Secrets of the Toad: Reflection

Secrets of The Toad is a series written for the early middle grades. These contemporary tales narrated in magical realism show young readers just how valuable acceptance is in our day to day lives.In Book 1, Reflection, Emma, looks into the mirror and she does not like what she sees. She longs to be like her cute brother, Jake, and she struggles to fit in with her peers. Emma often visits a nearby woods where she can just be herself and find enjoyment. But one day all of that changes. While relaxing and gathering leaves amongst the trees after a rough day at school, an ugly, monstrous voice bellows out. Emma runs for her life from this place where she once found peace.The most horrible day at school soon follows. It is just so bad that Emma doesn’t care what scary thing is in those woods. She finds the courage to return, and there she makes a most amazing discovery. Just as you can’t judge a book by its cover, neither can you judge a person (or a toad for that matter) by its voice. Emma soon finds herself on a magical and mystical journey of self-acceptance - with a wise old toad as her guide.

I think that the best way to describe myself is - a work in progress. I am a teacher and a life-long learner. As an educator for over twenty years, my specialty was creative writing. "Make your story come alive. Paint a picture with your words." These are two of the messages that I tried to instill in my students. This is just what I have tried to accomplish with this series. I believe that my teaching career has afforded me an insight into what children enjoy and what will benefit them. That is the reason that I have written this series for boys and girls alike. It is my opinion that many of the challenges that children face today fall on some level of acceptance - hence my series, Secrets of The Toad.