 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Trudy Peters and Leah Butler met in 1989 while publishing a magazine in Nashville, Tennessee. They quickly realized their shared philosophies and zest for life made them a strong team.
More than a decade ago careers and life choices landed them in different geographic locations, but their strong friendship spanned the distance. Now a shared vision has reunited their creativity in the writing of the Choices series.
Choices is a twenty-six-book series targeting children ages six to ten. When the series is complete, it will look much like a set of encyclopedias, with one book for each letter of the alphabet. Each story deals with a different moral, ethical, or personal dilemma that children in this age group face on a daily basis (see “Story Themes”).
The stories take place in the small town of Spencer’s Mill. In each book a sage Irish firefly known as Wink introduces readers to the main character and then continues to guide them throughout the story, occasionally offering up issues to consider. The setting as well as the core characters are common throughout the series, providing young readers continuity and a heightened sense of personal involvement.
Midway through each story the main character is faced with a difficult choice. But it is the reader, not the main character, who actually makes the decision. Each choice leads to one of three corresponding story conclusions that demonstrates the consequences for the choice made (see “Suggested Methods for Reading Choices Books”).
Through this interactive format young readers are able to consider ethical dilemmas posed by real-life challenges like vandalism, bullying, cheating, changing schools, telling the truth, and doing their best, as well as the universal desires to fit in, have friends, and experience success. By experiencing the consequences played out in the main character’s life, readers will learn how to make good choices in their own lives.
At the end of each book there are thought-provoking questions that are sure to be a welcome addition for educators and parents alike. These questions provide open doors to further dialogue and give parents and teachers an opportunity to share their own values, as well as assess the values that may already have been adopted by young readers.
With the arrival of each new book in the Choices series, parents, teachers, and children alike can anticipate an entertaining, educational, and inspiring new story.
Young children are eager to make good choices and typically feel a great sense of pride and accomplishment when they believe they have chosen wisely. But they are often surprised by the outcome of a less-than-wise choice.
In this series our goal is to teach children during their formative years that every choice is important, not only in their own lives, but in the lives of everyone affected by the choices they make.
How exciting it is for children to grasp at an early age that life doesn't happen to them, but that life happens because of them, and to realize that courage, compassion, generosity, gratitude, and truth are essential to a responsible and rewarding life.
Through the adventures of the story characters our goal is for children to be
entertained; through the concept of multiple story endings our goal is for
children to be educated; and through a new awareness that every choice is
important our goal is for children to be inspired to play the leading role in the
creation of their own lives.
Each of the twenty-six Choices stories will have a primary theme, with multiple secondary themes interwoven throughout each one.
Themes will include:
Confidence
Fear
Courage/Bravery
Generosity
Compassion
Leadership
Forgiveness
Fairness
Anger
Loyalty
Gratitude
Failure
Pessimism
Optimism
Doing your best
Dependability
Loneliness
Discrimination
Cheating
Shame/Guilt
Handicaps
Telling the truth
Envy/Jealousy
Ego
Charity
Bullying
Lying
Vandalism
Littering
Citizenship
Moving
Respect for the elderly
Compassion for animals
Humility
Responsibility
Inferiority
Superiority
Making fun
Changing schools
Problem solving
Sportsmanship
Manners
Making friends
Using natural talents
Blessings
Following dreams
Suggested Methods for Reading Choices Books
Reading Alone
Read to the place in the story where the main character has to make a difficult choice. Carefully read all three choices and decide which one you think is best. Turn to the color-coded page that matches the choice you selected, then read the story to its conclusion.
When you have finished, turn to “Questions for Thought” at the back of the book. Read “Beginning Questions” as well as the questions that correspond with the choice you selected. Give yourself a day to think about your choice and the way the story ended. The next day select a different choice and see how the story ending changes. Once again, read the questions at the back of the book that correspond with your second choice. When you have read all three choices and the questions that correspond with them, read “Ending Questions.”
Reading to a Child
Read to the place in the story where the main character has to make a difficult choice. Carefully read all three choices, then ask the child which one he/she thinks is best. Turn to the color-coded page that matches the child’s choice and read the story to its conclusion.
When you have finished, turn to “Questions for Thought” at the back of the book. Read and discuss “Beginning Questions” as well as the questions that correspond with the choice that was selected. Ideally you should allow the child to “live with” the choice for at least a day before making another selection. After all three choices have been read in the manner described above, read “Ending Questions.” Even when a child makes the best choice on the first or second reading, it is
still beneficial to read all three endings. Doing so will be entertaining as
well as educational, and will also help to underscore that different choices
create different outcomes and that the best choice creates the best outcome.
Reading to a Classroom
Read to the place in the story where the main character has a difficult choice to make. Ask your students to listen carefully as you read all three choices aloud.
After you’ve read the choices, ask your students to close their eyes and put their heads down on their desks, or against their knees if they are seated on the floor. Ask them to listen carefully as you read the choices aloud once again, and when they hear their favorite choice, to raise their hand. Ideally, when students are seated on the floor, their arms/shoulders should not be touching, so that their votes will not be influenced by the movement of another child.
When all three choices have been read and the votes counted, ask the students to lift their heads and open their eyes. When announcing the winning choice, it is always good to remind your students that no matter which choice they voted for, there were others in the class who voted the same way.
After announcing the winning choice, turn to the corresponding color-coded page and read the story to its conclusion. As is often the case, the choice receiving the most votes may not actually be the best choice. In that event it is important to remind your students that just because a choice received the most votes does not necessarily mean it is the best choice, and only after reading all three endings will they know for certain which choice was best.
When you have finished reading, turn to “Questions for Thought” at the back of the book. Read and discuss “Beginning Questions” as well as the questions that correspond with the winning choice. If possible, allow the students to “live with” their choice for at least a day before reading their second choice, and another day before reading the last choice. Each time read and discuss the corresponding “Questions for Thought.”
After all three choices have been read in the manner described above, read “Ending Questions.” When you have read all of the endings and all of the questions in the back of the book, ask your students if they have questions of their own or if they would like to share a similar choice they’ve made in their own life.
Our goal at Spencer's Mill Press is to help children learn to make good choices and to realize that generosity and compassion are essential to a responsible and rewarding life. One way to demonstrate this lesson first-hand is through our Book Giving Program?
By giving Choices books to your local school, church, community group, or other organization, you not only show your child how to live the lessons that the Choices books teach, but you offer other children the opportunity to learn how to make good choices in their lives as well.
Do you have a favorite school, church, library, scout troop, hospital or community organization that you'd like to support, or maybe an after-school program that you would like to help? For these personal book donations we offer a discount of 20% and we send your book directly to the program or organization that you wish to support.
We also include a note letting them know the book is a gift from you. You may even want to send the book in memory of someone, or to honor someone or their achievement. We'll be happy to include that information as well. Write your note in the "Comments" section of the order form.
Simply click here to complete the order form, and your book donation will be shipped directly to the organization or program you wish to support. To get your 20% Discount, be sure to type in the promotion code "BGP20" where instructed to on the order form.