SHOULD I START A SARAH JANE SCRAP BOOK?

I've been wondering if a Sarah Jane scrapbook of her life and times would make it easier for me to blog about her here. We hear about authors writing a journal from their character's viewpoint. It came to me that perhaps a scrapbook might be helpful in getting ideas about her life solidified.

Perhaps this is something school children could do, too, as they studied about Sarah Jane's era in history. Since the idea of writing about Sarah Jane occurred to me as I was researching central New Hampshire for a history column, perhaps children in this area would relate and find it a fun project. This might be especially appealing for 4th grade teachers since we study NH history in that grade.  (Sarah Jane's story, Sarah Jane's Daring Deed, appears in my anthology, Tales of Adventure & Discovery, and the upcoming picture book.

Have you ever created a scrapbook for your characters? Have you created one for characters you're studying with your students? Perhaps it's also a unique "book report" idea.

Check back with me for instructions about doing a Sarah Jane scrapbook that could reflect the history of your area, too. 

(Sarah Jane's illustration (c)Mary Emma Allen)

PROJECTS FROM SARAH JANE'S ERA

What was it like to be a pioneer girl or boy in the early days of New Hampshire and in other parts of our country? The pioneering era began in the area where I live, the Pemi-Baker Valley of Grafton County, around 1760, and earlier in southern New Hampshire.

In other areas of what became the United States, the first settlers were setting up homes in the mid and latter 1800s.

• What did they do for work and play?
• What did they eat?
• How did they cook?
• What were their modes of travel?
• How did they make their clothing?
• How did they keep warm?

I'll explore these questions with activities and projects for youngsters through expanding upon the life of Sarah Jane and her family.

TALES OF ADVENTURE & DISCOVERY ON AMAZON

It's exciting when one discovers her book is listed on Amazon and major online book store sites.

You now can find Tales of Adventure & Discovery, my anthology of stories and poems for children, ages 6 to 10 years old, at Amazon.

Here you'll find the story, Sarah Jane's Daring Deed. So, you might say, Sarah Jane now has ventured online.

MARY EMMA'S CHILDREN'S ANTHOLOGY RECEIVES GLOWING REVIEW


It's so exciting when an author discovers a glowing review to a book, a review they hadn't known about. This morning, while searching the Internet for other material, I discovered the review of my children's anthology, Tales of Adventure & Discovery at BookReview.com.

The story, "Sarah Jane's Daring Deed" is the first one in this book.

The reviewer seemed to grasp what I was trying to accomplish with my book and "hit the nail on its head:"

The stories are from the heart and home, reflecting an understanding of children and childhood in a way that reaches out to children and lets them feel connected to the stories.

I also discovered that the book is available on Amazon. A friend said she'd carry it on her site, too.

ACTIVITIES FOR SARAH JANE READERS

For some time I've been planning to produce some activities and background information connected with Sarah Jane and the era when she lived. Originally I wrote about Sarah Jane as a pioneer girl living in central New Hampshire, where I live and write.

However, her story has been published in a number of magazines distributed throughout the United States. So I guess she could have lived in many areas where blackberries grew and pioneers lived in log cabins. Her story also gave those living in more arid areas an idea of the country.

Since I also write a cooking column and research recipes, I'll include information about foods other than blackberries. I'm involved in and write about quiltmaking. Of course, Sarah Jane and her mother probably were involved in this activity.

Are there activities you'd like to know about that pioneers in early New England were involved in?

(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen