Inside Out - Hardcover

Wendy Stofan Halley

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0970190751 ISBN 13: 9780970190758

Publisher: Illumination Arts Publishing Company, 2003

Synopsis

Karly loves playing with her special friend, Natasha. Pretending to jump on clouds and walk on the moon, they bounce on the bed like kangaroos. But Karly is the only one who can see Natasha.

But after Natasha returns to her home in the stars, Karly gradually forgets about her spirit and her special friend. How will she ever remember?

The luminous illustrations by Roberta Colier-Morales add a touch of magic to Wendy Stofan Halley's endearing story. Join Karly as she figures out the perfect way to always remember her spirit.

About this title

About the Author

Wendy Stofan Halley’s dream of planting seeds in children’s hearts, together with early memories of her own invisible friends, led her to write Inside Out. Wanting to be a writer since sixth grade, she has published TV documentary segments for PBS, articles, reviews and essays.

A psychotherapist and shamanic practitioner, Wendy has a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University. She and her husband, John, operate Lucid Path Healing Arts, offering therapy and healing workshops. Wendy also visits schools, teaching children about the importance of self-esteem, what it is really like to be a writer, and how to achieve that goal.

Wendy and John live on the New Jersey shore with Friend, their English Mastiff.

Reviews

Kindergarten-Grade 2-Karly's imaginary friend, Natasha, teaches her about her spirit, kept in an apartment in her heart. But as Karly goes off to school, she loses Natasha in all of the hustle and bustle of the classroom. Karly is a solitary child, and when other children begin to make fun of her reticence, she comes home feeling alone and blue. Luckily for her, Natasha is there to remind her about loving herself. They decide that Karly should live "inside out"-letting the people around her see who she is in her spirit, and that she will wear her socks inside out as a reminder. The text is preachy, and the story gets bogged down in the sheer number of messages. Not only does Natasha act as an invisible friend, but she also discusses Karly's soul and what happened to the child before she was born. Likewise, the illustrations get bogged down in the amount of details included within them. There are whirls of action that mimic the spirit of Natasha, causing her to be lost in the midst of them. As well, the most important action in several pictures is lost in the gutter. Overall, this book will be useful only in schools that have strong character-education components or in religious classrooms.
Susan Marie Pitard, formerly at Weezie Library for Children, Nantucket Atheneum, MA
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Illumination Arts Publishing Company
• Publication date: 2003
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0970190751
• ISBN 13: 9780970190758
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Roberta Collier-Morales
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32