Category: Kiddies

Titus: A Comrade of the Cross – a classic novel for Easter

In 1894, a publisher held a writing competition to obtain the best manuscript that would inspire a child’s Christian faith. Florence Kingsley submitted her manuscript for Titus: A Comrade of the Cross and won the $1,000 award. In six weeks, 200,000 copies had been printed to meet demand. The story is about a young boy … Continue reading Titus: A Comrade of the Cross – a classic novel for Easter →

A German Christmas

Today my post is by a guest author, sharing first-hand memories of what Christmas was like for the children of Germany two generations ago.  *  *  *  *  *  *  * One of us always wanted to be the first to pull the 30th of November off the calendar, because Dec. 1 marked the beginning … Continue reading A German Christmas →

Culture, geography, history and inspiration – Chinese Immigrants in Canada

From as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by other cultures and eager to know about countries around the world. This fascination has led to traveling, learning about global holidays, attending pow-wows... ...writing to overseas pen pals, learning Scottish Highland dancing, volunteering at a First Nations wilderness camp... ...AND writing about other … Continue reading Culture, geography, history and inspiration – Chinese Immigrants in Canada →

Lonely Lily: a vintage children’s book by Mary L. Code

Lonely Lily or The Shepherd’s Call, a tiny thin book published in the U.K. in 1893, gently tells a sweet but powerful story of faith.  It is written for children, but nevertheless fascinated me with its suspenseful telling of the inner journey of hearts, from despair to comfort. I am struck by how much more serious … Continue reading Lonely Lily: a vintage children’s book by Mary L. Code →

Summer Reads–Don’t Miss the Greatest Books

If you’re looking for some summer reads, may I recommend this list? The Greatest Books If you haven’t already discovered some of these, you don’t want to miss out on some excellent literature. Many years ago I found a similar list. With a goal of reading one or two from the list each year, I … Continue reading Summer Reads–Don’t Miss the Greatest Books →

What Did Lucy Read?

What literary works have had an effect on you? Who are your favorite writers, and how have they influenced your perspectives or improved your life? Have you ever wondered what literary works influenced your favorite writers? I recently read The Complete Journals of L.M. Montgomery: The PEI Years, 1889-1899, about the woman considered Canada’s most … Continue reading What Did Lucy Read? →

Thunder and Lightning and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

While listening to a radio program which mentioned Santa’s reindeer in the song “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”, something occurred to my mom about Donner and Blitzen. In her native German language, donner means thunder, and blitzen means lightning. We were both curious to know if the creator of the song chose these names because of … Continue reading Thunder and Lightning and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer →

Sustainability Alberta Style

Alberta was formally declared a province of Canada on September 1, 1905. To celebrate the 112th birthday tomorrow of my province, and to celebrate the publication this month of my book, Respect Our World: Sustainability, I thought I’d share some of the ways that Albertans work toward sustainability. I admire the leadership Alberta has taken … Continue reading Sustainability Alberta Style →

Goodnight Poems of Eugene Field

A while back I was browsing the shelves of antiquarian books at Fair’s Fair on 9th Avenue, and ran across a beautiful set of books, The Works of Eugene Field. Two volumes particularly caught my eye, A Little Book of Profitable Tales and A Little Book of Western Verse, and I perused wonderful pieces such … Continue reading Goodnight Poems of Eugene Field →