Doug Dillon's Blog, page 12
October 2, 2016
Finding Your Way in Old St. Augustine, Florida
Understanding the old city of St. Augustine is a lot easier if you can review some basic maps beyond the folded up kind that don’t give you certain perspectives and information. Next to each photo below, you will find a link giving you such information:
This photo shows King St. as seen from Flagler College.
Click here for a map showing the city limits of St. Augustine.
Here is a view in what I call the Water St. Neighborhood. This is where much of my young adult novel, Sliding Beneath the Surface takes place.
The area has quite a history all its own and is actually known as the Abbott Tract. On some maps it is shown as the eastern half of what’s called Uptown.
Click here for a map showing Neighborhoods of St. Augustine in or near the historic area.
Click on any of the following for further information on the city of St. Augustine:
A Calendar of Events for St. Augustine
The Haunting of St. Augustine, Florida’s Lighthouse
Ghostly Tales of Paranormal Florida. Links to the Supernatural at its Best.
Since so many paranormal events have occurred at the St. Augustine Lighthouse, I decided to pull together some key information from various sources into this one posting.
Over the years, visitors and staff members alike have definitely experienced a lot of strange things. Many paranormal investigators have studied the lighthouse, including the popular TV team, Ghost Hunters. So if you haven’t visited the place, put it on your “to do at some point in my lifetime” list.
Photo courtesy of the State Archives of Florida
Historical Background
The present day lighthouse sits at the northern tip of Anastasia Island directly across Matanzas Bay from downtown St. Augustine. In the evening, from downtown, you can see its beam sweep across those waters and then shift out over the Atlantic.
Erected in 1874, the building was preceded by a coquina stone structure originally built by the Spanish. In fact, the Spanish had maintained a watchtower near the present day site ever since their arrival during the late 1500s. Before the Europeans arrived, of course, Native Americans freely roamed the area.
What People Experience at the Lighthouse Itself
Historical photo from the lighkeeper’s hom
Each night, staff members lock the door at the top of the lighthouse that leads outside to the viewing balcony. Periodically, they find the door open in the morning. There is a security system but but no alarms sound.
On occasion, people see the figure of man at the top of the lighthouse at night even though the place is closed and locked.
At times, people smell cigar smoke at the base of the lighthouse. It is always cigar smoke and there are strict No Smoking signs everywhere on the lighthouse grounds.
A Special Lighthouse Story
Photo courtesy of Greg Dillon, www.greg’sgallery.net
Even though the lighthouse became automated in 1955, someone still needed to monitor the beacon in case something went wrong. One night, the caretaker realized the light had actually ceased functioning. Immediately, he walked rapidly in the darkeness from the old lightkeeper’s house towards the lighthouse entrance.
With each step though, he 
thought he heard someone walking behind him on the gravel walkway. But when he turned around,there was no one there.
Brushing off his experience as imagination, he continued walking only to once again hear those gravely footsteps behind him. Again, he still found himself alone.
Unnerved a bit at this point, the man rushed into the lighthouse and up the stairs. This time though, he could hear footsteps ringing on the metal stairs behind him.
When he finally got to the top and checked the lighting mechanism, he found nothing wrong. As he threw the switch to restart everything, the beacon started functioning again. Not wasting any time or waiting to listen to phantom footsteps, he ran down the 219 metal steps.
For three nights after that event, the beacon again stopped working. Just like before, the caretaker found nothing wrong and was followed just as he had been that first time. He did, however, acquire the habit of taking a flashlight and gun with him whenever he went to the lighthouse after sundown.
The Lighthouse Keeper’s House (Serves now as a museum and gift shop)Some sort of presence is often felt.
People get startled by their experiences but don’t seemed to be threatened by them.
People often experience cold spots.
In the brick bottom floor where the old cistern is located, people have seen the shape of a tall man. One staff member saw this shape in an doorway. It appeared gray in color against the dark room beyond. As the staff member stared in disbelief, the shape simply merged with the darkness.
At times, chairs are moved or overturned
In the gift shop, staff and volunteers will find items have been moved out of place overnight. Sometimes items disappear only to reappear at a later date. Music boxes will turn on by themselves.
A Special Story About the Lightkeeper’s HouseIn the 1960s, the old Lightkeeper’s house was rented to a man who periodically had guests. On two different occasions, guests reported seeing the exact same thing: A little girl in a frilly dress who stands in a doorway and then disappears.
Tracing Some of These Paranormal Events to the Past
One unverified story is that someone, a lightkeeper or a helper, hanged himself from the lighthouse.
Another more traceable story has it that a tragedy happened during the construction of the present day lighthouse. 5 little girls were placing in a handcar set on a railroad track. Somehow the handcar went out of control and ended up in water where three of the children drowned. Two of them were the daughters of the construction supervisor for the lighthouse.
###
If you enjoyed this article, and you’re interested in other true stories of fascinating hauntings, you might like the new book I just published.
Titled, Carl Jung, Hauntings and Paranormal Coincidences, it uses the great psychiatirst’s own paranormal experiences as jumping off points for some of my own life events and those of other very reliable people.
Listed below are direct book links to some of the larger book retail outlets in the English speaking world where you can find it:
Amazon.com, Amazon Canada, Amazon UK, Amazon India, Amazon Australia, Barnes and Noble, Kobo (Canada)
St. Augustine for Elementary Age Kids
Student guide to a St. Augustine, Florida field trip, grades 2-5.
Gary Sanchez’s teacher took their fourth-grade class 100 miles from home to the oldest city in the United States. Gary had so much fun he wants his parents to bring him back for another visit!
Established by Spain in 1565, St. Augustine, Florida has a huge stone fort built over 300 years ago. Visitors to that fort get to see where the great Seminole war chief, Osceola, was kept prisoner. Visitors get to crawl into the old, windowless gunpowder room discovered when the United States took over the fort from Spain.
Cannons still fire in this city just as they did when invaders burned St. Augustine to the ground. On special days, men dressed as pirates and Spanish soldiers pretend to fight in the streets. Cool cemeteries, the oldest wooden schoolhouse in America, and a lighthouse with 219 steps make this ancient city one of the most interesting in the country.
Class Trip Series
Published by Mitchell Lane Publishers
Interest Level: Grades 2-5
Click to Buy:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
October 1, 2016
A Peek into the Future or Just Coincidence?
Should you pay attention when a coincidence, or coincidences, seems to point to a possible danger? And if you pay attention, what action(s) should you take, if any, to avert that danger?
My wife Barb and I are serious believers in the idea that everything in existence is connected and also linked to unseen worlds, dimensions, universes, etc., etc. This boils down to the understanding that no event is fully random even though we may not understand how this comes about. For us, it’s just something we accept as a demonstration of such connectivity and we don’t have to prove causation to ourselves or anybody else. Nor do we question why something happened very much. Once in a great while, however, we are forced to look more closely.
Such a time came a couple of years ago when we got a letter from our electrician warning all his customers about the possibility of fire if they had a particular circuit breaker box made in the 1970’s.
Since our house was built in 1976, we paid close attention.
Sure enough, we were the proud owners of one of the breaker boxes in question. That kind of shook me up because during the previous week I had two experiences with electrical fires: one at my chiropractor’s office and one in a nursing home where I visit Hospice patients. Those fires were small and did little damage but the fact that they both happened with me present now made me sit up and take notice. Besides, the stink of burning wires from each fire was still fresh in my memory and the warning letter seemed to glare at me from its place on my desk.
When I called the electrician, he said that during all those years since the ’70s, the company did make some faulty breakers but all-in-all, not too many fires occurred, and there had not been a general recall. His assessment was that a slight danger did exist but probably not much to worry about. He told me he felt obligated to send out the notice he himself had received but since a new box would cost right around $1,000, it was highly questionable whether the minimal danger warranted such a high expense.
I liked what he had to say because I sure didn’t want to shell out that kind of money if I could help it. Still, I went on the Internet to research the situation myself. I came up with a mixed bag of results. The search verified much of what my electrician told me but I also read reports by other electricians who said the breaker boxes in question were crap, they wouldn’t have them in their homes and and they wouldn’t install one. Not so good but I still didn’t want to pay $1,000 if I could help it.
Just as I had that thought about not paying the money, the power in the entire house flickered on and off. Woops. A power shift when I’m researching electrical problems and almost deciding to not get a new breaker box? Uh, that was a little too coincidental for comfort. As a result, I did another Google search and came up with a newsletter published by a civic association for the the Village of Westover. Location? Very near Harrisburg, PA.
The entire front page was about my breaker box and how many of the homes in the community were originally constructed in the 1970’s using identical equipment. Evidently, enough fires had begun because of those boxes that quite a few families in the Village of Westover purchased new equipment. One woman talked about how fire started in her home built in 1976–the same year mine was constructed.
After reading that woman’s story, I happened to glance at the list of officers for the civic association. The last name for the immediate past president? Dillon, my last name. Not an overly common name. Yes, I did a double-take on that one. Click here to see that newsletter.
In discussing this all with Barb, we decided there were just too many linkages to ignore. As much as we hated to do it, we reluctantly agreed to get a new breaker box installed. It didn’t happen right away. I think it was a combination of my not wanting to part with all that money and just being overly busy.
A couple of weeks later while doing my usual walk around the neighborhood for exercise, I passed what was left of a house just up the street from us. For whatever reason, I had forgotten the thing burned up a year or two before. Since no repairs were made for so long, I guess I just accepted its looks as normal until that moment when the word fire suddenly sprang to mind. My neighborhood. 1970’s. Oh my God!
After she arrived home from work that evening, I reminded Barb about the burned out house near us and my new reaction to it. Like me, she had put it out of her mind but she immediately got on the Internet. After an extensive search, she found our city’s report giving details about the house fire in question. In the document she read, it cited the cause as faulty circuit breakers. Within a week, we had a new breaker panel, the one pictured above. Sometime you just gotta stop fighting the problem and go with the flow.
Update: May 23, 2012
A couple of months after having the new breaker box installed, our clothes dryer stopped working. So naturally, I called in repair guy. Turns out he had nothing to repair. He said I must have a faulty circuit breaker. What? No way. Sure enough, he had me feel it and damn if the thing wasn’t warm–a sure indication that a problem existed.
I immediately got the electrician back who installed our brand new breaker panel worth $1000. “Yup,” he said, “that’s weird. Shouldn’t happen.” He aslso said he didn’t think it really put us in any danger but he replaced the breaker for no charge.
SO – what does this say about interpreting a series of coincidences and acting on them? All the indicators pointed to danger so we acted, right? But what if our interpretation was wrong? If there was indeed a message in all those coincidental events, it is conceivable this was it: By All Means, Do Not Buy A New Breaker Panel. It will contain a Faulty Breaker and This Will Put You in Danger.
I bring this up to remind myself and everyone else how difficult it is to tease specific meaning out of coincidental events. This is one area where humanity has tripped itself up over the eons by assigning way too much meaning through the use of seers, oracles and psychics. If the Multiple Universes Theory of quantum physics is correct, perhaps the strong indicators we see in a series of coincidental events may have a probable meaning but it may have stronger or weaker shades of probability according to the universe in which you live. A huge caution sign.
Am I now second guessing our decision to install a new breaker box? I did for a few seconds but as I weighed the two interpretations, I realized I would do the same thing again. Choices. It’s all about choices but based upon as much cool analysis as possible.
If you are truly interested in all kinds of strange phenomena, you might be like to take a look at my book, Carl Jung, Hauntings, and Paranormal Coincidences. You can find it in most online bookstores. Listed below, however, are direct book links to some of the larger retail outlets in the English speaking world:
Amazon.com, Amazon Canada, Amazon UK, Amazon India, Amazon Australia, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository
Hooking At-Risk Teens with YA Fiction
Retired teacher pens YA trilogy that captivates high school reluctant readers. See additional links at the end of this post for further exploration.
———————————————————————————————-
What an amazing journey I’m on. Never in a million years would I have guessed how my young adult series, The St. Augustine Trilogy, would be used to teach students in high school reading classes. But that has happened and continues to happen, allowing me to help kids enjoy the written word, learn some valuable life lessons and develop some critical skills.
The St. Augustine Trilogy
Book 1: Sliding Beneath the Surface
Book 3: Targeting Orion’s Children
This phenomenon with my books has given me the delightful opportunity to once again work with some exceptional teachers who are doing wonderful things for young people. They are an inspiration and deserve all the support I can give them.
The first step on this path came when I decided to write fiction after having published nonfiction for adults as well as young people. To do this, I decided to use my background in working with at-risk youth, a love of history, and an extensive knowledge of the paranormal as the foundation for my efforts.
The result was a young adult paranormal/historical series set in America’s oldest and most haunted city, St. Augustine, Florida. The St. Augustine Trilogy features these main character as seen below and offers a premise that says, “You Create Your Own Reality.”
Lyle, the Homeless Guy
Jeff Golden: A rebellious fifteen-year-old while kid from a very dysfunctional family who hates school, reading and most teachers.
Carla Rodriguez: Jeff’s strong, no-nonsense and academically talented Black Hispanic girlfriend.
Lobo: The old, mysterious Native American shaman who guides Jeff and Carla on their perilous travels into the unknown.
Lyle: The Homeless Guy. An aging, alcoholic recluse who is afraid of his own shadow, often for very good reason.
Kathy Snyder
Now, in creating the trilogy, I thought I would just be selling books individually online to young people who enjoyed reading. But no, fate had other ideas that crystalized in the form of a high school intensive reading teacher named Kathy Snyder. After posting a nice review of Book 1 of the trilogy on Amazon.com, she contacted me wanting to use Sliding Beneath the Surface with all of her students for motivational and skill building purposes.
I was both flabbergasted and delighted at the prospect. It didn’t seem to me that my writing would work effectively with struggling readers, even though I had written it at a seventh grade reading level, but if Kathy could make it work, why not? And so, she and I set about collaborating on how to actually make a success of this experiment. We communicated extensively, sharing thoughts, ideas and strategies.
The Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine
In order to help her bring the book, the plot, and the city of St. Augustine alive for her students, I created a photo disk. It contained well over 100 pictures, shots I had taken of St. Augustine and at historical reenactments during my research for the books. In there, I also inserted trilogy graphics, book covers and even photos of me. Click here for the Teacher Resources section of this website.
Oh, and I sent Kathy my large listing of online links that I collected so her students could use those in doing their own initial research on St. Augustine and related topics before actually reading the book.
The final result was incredible. As time went on, I kept hearing from Kathy that her kids were loving the book and things were going beautifully. And at the end the project, she invited me to her school where I spent the day speaking to all of her classes. I’m telling you, those kids were so attentive and knowledgeable about the book that I was truly astounded. In fact, that was the best day I had ever had in a classroom.
Well, with the success of those efforts, Kathy and I decided to collect all we had done together, add to it, and create a teacher guide for Sliding Beneath the Surface. In that way, we figured, we could pass on to other teachers the benefit of our experiences. So that guide, and the photo disk I gave to Kathy, I make available free of charge to any teacher who uses one or more of the trilogy books in the classroom.
Kathy has now retired from teaching, but I have created a teacher guide for Book 2 of the trilogy, Stepping Off a Cliff, using the one we created for Book II as a template. Together with a new photo disk created just for Book 2, both these items are also now available to teachers free of charge. And once I publish Book 3, hopefully in late 2017, I will create similar materials.
Today, more and more reading teachers are using books from The St. Augustine Trilogy in their classrooms and that thrills me no end. And to any teachers who are reading this and considering such a move, I offer any assistance that I am able to provide. In the meantime, see the links I have provided below for more detailed information.
Reading Motivation That Worked. The original article I published about my efforts with Kathy Snyder.
Reading Teacher Sparks Student Interest An article from teacher Kathy Snyder about her experience.
A book Series for the Reading Classroom The multiple themes and threads that make the series of value.
Main Characters in the St. Augustine Trilogy
The St. Augustine Trilogy and America’s Oldest City The setting for the series in St. Augustine, Florida and how that provides a fascinating backdrop for action.
The St. Augustine Trilogy & Historic Events Specifies the actual historic events that happened in America’s oldest city that are woven into the series.
Teaching History Through Young Adult Novels
Teaching Resilience Through Young Adult Novels
Click the following in order to see the two trilogy novels, and their reviews, currently listed on amazon.com:
Teacher Author Partnerships That Really Work
Retired teacher pens YA trilogy that captivates high school reluctant readers. See additional links at the end of this post for further exploration.
———————————————————————————————-What an amazing journey I’m on. Never in a million years would I have guessed how my young adult series, The St. Augustine Trilogy, would be used to teach students in high school reading classes. But that has happened and continues to happen, allowing me to help kids enjoy the written word, learn some valuable life lessons and develop some critical skills.
The St. Augustine Trilogy
Book 1: Sliding Beneath the Surface
Book 3: Targeting Orion’s Children
This phenomenon with my books has given me the delightful opportunity to once again work with some exceptional teachers who are doing wonderful things for young people. They are an inspiration and deserve all the support I can give them.
The first step on this path came when I decided to write fiction after having published nonfiction for adults as well as young people. To do this, I decided to use my background in working with at-risk youth, a love of history, and an extensive knowledge of the paranormal as the foundation for my efforts.
The result was a young adult paranormal/historical series set in America’s oldest and most haunted city, St. Augustine, Florida. The St. Augustine Trilogy features these main character as seen below and offers a premise that says, “You Create Your Own Reality.”
Lyle, the Homeless Guy
Jeff Golden: A rebellious fifteen-year-old while kid from a very dysfunctional family who hates school, reading and most teachers.
Carla Rodriguez: Jeff’s strong, no-nonsense and academically talented Black Hispanic girlfriend.
Lobo: The old, mysterious Native American shaman who guides Jeff and Carla on their perilous travels into the unknown.
Lyle: The Homeless Guy. An aging, alcoholic recluse who is afraid of his own shadow, often for very good reason.
Kathy Snyder
Now, in creating the trilogy, I thought I would just be selling books individually online to young people who enjoyed reading. But no, fate had other ideas that crystalized in the form of a high school intensive reading teacher named Kathy Snyder. After posting a nice review of Book 1 of the trilogy on Amazon.com, she contacted me wanting to use Sliding Beneath the Surface with all of her students for motivational and skill building purposes.
I was both flabbergasted and delighted at the prospect. It didn’t seem to me that my writing would work effectively with struggling readers, even though I had written it at a seventh grade reading level, but if Kathy could make it work, why not? And so, she and I set about collaborating on how to actually make a success of this experiment. We communicated extensively, sharing thoughts, ideas and strategies.
The Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine
In order to help her bring the book, the plot, and the city of St. Augustine alive for her students, I created a photo disk. It contained well over 100 pictures, shots I had taken of St. Augustine and at historical reenactments during my research for the books. In there, I also inserted trilogy graphics, book covers and even photos of me. Click here for the Teacher Resources section of this website.
Oh, and I sent Kathy my large listing of online links that I collected so her students could use those in doing their own initial research on St. Augustine and related topics before actually reading the book.
The final result was incredible. As time went on, I kept hearing from Kathy that her kids were loving the book and things were going beautifully. And at the end the project, she invited me to her school where I spent the day speaking to all of her classes. I’m telling you, those kids were so attentive and knowledgeable about the book that I was truly astounded. In fact, that was the best day I had ever had in a classroom.
Well, with the success of those efforts, Kathy and I decided to collect all we had done together, add to it, and create a teacher guide for Sliding Beneath the Surface. In that way, we figured, we could pass on to other teachers the benefit of our experiences. So that guide, and the photo disk I gave to Kathy, I make available free of charge to any teacher who uses one or more of the trilogy books in the classroom.
Kathy has now retired from teaching, but I have created a teacher guide for Book 2 of the trilogy, Stepping Off a Cliff, using the one we created for Book II as a template. Together with a new photo disk created just for Book 2, both these items are also now available to teachers free of charge. And once I publish Book 3, hopefully in late 2017, I will create similar materials.
Today, more and more reading teachers are using books from The St. Augustine Trilogy in their classrooms and that thrills me no end. And to any teachers who are reading this and considering such a move, I offer any assistance that I am able to provide. In the meantime, see the links I have provided below for more detailed information.
Reading Motivation That Worked. The original article I published about my efforts with Kathy Snyder.
Reading Teacher Sparks Student Interest An article from teacher Kathy Snyder about her experience.
A book Series for the Reading Classroom The multiple themes and threads that make the series of value.
Main Characters in the St. Augustine Trilogy
The St. Augustine Trilogy and America’s Oldest City The setting for the series in St. Augustine, Florida and how that provides a fascinating backdrop for action.
The St. Augustine Trilogy & Historic Events Specifies the actual historic events that happened in America’s oldest city that are woven into the series.
Teaching History Through Young Adult Novels
Teaching Resilience Through Young Adult Novels
Click the following in order to see the two trilogy novels, and their reviews, currently listed on amazon.com:
Free Materials for High School Reading Teachers
Retired teacher pens YA trilogy that captivates high school reluctant readers. See additional links at the end of this post for further exploration.
———————————————————————————————-What an amazing journey I’m on. Never in a million years would I have guessed how my young adult series, The St. Augustine Trilogy, would be used to teach students in high school reading classes. But that has happened and continues to happen, allowing me to help kids enjoy the written word, learn some valuable life lessons and develop some critical skills.
The St. Augustine Trilogy
Book 1: Sliding Beneath the Surface
Book 3: Targeting Orion’s Children
This phenomenon with my books has given me the delightful opportunity to once again work with some exceptional teachers who are doing wonderful things for young people. They are an inspiration and deserve all the support I can give them.
The first step on this path came when I decided to write fiction after having published nonfiction for adults as well as young people. To do this, I decided to use my background in working with at-risk youth, a love of history, and an extensive knowledge of the paranormal as the foundation for my efforts.
The result was a young adult paranormal/historical series set in America’s oldest and most haunted city, St. Augustine, Florida. The St. Augustine Trilogy features these main character as seen below and offers a premise that says, “You Create Your Own Reality.”
Lyle, the Homeless Guy
Jeff Golden: A rebellious fifteen-year-old while kid from a very dysfunctional family who hates school, reading and most teachers.
Carla Rodriguez: Jeff’s strong, no-nonsense and academically talented Black Hispanic girlfriend.
Lobo: The old, mysterious Native American shaman who guides Jeff and Carla on their perilous travels into the unknown.
Lyle: The Homeless Guy. An aging, alcoholic recluse who is afraid of his own shadow, often for very good reason.
Kathy Snyder
Now, in creating the trilogy, I thought I would just be selling books individually online to young people who enjoyed reading. But no, fate had other ideas that crystalized in the form of a high school intensive reading teacher named Kathy Snyder. After posting a nice review of Book 1 of the trilogy on Amazon.com, she contacted me wanting to use Sliding Beneath the Surface with all of her students for motivational and skill building purposes.
I was both flabbergasted and delighted at the prospect. It didn’t seem to me that my writing would work effectively with struggling readers, even though I had written it at a seventh grade reading level, but if Kathy could make it work, why not? And so, she and I set about collaborating on how to actually make a success of this experiment. We communicated extensively, sharing thoughts, ideas and strategies.
The Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine
In order to help her bring the book, the plot, and the city of St. Augustine alive for her students, I created a photo disk. It contained well over 100 pictures, shots I had taken of St. Augustine and at historical reenactments during my research for the books. In there, I also inserted trilogy graphics, book covers and even photos of me. Click here for the Teacher Resources section of this website.
Oh, and I sent Kathy my large listing of online links that I collected so her students could use those in doing their own initial research on St. Augustine and related topics before actually reading the book.
The final result was incredible. As time went on, I kept hearing from Kathy that her kids were loving the book and things were going beautifully. And at the end the project, she invited me to her school where I spent the day speaking to all of her classes. I’m telling you, those kids were so attentive and knowledgeable about the book that I was truly astounded. In fact, that was the best day I had ever had in a classroom.
Well, with the success of those efforts, Kathy and I decided to collect all we had done together, add to it, and create a teacher guide for Sliding Beneath the Surface. In that way, we figured, we could pass on to other teachers the benefit of our experiences. So that guide, and the photo disk I gave to Kathy, I make available free of charge to any teacher who uses one or more of the trilogy books in the classroom.
Kathy has now retired from teaching, but I have created a teacher guide for Book 2 of the trilogy, Stepping Off a Cliff, using the one we created for Book II as a template. Together with a new photo disk created just for Book 2, both these items are also now available to teachers free of charge. And once I publish Book 3, hopefully in late 2017, I will create similar materials.
Today, more and more reading teachers are using books from The St. Augustine Trilogy in their classrooms and that thrills me no end. And to any teachers who are reading this and considering such a move, I offer any assistance that I am able to provide. In the meantime, see the links I have provided below for more detailed information.
Reading Motivation That Worked. The original article I published about my efforts with Kathy Snyder.
Reading Teacher Sparks Student Interest An article from teacher Kathy Snyder about her experience.
A book Series for the Reading Classroom The multiple themes and threads that make the series of value.
Main Characters in the St. Augustine Trilogy
The St. Augustine Trilogy and America’s Oldest City The setting for the series in St. Augustine, Florida and how that provides a fascinating backdrop for action.
The St. Augustine Trilogy & Historic Events Specifies the actual historic events that happened in America’s oldest city that are woven into the series.
Teaching History Through Young Adult Novels
Teaching Resilience Through Young Adult Novels
Click the following in order to see the two trilogy novels, and their reviews, currently listed on amazon.com:
Partnerships for Teen Reading Success
Retired teacher pens YA trilogy that captivates high school reluctant readers. See additional links at the end of this post for further exploration.
———————————————————————————————-What an amazing journey I’m on. Never in a million years would I have guessed how my young adult series, The St. Augustine Trilogy, would be used to teach students in high school reading classes. But that has happened and continues to happen, allowing me to help kids enjoy the written word, learn some valuable life lessons and develop some critical skills.
The St. Augustine Trilogy
Book 1: Sliding Beneath the Surface
Book 3: Targeting Orion’s Children
This phenomenon with my books has given me the delightful opportunity to once again work with some exceptional teachers who are doing wonderful things for young people. They are an inspiration and deserve all the support I can give them.
The first step on this path came when I decided to write fiction after having published nonfiction for adults as well as young people. To do this, I decided to use my background in working with at-risk youth, a love of history, and an extensive knowledge of the paranormal as the foundation for my efforts.
The result was a young adult paranormal/historical series set in America’s oldest and most haunted city, St. Augustine, Florida. The St. Augustine Trilogy features these main character as seen below and offers a premise that says, “You Create Your Own Reality.”
Lyle, the Homeless Guy
Jeff Golden: A rebellious fifteen-year-old while kid from a very dysfunctional family who hates school, reading and most teachers.
Carla Rodriguez: Jeff’s strong, no-nonsense and academically talented Black Hispanic girlfriend.
Lobo: The old, mysterious Native American shaman who guides Jeff and Carla on their perilous travels into the unknown.
Lyle: The Homeless Guy. An aging, alcoholic recluse who is afraid of his own shadow, often for very good reason.
Kathy Snyder
Now, in creating the trilogy, I thought I would just be selling books individually online to young people who enjoyed reading. But no, fate had other ideas that crystalized in the form of a high school intensive reading teacher named Kathy Snyder. After posting a nice review of Book 1 of the trilogy on Amazon.com, she contacted me wanting to use Sliding Beneath the Surface with all of her students for motivational and skill building purposes.
I was both flabbergasted and delighted at the prospect. It didn’t seem to me that my writing would work effectively with struggling readers, even though I had written it at a seventh grade reading level, but if Kathy could make it work, why not? And so, she and I set about collaborating on how to actually make a success of this experiment. We communicated extensively, sharing thoughts, ideas and strategies.
The Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine
In order to help her bring the book, the plot, and the city of St. Augustine alive for her students, I created a photo disk. It contained well over 100 pictures, shots I had taken of St. Augustine and at historical reenactments during my research for the books. In there, I also inserted trilogy graphics, book covers and even photos of me. Click here for the Teacher Resources section of this website.
Oh, and I sent Kathy my large listing of online links that I collected so her students could use those in doing their own initial research on St. Augustine and related topics before actually reading the book.
The final result was incredible. As time went on, I kept hearing from Kathy that her kids were loving the book and things were going beautifully. And at the end the project, she invited me to her school where I spent the day speaking to all of her classes. I’m telling you, those kids were so attentive and knowledgeable about the book that I was truly astounded. In fact, that was the best day I had ever had in a classroom.
Well, with the success of those efforts, Kathy and I decided to collect all we had done together, add to it, and create a teacher guide for Sliding Beneath the Surface. In that way, we figured, we could pass on to other teachers the benefit of our experiences. So that guide, and the photo disk I gave to Kathy, I make available free of charge to any teacher who uses one or more of the trilogy books in the classroom.
Kathy has now retired from teaching, but I have created a teacher guide for Book 2 of the trilogy, Stepping Off a Cliff, using the one we created for Book II as a template. Together with a new photo disk created just for Book 2, both these items are also now available to teachers free of charge. And once I publish Book 3, hopefully in late 2017, I will create similar materials.
Today, more and more reading teachers are using books from The St. Augustine Trilogy in their classrooms and that thrills me no end. And to any teachers who are reading this and considering such a move, I offer any assistance that I am able to provide. In the meantime, see the links I have provided below for more detailed information.
Reading Motivation That Worked. The original article I published about my efforts with Kathy Snyder.
Reading Teacher Sparks Student Interest An article from teacher Kathy Snyder about her experience.
A book Series for the Reading Classroom The multiple themes and threads that make the series of value.
Main Characters in the St. Augustine Trilogy
The St. Augustine Trilogy and America’s Oldest City The setting for the series in St. Augustine, Florida and how that provides a fascinating backdrop for action.
The St. Augustine Trilogy & Historic Events Specifies the actual historic events that happened in America’s oldest city that are woven into the series.
Teaching History Through Young Adult Novels
Teaching Resilience Through Young Adult Novels
Click the following in order to see the two trilogy novels, and their reviews, currently listed on amazon.com:
Collaboration for Teen Reading Success
Retired teacher pens YA trilogy that captivates high school reluctant readers. See additional links at the end of this post for further exploration.
———————————————————————————————-What an amazing journey I’m on. Never in a million years would I have guessed how my young adult series, The St. Augustine Trilogy, would be used to teach students in high school reading classes. But that has happened and continues to happen, allowing me to help kids enjoy the written word, learn some valuable life lessons and develop some critical skills.
The St. Augustine Trilogy
Book 1: Sliding Beneath the Surface
Book 3: Targeting Orion’s Children
This phenomenon with my books has given me the delightful opportunity to once again work with some exceptional teachers who are doing wonderful things for young people. They are an inspiration and deserve all the support I can give them.
The first step on this path came when I decided to write fiction after having published nonfiction for adults as well as young people. To do this, I decided to use my background in working with at-risk youth, a love of history, and an extensive knowledge of the paranormal as the foundation for my efforts.
The result was a young adult paranormal/historical series set in America’s oldest and most haunted city, St. Augustine, Florida. The St. Augustine Trilogy features these main character as seen below and offers a premise that says, “You Create Your Own Reality.”
Lyle, the Homeless Guy
Jeff Golden: A rebellious fifteen-year-old while kid from a very dysfunctional family who hates school, reading and most teachers.
Carla Rodriguez: Jeff’s strong, no-nonsense and academically talented Black Hispanic girlfriend.
Lobo: The old, mysterious Native American shaman who guides Jeff and Carla on their perilous travels into the unknown.
Lyle: The Homeless Guy. An aging, alcoholic recluse who is afraid of his own shadow, often for very good reason.
Kathy Snyder
Now, in creating the trilogy, I thought I would just be selling books individually online to young people who enjoyed reading. But no, fate had other ideas that crystalized in the form of a high school intensive reading teacher named Kathy Snyder. After posting a nice review of Book 1 of the trilogy on Amazon.com, she contacted me wanting to use Sliding Beneath the Surface with all of her students for motivational and skill building purposes.
I was both flabbergasted and delighted at the prospect. It didn’t seem to me that my writing would work effectively with struggling readers, even though I had written it at a seventh grade reading level, but if Kathy could make it work, why not? And so, she and I set about collaborating on how to actually make a success of this experiment. We communicated extensively, sharing thoughts, ideas and strategies.
The Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine
In order to help her bring the book, the plot, and the city of St. Augustine alive for her students, I created a photo disk. It contained well over 100 pictures, shots I had taken of St. Augustine and at historical reenactments during my research for the books. In there, I also inserted trilogy graphics, book covers and even photos of me. Click here for the Teacher Resources section of this website.
Oh, and I sent Kathy my large listing of online links that I collected so her students could use those in doing their own initial research on St. Augustine and related topics before actually reading the book.
The final result was incredible. As time went on, I kept hearing from Kathy that her kids were loving the book and things were going beautifully. And at the end the project, she invited me to her school where I spent the day speaking to all of her classes. I’m telling you, those kids were so attentive and knowledgeable about the book that I was truly astounded. In fact, that was the best day I had ever had in a classroom.
Well, with the success of those efforts, Kathy and I decided to collect all we had done together, add to it, and create a teacher guide for Sliding Beneath the Surface. In that way, we figured, we could pass on to other teachers the benefit of our experiences. So that guide, and the photo disk I gave to Kathy, I make available free of charge to any teacher who uses one or more of the trilogy books in the classroom.
Kathy has now retired from teaching, but I have created a teacher guide for Book 2 of the trilogy, Stepping Off a Cliff, using the one we created for Book II as a template. Together with a new photo disk created just for Book 2, both these items are also now available to teachers free of charge. And once I publish Book 3, hopefully in late 2017, I will create similar materials.
Today, more and more reading teachers are using books from The St. Augustine Trilogy in their classrooms and that thrills me no end. And to any teachers who are reading this and considering such a move, I offer any assistance that I am able to provide. In the meantime, see the links I have provided below for more detailed information.
Reading Motivation That Worked. The original article I published about my efforts with Kathy Snyder.
Reading Teacher Sparks Student Interest An article from teacher Kathy Snyder about her experience.
A book Series for the Reading Classroom The multiple themes and threads that make the series of value.
Main Characters in the St. Augustine Trilogy
The St. Augustine Trilogy and America’s Oldest City The setting for the series in St. Augustine, Florida and how that provides a fascinating backdrop for action.
The St. Augustine Trilogy & Historic Events Specifies the actual historic events that happened in America’s oldest city that are woven into the series.
Teaching History Through Young Adult Novels
Teaching Resilience Through Young Adult Novels
Click the following in order to see the two trilogy novels, and their reviews, currently listed on amazon.com:
Reading Teachers Use Teen Trilogy for Success
Retired teacher pens YA trilogy that captivates high school reluctant readers. See additional links at the end of this post for further exploration.
———————————————————————————————-What an amazing journey I’m on. Never in a million years would I have guessed how my young adult series, The St. Augustine Trilogy, would be used to teach students in high school reading classes. But that has happened and continues to happen, allowing me to help kids enjoy the written word, learn some valuable life lessons and develop some critical skills.
The St. Augustine Trilogy
Book 1: Sliding Beneath the Surface
Book 3: Targeting Orion’s Children
This phenomenon with my books has given me the delightful opportunity to once again work with some exceptional teachers who are doing wonderful things for young people. They are an inspiration and deserve all the support I can give them.
The first step on this path came when I decided to write fiction after having published nonfiction for adults as well as young people. To do this, I decided to use my background in working with at-risk youth, a love of history, and an extensive knowledge of the paranormal as the foundation for my efforts.
The result was a young adult paranormal/historical series set in America’s oldest and most haunted city, St. Augustine, Florida. The St. Augustine Trilogy features these main character as seen below and offers a premise that says, “You Create Your Own Reality.”
Lyle, the Homeless Guy
Jeff Golden: A rebellious fifteen-year-old while kid from a very dysfunctional family who hates school, reading and most teachers.
Carla Rodriguez: Jeff’s strong, no-nonsense and academically talented Black Hispanic girlfriend.
Lobo: The old, mysterious Native American shaman who guides Jeff and Carla on their perilous travels into the unknown.
Lyle: The Homeless Guy. An aging, alcoholic recluse who is afraid of his own shadow, often for very good reason.
Kathy Snyder
Now, in creating the trilogy, I thought I would just be selling books individually online to young people who enjoyed reading. But no, fate had other ideas that crystalized in the form of a high school intensive reading teacher named Kathy Snyder. After posting a nice review of Book 1 of the trilogy on Amazon.com, she contacted me wanting to use Sliding Beneath the Surface with all of her students for motivational and skill building purposes.
I was both flabbergasted and delighted at the prospect. It didn’t seem to me that my writing would work effectively with struggling readers, even though I had written it at a seventh grade reading level, but if Kathy could make it work, why not? And so, she and I set about collaborating on how to actually make a success of this experiment. We communicated extensively, sharing thoughts, ideas and strategies.
The Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine
In order to help her bring the book, the plot, and the city of St. Augustine alive for her students, I created a photo disk. It contained well over 100 pictures, shots I had taken of St. Augustine and at historical reenactments during my research for the books. In there, I also inserted trilogy graphics, book covers and even photos of me. Click here for the Teacher Resources section of this website.
Oh, and I sent Kathy my large listing of online links that I collected so her students could use those in doing their own initial research on St. Augustine and related topics before actually reading the book.
The final result was incredible. As time went on, I kept hearing from Kathy that her kids were loving the book and things were going beautifully. And at the end the project, she invited me to her school where I spent the day speaking to all of her classes. I’m telling you, those kids were so attentive and knowledgeable about the book that I was truly astounded. In fact, that was the best day I had ever had in a classroom.
Well, with the success of those efforts, Kathy and I decided to collect all we had done together, add to it, and create a teacher guide for Sliding Beneath the Surface. In that way, we figured, we could pass on to other teachers the benefit of our experiences. So that guide, and the photo disk I gave to Kathy, I make available free of charge to any teacher who uses one or more of the trilogy books in the classroom.
Kathy has now retired from teaching, but I have created a teacher guide for Book 2 of the trilogy, Stepping Off a Cliff, using the one we created for Book II as a template. Together with a new photo disk created just for Book 2, both these items are also now available to teachers free of charge. And once I publish Book 3, hopefully in late 2017, I will create similar materials.
Today, more and more reading teachers are using books from The St. Augustine Trilogy in their classrooms and that thrills me no end. And to any teachers who are reading this and considering such a move, I offer any assistance that I am able to provide. In the meantime, see the links I have provided below for more detailed information.
Reading Motivation That Worked. The original article I published about my efforts with Kathy Snyder.
Reading Teacher Sparks Student Interest An article from teacher Kathy Snyder about her experience.
A book Series for the Reading Classroom The multiple themes and threads that make the series of value.
Main Characters in the St. Augustine Trilogy
The St. Augustine Trilogy and America’s Oldest City The setting for the series in St. Augustine, Florida and how that provides a fascinating backdrop for action.
The St. Augustine Trilogy & Historic Events Specifies the actual historic events that happened in America’s oldest city that are woven into the series.
Teaching History Through Young Adult Novels
Teaching Resilience Through Young Adult Novels
Click the following in order to see the two trilogy novels, and their reviews, currently listed on amazon.com:
