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 Greetings! My kids are out of school for the summer. They're keeping busy with classes and volunteering and odd jobs and, of course, hanging out with friends. Some days they are couch potatoes, lying around watching TV or reading or playing video games. Other days they are headed to the pool or out on a hike with their friends. They're trying new things, stretching in new directions, staying up late, sleeping in, and I gotta tell ya, it looks pretty good to me! People ask me all the time how I manage to get so much done with my company and my books and my family. It's not easy. In fact, these past few years I've been pushing it pretty hard. I love my job, love spending time with my husband and kids, love my community work, but lately, I've been taking a page from the old summer handbook and kicking back a bit. It was time for a break. Time to get outside again, to explore, to reconnect with friends. The work isn't going anywhere, so tonight I'm going to stay up and watch a movie with the kids, so don't expect me in the office before 10:00. J
Did You Know: In the 1940s, kids went outside to play in the summer. I'm researching the Bronx for my current book, and finding out about old favorite street games like Stickball, Ringoleavio, Skelly, Boxball, Hopscotch and, of course, tag. When I was a kid in Boise, Idaho we played hide-and-go-seek-in-the-dark, Red Rover, Mother May I, and more. My own children love Ghost-in-the Graveyard, when they go outside, that is. It's always nice to hear the sound of children squealing as they run around our backyard. If that's not the sound of summer, I don't know what is.
Did You Know: Summer vacations are not just a chance for family bonding or a means for relaxation, they are an opportunity to keep your kids learning and exploring. Whether you take a tour of Europe or a camping trip in your own state, travel can teach children about ecology, history, diverse cultures, geography and so much more. Here's a list from Budget Travel of the 15 places your kids should see before age 15. Are any of these near you?
Did You Know: My new-and-improved resources page on my website contains links to resources for writers and those looking to get published, as well as for teachers and fans interested in WWII history. I also have a page for teen writers, and our new "nonprofits" page. Here we have provided links to any nonprofits I'm working with or speaking for, etc. These are very difficult times for anyone who relies on donations, so this will be a great clearinghouse if you are looking for national or Colorado organizations to partner with or support.
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Readers
and Writers
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Readers:
New Merchandise from TFC!
Click here to see our new t-shirts, posters, notecards and more!
My Books Are Now on E-Books!
All five of my books are now available on Kindle and Nook and for download on computers and other types of readers. I'm super excited to be part of the fastest growing book market in the country! Watch for some of my individual short stories soon.
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Writers:
That Book Inside You!
My Most Popular Workshop:
Saturday Aug. 6
Workshop Description:
It all starts with an idea--a middle-of-the-night brainstorm or a concept that's been building--and you know you've got a book inside you. But how do you begin?
Click here for more information on this popular, one-day workshop and to sign up.
Teresa's Quote of the Month:
"Write Every Day . . . or Don't"
When I first started writing, I found the advice to "write every day" stifling. I'd listen to big-name authors talk about the hours and hours they spent seven days a week working on their writing. I kept thinking that if they labored in any other profession and maintained that schedule, we'd call them workaholics. I actually think it does a writer good to get some distance from your work from time to time. Half of all writing takes place in our heads. It percolates, so to speak, as we cook dinner or drive to work or take a long hike. Click Here to read more.
Writer's Tip:
Our Changing Industry
Maybe you've had this experience lately (I certainly have) . . . You go into a bookstore only to find they don't have what you're looking for. Here's an interesting article on what's happening in the chain stores that explains this phenomenon. Let me know what you think of this new change. Click Here to read more.
Send Me Your Writing Questions:
And I'll do my best to answer them in this column. Your questions can be on the craft of writing or the business of publishing or the challenges of marketing or anything in between. I'm eager to hear your questions!
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Educators
and Students
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Educators:
New This Fall
My education director and I will be working hard this summer to bring new products and services to teachers. Watch for new curriculum that meets Colorado Standards and a new School Visit program that will benefit your whole school. We'll be sending information to teachers at the beginning of August. We hope to work with you next fall!!
School Kit Program:
 Click here to see the video. Summer is a perfect time to get on our waiting list to receive a free classroom set of Home-Front Heroes books and curriculum. If you know of someone who might like to sponsor a kit for your classroom or you think your PTA might be interested in helping you out, direct them to this link for more information on this innovative program!
Independence Day: Independence Day is the anniversary of the day on which the Declaration of Independence was adopted by Congres, July 4, 1776. In 1941, Congress declared July 4th a legal holiday. John Adams, the second president of the United States, said, "It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward, forever more."
Over the years, communities have come up with unique ways of celebrating the Fourth of July and showing their patriotism. Since 1818, the people of Lititz, Pennsylvania, have illuminated the local park with 7,000 candles. In the 1940s, a 2-mile-long picnic table bordered the parade route in Ontario, California. And today on the streets of Bristol, Rhode Island, red, white and blue stripes replace the yellow traffic lines. This year, come up with your own tradition for Fourth of July!
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Students:
Celebrate With A Patriotic Parade
A patriotic activity that is fun for Fourth of July is to celebrate with a parade! Get together with friends and ask everyone to decorate their bikes, skate boards, scooters or other items with patriotic garb. You can have a contest for categories such as "best bike," "most creative," or "most patriotic!" You could even decorate your bikes together. Crepe paper, plastic streamers, banners, flags, and ribbon work well for embellishments.
Write A Patriotic Poem or Short Story:
During the month of July, use as many patriotic words as possible to write a poem or create a short story! Here are some words to get you started:
America; red, white and blue; Congress; declaration; fireworks; flag; fourth; freedom; independence; parade; July; liberty; patriot; picnic; stars; states; stripes; united; World War II.
Bonus: Submit your best work to Teresa Funke's website! She would love to read your patriotic creations!
Super Summer Reading Challenge:
It doesn't matter your age, spend time this summer reading Teresa Funke's Home-Front Heroes Series! Take time to notice the patriotism and citizenship exemplified in each of these books. These books are GREAT summer reads!
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News
and Events
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News:
Dancing in Combat Boots: |
Come see my popular one-woman show on July 3 at Colorado Actors Company and Theater School. Please call them at 303-456-6772 or email at coloradoacts@yahoo for tickets. Adults $12 and Students $10. This is a fundraiser for the theater! |
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Look Who I Met:
This is a picture of me with artist Rafael Lopez. Rafael is an internationally acclaimed artist and illustrator. He came to Fort Collins to create a community mural. About 125 people in town, many children, helped paint the 61-feet-long mural! Rafael was also a speaker, along with me and several other local artists, at the Imaginantes Bilingual Youth Workshop put on by the Poudre River Library District.
Check out other fun things the library is doing this summer!
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Sponsor News:
Sponsor Thank Yous:
Thank you so very much to the following sponsors of our Read a Hero Summer Literacy Program for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Larimer County. This five-week program takes me into the clubs to work with the kids, and includes curriculum, books and materials to keep the children reading and writing to combat summer learning loss. A hearty thanks to our sponsors for making this important program possible for the second year in a row!
Jean and Tom Sutherland
North Beach Dental
Kevin Shaw & Associates
Carol Ann and Gary Hixon
Trai Cartwright
Barbara and John Everett
Linda and Bob Osmundson
Rusty and Tracy Bailey
Libby James
Martha Goodell
Betty Brown
Sponsorship Opportunities:
Contact me to find out how you can team with Teresa Funke & Company and our partner organizations to help improve literacy, education and the arts in 2011. Our innovativeprograms bring new solutions to old problems.
Programs like:
The Read A Hero Literacy Program
The Do Your Part School Kit Program
The Teresa Funke School Visit Program
The Great Book Giveaway
The Teresa Funke & Company Arts Appreciation Program
And more . . .
If you are looking for ways to benefit your community and get good exposure for your group or business, I'd be happy to send you our Partnership Opportunities packet. Join us in making the things that matter, matter
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Contact Us
Teresa Funke & Company
116 W Harvard Suite 1
Fort Collins, Colorado 80525
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Teresa Funke & Company provides books, programs, and resources to Readers, Writers, Teachers and Students. Tersa is a Speaker, Presenter, and Writer's Coach and author of five books based on true stories from World War II.
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