Welcome to WhenIgrowupOnline. This website features my children’s book: When I Grow Up – A Fairy Tale or Is It? Interactive. Educational. Entertaining. Enlightening. Read the Story Storybook (grades 3rd – 6th), When I Grow Up – Vocabulary Words Workbook for grades preschool – 2nd Vocabulary Words Workbook (preschool – 2nd grades), Listen to the Story (Mother Earth’s children of all ages)
INTERACTIVE: The concept behind the book & sound recording is one that will inspire and motivate reading and enhance reading skills. The book follows the recording word for word. Even words stuttered are written out. The student will find many words and phrases located in the “Color The Words” glossary section. Some of these words are repeated throughout the story. The structure of this activity makes vocabulary building fun. I have made every effort to enunciate each word, especially in the songs. Our children are constantly bombarded with ‘slang’. How can they be expected to speak or spell English properly, if they do not hear it spoken correctly? I hope that this book will give children a new excitement about reading. Quotation marks may be a new concept for some students. Please point out to each student that a different character other than the narrator is speaking throughout this story. Please emphasize that a story character is speaking when words begin with and end in quotation marks. These words, phrases and sentences should be focused on with enthusiasm, and given a life of their own. As an added reading aid, all spoken words, phrases and sentences are given a different color and are printed in italics for easier identification. Have the student read with a different tone of voice. Have the student imagine what that person may look like.
Special Note to Teachers & Parents
INTERACTIVE/EDUCATIONAL: Pawnee – a member of an American Indian people originally of Kansas and Nebraska <http://www.pawneenation.org/> (Read the Story sample page 17) In the Glossary & Vocabulary Words section of the book, you can not only color the words, but you can also click a link that will take you to a website for further explanation.
EDUCATIONAL: After the story has ended, help the student to discuss the images they may have had while listening. Encourage them to read/follow along with the recording, ultimately, reading the story on their own aloud. In the classroom, alternate speaking parts.
ENTERTAINING/EDUCATIONAL: Words used on the character coloring sheet can be colored in with coloring pencils. You may instruct the student to use wax crayon, felt tip color makers, color pencils or a mixture when coloring the characters. Encourage the student to draw their impression of these and other characters not illustrated. The student can also find coloring activities in the glossary section of this book. Chart out a vocabulary building schedule for the student. Have the student color the word she/he will be studying that day, then write the words on a separate piece of paper (start a notebook). Have the student find where the word was used in the story, each time it was used and write that sentence out. Finally, have the student use the word in a sentence, creating as many different sentences as he/she can. Make the challenge fun. Where there is more than one child, have a contest or divide the students into teams. Most of all, be creative and have fun! Color the Story Characters
My Ultimate Goal is to have my book translated into languages for children from all over the world, including braille.
Dr Deborah Freedman, Conductor of the St Joseph Symphony invited me to perform my children’s story, When I Grow Up – A Fairy Tale Or Is It, for their 1999 children’s concert series. More than 3,600 students and staff enjoyed this performance, given in three back-to-back segments. I also conducted pre-show workshops for 5th and 6th graders.
About the story
“When I Grow Up – A Fairy Tale – Or Is It?,” is a story about how, In the name of greed, our Mother Earth is being destroyed, threatening all life forms on this planet and ultimately our future.
The heroes of this story are the children. Greed is the villain. The children have promised their beautiful deep, deep, forest that they will do anything to save her from their Greedy King. The Wise Owl, The Keeper of Dreams and the Great Wizard/Master Alchemist assist the children on their journey of three dreams into the future.
In the first dream, the Swan and his entourage of forest friends greet the children with great anger. But with the purest of intent, the power of the children’s desire to save the beautiful, deep, deep, forest melts away the coldness of the Swans heart. In the name of greed, the animals and forest sing a sad song to the children, voicing their concerns for Mother Earth.
Running Deer, a young, soon-to-be chief, awaits the children in their second dream. He shares his sad story of how, In the name of greed the boat people came to his land and wanted everything for themselves, killing buffalo and forcing the Native Americans off of their own land.
In the third and final dream, a strong and powerful voice guides the children through a frightening experience in the big city. The voice is that of a Street Evangelist. In the name of greed, she preaches and sings to those who will listen. “Greed is evil, it destroys everything in its path.” She sings a song about change. How can we make lasting changes for the better if we do not first look inside of ourselves, making changes from within?
The children find the Great Wizard/Master Alchemist after they awaken. He teaches them about alchemy. “Alchemy is magic, any form of magic. It is possible to change the thoughts and ideas of another when you speak with clear intent, sharing your thoughts and ideas from your heart. Your hearts’ desire has a will of its very own and with pure and clear intent it can work miracles.” The Wizard stresses the importance of working alchemy on the Greedy King, by sharing the children’s dreams and fears for no future.
This is a story of empowerment for our children. It also teaches responsibility. When I Grow Up – A Fairy Tale – Or Is It?, is not only entertaining, but enlightening and educational as well.
It is my hope that the music, songs and story will motivate children of all ages to love and respect themselves and our Mother Earth, thus, giving our young people hope for a future. After all, children are our future. They see with innocent eyes.
Latteta Theresa, Author and Composer
