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One of my earliest memories is standing in a circle of siblings around the open oven door of the woodstove in our kitchen. The center of attention and focus of admiration was the new baby Mama was bathing. Perhaps the reason I remember this scene so well is that it recurred until my mother had given birth to all 12 of the dozen babies she was intent on having. Only one of them didn’t make it to that primitive but cozy family spa, a stillborn baby girl, who by virtue of her name, Mavis Kay, became part of our family history. Another memory shared by family members, along with the detested chore, was a most embarrassing moment. Maybe it only happened once, but the daily possibility of school bus driver George Lindbeck catching one of us carrying the three under-the-bed potties to the outhouse, created stressful scurrying scenes, especially on icy days. I should include a third memory here, except that I’m not sure if it’s real or a figment of the imagination of one of my seven brothers, and the uncertainty could make me vulnerable to Oprah’s memoir-challenging process. If you wonder how these memories figure into a writer’s bio, read Jenna’s Big Jump and Troll Meets Trickster on the Dakota Prairie. It should become apparent that these works are highly autobiographical. Perhaps the latter wouldn’t be quite as obviously so, as the inspiration for it is related to the third memory, only alluded to above. |
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Troll Meets Trickster on the Dakota Prairie
Grandma Besta’s vivid stories of her childhood home in Norway bring mountains and trolls to Ingrid’s Dakota prairie. When Ingrid grows up, she fulfills a promise by flying to Besta’s homeland to study. But Ingrid encounters a modern Norway and exchanges ideas with students from a variety of cultures. With new awareness, she returns to her Dakota home to dig deeper than her Norwegian roots. Native Americans eagerly share their stories and traditions. And Besta’s Troll meets his match in a Trickster Coyote. Color pencil illustrations complement rhyming verse in this picture book for readers of all ages. |
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Jenna's Big Jump Jenna wishes she could disappear from her new school and from Buzz, the playground bully. At home, Jenna escapes into exciting stories of daring exploits from her mother's childhood. But why can't she be as brave as her mother was? When the fearless new girl in school becomes her friend, Jenna is faced with exciting challenges and the perfect opportunity to demonstrate her courage. Maybe. Awards |
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