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 Greetings!
Have you ever had one of those years where you seem to hit milestone after milestone? I'm having one now. It all started last May with my 20th wedding anniversary. Then in July, my youngest child entered her teen years, so my days of parenting small children were over. In October, I celebrated 20 years as a professional writer. In February, my son turned 18 and went from being my little boy to a young man headed off to college in the fall. In March, my first novel, Remember Wake, turned 10 years old, and my speaking career did as well! And today, my daughter hits her Sweet 16. It sometimes seems like I'm still trying to process one milestone when another approaches. Did I mention that this July I turn 45? Of all those milestones, that one surprises me the most. But I've lived a truly blessed life, thanks in no small part to you and all of your support, and I'm looking forward to more milestones to come. After May Madness (as we moms call it), I'll be spending the summer working on the new book, which is set at Pearl Harbor, along with doing some development on an extended That Book Inside You Workshop and also some new keynote talks. But I'm going to sneak in a little time for my FAVORITE hobby, traveling. And I might get a little caught up on that ever-growing stack of books I want to read! Hope you are making fun summer plans too.
Did You Know: We have been celebrating a slew of 70-year anniversaries related to World War II: Pearl Harbor, the Doolittle Raid, the signing of Executive Order 9066, which led to Japanese internment, and more. That number makes it seem even more pressing that we capture those all-important memories from the men and women who can still tell us their personal stories of surviving and thriving in this momentous time in history. If you haven't recorded your family stories, please do so now! And if you get some great tidbits, please send them to my
Reader's Stories page on my website to serve as first-person or family accounts of the war.
Did You Know: According to the article I list below, research shows that reading just six books during the summer may keep a struggling reader from regressing. As we are preparing for our summer literacy program for the Boys & Girls Clubs, I'm reminded again how important it is to keep kids from falling behind in the summer. Here's a short article with three easy tips on how to help your kids avoid the "summer slide" in their learning. Click here to see Three Ways to Prevent the Summer Slide.
Did You Know: I went to a wonderful fundraiser the other night put on by Realities for Children, a group we work with on our Great Book Giveaway. Their many services help care for the most desperate kids in our midst, those who have been neglected and abused. At the fundraiser, they granted wishes for several of their kids, fulfilling their heartfelt desires. It was truly a magical evening. To learn more about Realities for Children, click here.
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Readers
and Writers
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Readers
Celebrating 10 Years!
This year is the 10th anniversary of the release of Remember Wake, which continues to gain devoted new fans! In May and June, you can order a copy from my website and get a second one free! Perfect for a gift or giveaway! Remember that Remember Wake makes a great gift for Father's Day!
Summer Reading
If there are children in your lives who would like to read more FUN books about World War II this summer, visit my Recommended Reading page to see suggestions for middle grade and young adult readers. And if there are any great books for kids about the war that I have missed, please let me know! While you're on the site, check out my Reader's Stories page and consider sending in a memory about the war or a family story from the war era. We're hoping to build that section as a resource so kids and adults can learn more about life in the 1940s.
My Books are Available as E-Books!
All six of my other books are now available on Kindle and Nook and for do wnload on
computers and other types of readers. I'm super excited to be part of the fastest growing book market in the country!
Merchandise from TFC
Click here to see t-shirts, posters, note cards, and more! |
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Writers
Teresa's Quote of the Month
When pitching your book to an agent, editor, or even buyer, your goal is to get them to say, "Sounds interesting. Tell me more."
This time, instead of writing out my tip, I'd like to invite you to view my latest CBI Expert Guide video on the subject of pitching to agents and editors at conferences. I'll be producing these Career Coach videos monthly for Children's Book Insider, a premier website and newsletter for anyone serious about a career writing for children, but my tips will be applicable to all types of writers. Check my homepage on my website monthly to view the newest video or visit the CBI Clubhouse at www.cbiclubhouse.com.
Writer's Tip
A friend sent me this information about blogs for rwriters. I think you will enjoy this list! Check out the "Best Blogs for Writers to Read in 2012."
That Book Inside You Writer's Workshop
The February and April That Book Inside YouWorkshops were a smashing success! Watch for changes to the workshop this fall as I move toward a more extended weekend experience that will allow for more time on each session topic, more individual attention, more networking opportunities, and more chances for you to share your own writing. I'll be holding the weekend workshops this fall in Estes Park and also hopefully in Portland, Oregon, and one other city. I'll still be offering my all-day version by special invitation or through my partners, so keep an eye out for those dates or contact me to bring That Book Inside You: How to Write It, Publish It, Sell It to your area! |
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Educators
and Students
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Educators
Author Visits
Contact me to book an author visit for your school next fall. I offer assemblies and writing workshops for all grades and have worked with dozens of schools. We have matching funds for some of my visits and great suggestions for other ways to fund my appearance.
My workshops incorporate various curriculum points and can be taught in a variety of classes. I have a brand new school visit flyer and price sheet that I would be happy to send you, or you can visit my website for details. You'll also see plenty of endorsements from educators and students! A Writing Contest for Your Students Wave Me Good-bye Writing Contest! The main character in my new book, Wave Me Good-bye, is Miriam. She loves to write stories and poems, and she has entered a writing contest at her school. Before school ends, have your students participate in the Wave Me Good-bye Writing Contest. Students can choose from the three topics below and complete the assignment according to their age/grade level and ability. I would love to see your students' writing, so if you submit it to me at teresa@teresafunke.com, it could be featured on my website. Here are the topics: Compare Then and Now How do you think growing up in the 1940s would have been different than today? How would it have been the same? Give at least three examples of each. Then tell us if you would rather have lived in 2012 or in the 1940s. Heroes Miriam's hero is President Roosevelt. Write an essay telling us about your heroes. You can include living people, people from history, or fictional characters that you admire. Do you think heroes are any different today than they were in the 1940s? Stories and Poems Write a story or poem set in the 1940s or dealing with World War II. Bonus points if you use one of Teresa's characters from her Home-Front Heroes books in your story or poem! |
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Students
Random Acts of Kindness
There are many examples of ordinary people who rescued Jews and others from Nazi persecution during World War II. Whether a rescuer helped save the lives of thousands of people or just one, the outcome made a tremendous difference. We are lucky in this nation not to be living under persecution and fear at this time, but we can still make a difference in our communities just by living our best lives.
Throughout the months of May and June we would like to challenge you to look for opportunities to do random acts of kindness for others! These chances may come up in your school, in your neighborhood, with your friends, in your community, or even in your home. Random acts of kindness are unplanned actions that help someone in need. They could be as simple as opening the door for someone at a store or walking over to help your neighbor with her yard work. You could help your brother or sister with his or her chores so you have time to play together. Or you could stay in at recess to help your teacher in the classroom. The best random acts of kindness are not the kind for which you receive gratitude or applause. They are the little things we do every day that make the world a better place. Do what you can! Do your part! It means a lot! |
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News
and Events
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Sponsor Thank Yous
Read a Hero Literacy Program
The picture above shows Dr. Peter Springberg speaking at the Boys & Girls Club in Fort Collins as part of our Generations Day event, which included local speakers talking to the kids about the differences between life when they were growing up and life today.
As we wrap up the Read a Hero After School Literacy program for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Larimer County, I'd like to once again thank my amazing sponsors:
Myra Monfort
Charlie Bouchard
Russ Morgan
We are getting ready to launch our fourth year of the Read a Hero Summer Literacy Program with some fun new changes that we hope will keep kids reading and writing through the summer!
Teresa Funke Author Visits
We are also wrapping up school visits for the 2011-2012 school year and want to send our special thanks out again to Lori Heutzenroeder and Greg Evans of North Beach Dental and also to the Fort Collins Lions Club for providing matching funds for school visits this year. I had so much fun working with hundreds of students in the Northern Colorado area.
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Sponsor 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 2012. Our programs bring new solutions to old problems.
Programs like:
The Read A Hero Literacy Program
The Do Your Part School Kit Program
The Teresa Funke Author 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.
Catch Me Here!
Follow my speaking engagements, school visits, readings, and more on my events page. |
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Contact Us
Teresa Funke & Company
3836 Tradition Dr.
Fort Collins, Colorado 80526
970-215-4155
tfcinfo@teresafunke.com
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Teresa Funke & Company provides books, programs, and resources to Readers, Writers, Teachers, and Students. Teresa is a Speaker, Presenter, Writer's Coach and author of six books based on true stories from World War II. For more information please visit www.teresafunke.com.
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