kindle Fire, PC/Windows and Mac.

¿Alguna vez, has oído en tu casa ruidos que te asustan? ¿De dónde vienen esos chirridos y golpes? Te encantará descubrirlo. No hay nada que temer; Sounds in the House – Sonidos en la casa es una aplicación chistoso que explica las causas de esos sonidos espantosos. Este Halloween, aprenda sobre el temor, el valor y la amistad — con un perrito bravo. Un misterio divertido para toda la familia (2 años y arriba), incluye una guía de pronunciación en inglés y español, un actividad de búsqueda, dibujos vividos para ayudar con el vocabulario — y sonidos. La aplicación es compatible con iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Android Tablets y telefonos, Kindle Fire, PC/Windows y Mac, y viene gratis con la compra de cualquier libro misterio por Premio (via Amazon, Baker & Taylor, Brodart, Follett Library Resources/BWI Title Wave, Ingram, Barnes & Noble/Nook, EBSCO, Premiobooks.com, Sam Weller’s.) La aplicación puede ser comprado en Custamizabooks.com, Amazon/Kindle, Android y iTunes.

Horse & Dog Adventures in Early California: Short Stories & Poems

MIDVALE, UT, USA – Animal lovers can get a peek at life in rural California in the early twentieth century when animals played a critical role in human survival. Author Ransom Wilcox knows—he lived it.

Wilcox’s family moved to the Sacramento Valley from Canada in 1907. They farmed, tended livestock, and sometimes got by via hunting and fishing. Once, when the hunter became the prey—of a charging wild boar—Wilcox stuck a pole he was carrying into the ground and climbed up!

Wilcox’s stories in, Horse and Dog Adventures in Early California, tell of his great love for a beautiful filly and how he depended on horses in ranching and hunting. He also writes about the devotion of a special dog that saved his life—and how he was later able to return the favor, performing emergency surgery on the injured canine. “Doc” Wilcox, as his friends called him, was a chiropractor by profession, and grateful for his medical training when his rescuer needed help.

Wilcox’s love of animals and the great outdoors is evident in his nature-themed stories and poems (for young and old). They convey courage, devotion, and perseverance with warmth and sincerity.

Also from Premio Publishing: No Offense: Communication Guaranteed Not to Offend by Karl Beckstrand (also from California). In his ninth book, Beckstrand captures with simplicity and wit the essence of non-offensive, politically correct communication. Funny–and free of degrading bits–this is safe, entertaining reading for the whole family. Beckstrand encourages (in a clever way) the expression of important ideas and respectful dialogue—which often lead to serendipitous solutions that neither side would have arrived at without the other. He makes a strong statement about the problems with political correctness—especially unconstitutional limits on free speech. PremioPublishing.com

Originally posted by Karl Beckstrand at 9/21/2013 4:48 PM

Ramblings of an International Relations Guy

Aside from stereotypical images of Jihadis and impoverished tent dwellers many of us have had, we westerners also misunderstand the predominant culture of the Middle East & North Africa. For example, I have heard Christian leaders denounce the worship of Allah (which is simply the Arabic word for God), as if he were some pagan idol. They ignore the common Abrahamic roots of Islam, Judaism, and Christianity and the fact that, like the Bible, the Qur’an has been interpreted in a myriad of ways to justify ideas and practices that are far from humble submission to God (the prevailing message of both texts).

Author Dona Stewart makes the important distinction that the intense hatred so common in the Middle East isn’t so much jealousy of our freedoms and prosperity, but our general departure from moral virtues–which Muslims value above freedom and tolerance–and the fact that we make this departure so alluring.

Most Muslims don’t begrudge us our technological progress; they’re happy to have access to it. It is the hollow secularism that is so often transmitted via technology that they resent. We in the West are the “Great Satan” not because we have democracy and science, but (speaking generally) because of how we choose to use it. Professor Daniel Peterson says that Western secularism is “simultaneously repulsive and attractive” to Muslims. It’s not just that we have vices contrary to Muslim sensibilities; it’s that they are so hard to resist. This internal conflict fuels intense resentment. While we in the West don’t have a monopoly on vice, our misunderstanding this critical difference in priorities exacerbates East/West frictions. This cultural divide is central to the chasm between the West and the Middle East & North Africa. Understanding it is critical to understanding East/West relations.

See:
Stewart, Dona J. 2009. The Middle East Today. New York: Routledge (page 10).
Peterson, Daniel. 2002. Perspectives on the Islamic World. Paper presented at the 13th Annual Conference of the International Society and the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies, Aug. 18 – 19, at Brigham Young University, Provo, UT.
Posted by Karl Beckstrand at 6/7/2012 6:26 PM | Add Comment

Multicultural Stories Grab Students and Educators

Midvale, UT, USA — Students and teachers love books with minority characters. For author Karl Beckstrand, it’s a lesson learned. School demand has grown for Beckstrand’s activity books, which feature black, white, Asian and Hispanic characters and come in Spanish and bilingual versions. Having protagonists that appeal to broad groups increases interest in the subjects–which include astronomy, mysteries with finding activities, nature and animals–even a cookbook for kids.

Families get instruction too–with stories and activities. This fall  Beckstrand will present his multicultural books at three book fairs. Beckstrand has had titles in Amazon’s top ten large print children’s books and their top ten Spanish children’s titles. She Doesn’t Want the Worms! A Mystery was named among the top ten books of 2011 by ForeWord Reviews Magazine and was featured in School Library Journal. Beckstrand also offers ebooks and a biingual app: Sounds in the House!

Beckstrand is writing a non-fiction series about immigrants overcoming obstacles. He hopes these true accounts will inspire people of all backgrounds to reach for good goals, regardless of circumstances. He regularly speaks about writing and publishing to classes, schools and other organizations. Beckstrand’s books are distributed via: Ingram, Brodart, Baker & Taylor, Follett/BWI, Amazon/Kindle, Bn/Nook, Sony/ibooks/Kobo, and Premiobooks.com

Original posted 2/7/2012 11:17 PM

Perpetual Education

In April, 2001, then President, Gordon B. Hinckley, of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced in the church’s 171st annual (world) General Conference that the church was going to establish a Perpetual Education Fund for young adult members whose access to education and job training was limited by cost or other circumstances. The program was to be modeled after Brigham Young’s Perpetual Emigration Fund of the late nineteenth century, which helped bring 26,000 Latter-day Saint converts (mostly from Europe) to Utah Territory (Utah was not made a state until 1896) (Deseret News).

President Hinckley was concerned, as he visited members in various parts of the world, that many of them (including returned missionaries) were unable to fill their potential—or even adequately meet the needs of their families—because the cost of education was prohibitive. “We don’t want to give away money and make people weak,” he told the program’s future director (LDS Church News). “‘Where there is widespread poverty among our people, we must do all we can to help them to lift themselves, to establish their lives upon a foundation of self-reliance that can come of training” (LDS Conference Report).Since LDS ministers are lay clergy (non-paid), even these must have gainful employment outside their church service; and the standard of living in many states where the church operates was not conducive to job training or learning.

The educational loan fund was to be established initially by volunteer donations (which quickly poured in from all over the world), the interest of which is loaned out and then replaced as employed graduates paid back their loans into the fund. Early Mormon converts whose immigration was facilitated by the Perpetual Emigration Fund worked to restore monies into the Fund to assist other converts in their journey. Today, Perpetual Education Fund loan recipients work to replace what they have used so that others may benefit.

In 2001, the year of its creation, the PEF was offered in Mexico, Peru, and Chile. “The potential for failure might have loomed as the PEF’s newly appointed leaders rushed to begin providing loans by autumn of 2001, as President Hinckley had directed. Outside of the prophet [Hinckley]’s inspired outline there existed no business plan, no detailed proposal. The program was organized using the text of President Hinckley’s conference talk as its charter. Hundreds of loan applications were flooding into Church headquarters even as directors were being called and the basic structure of the program was being formed.

“But miracles were already taking place. Within the first year, millions of dollars had been donated to the program. Several individuals whose backgrounds made them uniquely qualified for the work of the PEF were immediately available to serve as volunteer directors. The infrastructure necessary to support the PEF globally had already been laid in the form of Church Educational System’s institute programs and Church Employment Resource Centers [around the world]. Things fell into place quickly, providing the program with what President Hinckley reported in April 2002 to be a ‘solid foundation’” (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints).

Education has always been a paramount objective of the Latter-day Saints. After building temples, the church has typically sought to establish schools as its next highest priority. Church founder, Joseph Smith, Jr. taught, “whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection” (Doctrine and Covenants 130:18). LDS scripture also instructs, “Seek learning, even by study and also by faith” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:118). “In part, this means that Mormons recognize a kind of learning that incorporates both intellect and spiritual insight. They also acknowledge that these are not unrelated: spiritual understanding, for instance, is necessary to give rational inquiry its ultimate purpose. Moreover, Latter-day Saints affirm that faith and reason are not fundamentally hostile to each other” (LDS Newsroom).

Brigham Young taught that Mormons embrace truth regardless of the source. “It is our duty and calling, … to gather every item of truth and reject every error. Whether a truth be found with professed infidels, or with the Universalists, or the Church of Rome, or the Methodists, the Church of England, the Presbyterians, the Baptists, the Quakers, the Shakers, or any other of the various and numerous different sects and parties, all of whom have more or less truth, it is the business of the Elders of this Church … to gather up all the truths in the world pertaining to life and salvation, to the Gospel we preach, … to the sciences, and to philosophy, wherever it may be found in every nation, kindred, tongue, and people and bring it to Zion” (Discourses of Brigham Young 1940,248).

In the ten years since its inception, more than 50,000 people in 450 countries have received PEF loans. “As of February 2011, 90 percent of those who have sought work after completing their schooling have found employment. Some 78 percent of those now employed say that their current employment is an improvement over what they had before receiving schooling, a figure expected to improve with time. The average income after schooling for PEF participants is three to four times greater than income prior to schooling, representing a vast improvement in economic status” (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints).

“Today the program is made up of 47 percent men and 53 percent women. Of the men, 80 percent of the participants are returned missionaries and 82 percent of all participants work while going to school. On average, education and skills training takes 2.6 years, and the average total loan for one participant is about $1,800” (LDS Church News).

As more people donate to the fund, it expands to more countries. And the loans impact many more lives than just those who receive education. Rex Allen, PER Director of Training and Communications, explained: “As each participant marries and begins a family, the number of people blessed doubles, triples, and continues to multiply into the hundreds of thousands” (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). Loan recipients are able to give time and means to other worthy endeavors—including sharing the blessings of education with others.

“‘This program is growing very, very rapidly, and it really is quite a challenge to keep up with it,’ according to Elder John Carmack, PEF Director. Each area in the Church has its own committee to screen PEF applications. More than 98 percent of the applications that reach PEF headquarters in Salt Lake City are able to garner final approval.

“Elder Carmack estimates two-thirds of PEF recipients are current with or have completed the payback of their loans. ‘We would love to have 100 percent payback,’ he said. ‘These are people most of whom never even had a bank account. They have never been involved in a business transaction or signing a promissory note. But they’re paying back better and better all the time. For example, those who just joined the program in the last 12 months, their paying-back percentage is something like 88 percent. These people are showing their integrity, and we keep working to move that up’” (LDS Church News).

Still in its infancy, the PEF has much territory to cover (the PEF currently operates in 45 of the 175 countries and territories in which the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a presence). It is difficult to estimate how many of the more than 14 million Latter-day Saints have need of education assistance.

The LDS Church Welfare program, which focuses on people’s temporal needs and helping them be self-reliant, began as a resource for church members only (today, church membership is not a requirement). Additionally, Latter-Day Saint Charities regularly delivers food, clothing, medical and other disaster relief, as needed, around the globe. As the PEF matures, the day may come when anyone who desires to improve their situation may apply for such a loan.

REFERENCES

Deseret News. Perpetual Education Fund a Success, but with Challenges.www.deseretnews.com/article/705380579/Perpetual-Education-Fund-a-success-but-with-challenges.html?pg=2(accessed Nov. 22, 2011)

Askar, Jamshid. 2009. Perpetual Education Fund is Making a Difference. LDS Church News, Sept. 11. www.ldschurchnews.com/articles/57887/Perpetual-Education-Fund-is-making-a-difference.html  (accessed Nov. 22, 2011)

LDS Conference Report, April, 2001. The Perpetual Education Fund.http://lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,49-1-183-21,00.html (accessed Nov. 22, 2011)

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Perpetual Education Fund Fulfills Prophetic Promises. lds.org/church/news/perpetual-education-fund-fulfills-prophetic-promises?lang=eng(accessed Nov. 22, 2011)

Doctrine & Covenants of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1981. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

LDS Newsroom. Mormons and Education: An Overview. newsroom.lds.org/article/mormons-and-education-an-overview (accessed Nov. 22, 2011)

Widtsoe, John A. Discourses of Brigham Young. Deseret Book, 1941.LDS Church News. Celebrating Ten Years of the Perpetual Education Fund.

http://www.ldschurchnews.com/articles/61195/Celebrating-10-years-of-the-Perpetual-Education-Fund.html (accessed Nov. 22, 2011)

PEF.LDS.ORG.PEF Success Stories. pef.lds.org/pef/southafrica_shirley?locale=eng(accessedNov. 22, 2011)

See also: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASteMXNHN-8 

class=”MsoNormal”>http://pef.lds.org/pef/home?locale=eng

Originally posted by Karl Beckstrand 2/7/2012 11:02 PM

The Press

My apologies, this isn’t about book presses or publishing; it’s about the news. I don’t know which is worse: agenda-driven propaganda or the reporters who perpetuate it.

Dear Reporters: before you grace us with your venerable ignorance, please read history. You are supposed to monitor government (not be monitored by them, not parrot them) to protect the people. –And you wonder why Americans get their news from late night comedians?

Dear Less-informed Citizens: Beware sound bites, video clips, and tweets where full context is chopped. Even high-information “news” people often offer short snippets that mislead for their own objectives. Your best bet is to get your information from multiple sources.  https://pressfreedomfoundation.org/ End rant. Thank you.

U.S. Spanish book sales climb

Midvale, UT, USA — Publishing is evolving and crossing borders like never before, as is children’s literature. Amazon.com’s recent entry into Spain and the explosion of Spanish-language ebook platforms are indicators of the next big publishing market. 

Sales of Spanish language books in the United States demonstrate significant demand–including for children’s literature in Spanish. Bilingual author Karl Beckstrand has seen demand grow for his Spanish-language and bilingual picture books and e-books. Beckstrand has had three titles on Amazon’s “Hot New Releases” in Spanish list. His Spanish titles outsell the English versions, though most of his titles come with an English/Spanish pronunciation guide. Positive national reviews by the Horn Book blog and ForeWord Reviews don’t hurt either.

Customers are not all likely to be to Spanish-speakers. It may be that individuals, schools, and families agree with Amazon: an additional language is a good idea. Considering that native Spanish speakers are more common than native English speakers worldwide (the only other native language more common than Spanish is Mandarin, according to Time and Wikipedia), Amazon’s lead should be followed. Beckstrand’s picture books may be a good start.

Premio Publishing & Gozo Books has been delighting families and educators since 2004. Our multicultural app, non-fiction stories and biographies, ebook mysteries, and activity books (geography, astronomy, Spanish & bilingual, finding/counting, opposites, animals and nature, and a kid’s cookbook) have diverse characters in funny, engaging, vivid color. Nationally-lauded (School Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews) our educational stories capture attention and create repeat readers. Not about ethnic or racial diversity, they simply feature black, white, Asian, Hispanic and mixed-race children–with family values like courage, sharing, and giving. Find them via: Baker & Taylor, Barnes & Noble/Nook, Brodart, EBSCO, Follett/Title Wave, Ingram, Kindle/Amazon, Mackin, Overdrive, Quality Books, Sony/iBooks/Kobo/Android, and Premiobooks.com (SEE online books); a gift of laughter, learning & family fun for ages 2 and up (because bedtime should never put parents to sleep!).

Original Post by Karl Beckstrand: 11/22/2011 9:26 AM

Laugh & Learn

Family time is a big deal. Children absorb values with or without help from the adults in their lives. Sharing the best ideas and values shouldn’t be a chore for parents. Literature and the arts can make family time easy. I like to share ideas that are exciting and fascinating for both kids and adults—and picture books offer both art and literature. I write mostly from my own experiences (and have been doing so since college); but some of my best ideas come from the children in my life. I love to weave clever plots, filled with nuances and wit that make kids (and parents) go back and pour over them again and again.

Growing up in San Jose, California, USA, I didn’t always like to read. Fortunately, my parents enjoyed good books, so eventually I found one that grabbed me. WOW! Books could take me on adventures! Living abroad for a couple of years increased my perspective and gave me a breadth that, I hope, is reflected in my stories.

Since I learn visually, I always want images with my stories to attract and hold attention. My first picture book, “Sounds in the House,” is a rollicking bedtime story on facing fear. The day we were to print, my publisher passed away. With the unexpected crash course in marketing and publishing, I published my next title: “Crumbs on the Stairs – Migas en las escaleras: A Mystery” (in English and Spanish). It has finding, counting and Spanish activities. 

My third book was requested by a publisher in Utah. “Anna’s Prayer” is my first non-fiction book; it’s about my great-great aunt—who emigrated from Sweden at ten years of age (not knowing English)—and what she did when she arrived completely alone at her U.S. destination.
 
“She Doesn’t Want the Worms – Ella no quiere los gusanos” is an activity book mystery (in English, Spanish, or bilingual versions) with a pronunciation guide. The illustrator incorporated lots of juicy surprises and secrets in every page. “Bad Bananas: A Story Cookbook for Kids” is a wisecracking picture book on the short (shelf) life of a bunch of bruisers—with seven easy recipes to save families from “I’m bored” disease. It’s full of laughs and yummy, hands-on fun.

I have never experienced “writer’s block.” Ideas come to me daily—and I love that what I share might make some child somewhere a ravenous reader. Because of e-books and Spanish, English and bilingual versions, I have 21 titles on Amazon.com, plus eight manuscripts ready to go (some just waiting on illustrations) —and files full of ideas. Now I share my stories and adventures as a speaker. It’s fun to inspire children and adult groups to imagine, play, learn and create their own stories.

Ideas can compel us as we absorb them from literature/art, or as we are absorbed by them in giving them a voice. I hope to always be compelled by ideas. To me, that is success.

Posted by Karl Beckstrand at 9/23/2011 11:53 AM