Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Life isn't fair. We learn this as early as kindergarten, but for some, like Alyssa, the experience can be downright challenging. Today is her first day at Lee Ponder Intermediate School, and along with learning new names, faces, and classrooms, she has to maintain her secret. One that she doesn't want anyone to know, not even her new best friend, Onika. You see, Alyssa and her mom are homeless. When Alyssa is assigned a writing assignment (to write a letter to a student in Alabama whose school and home have been destroyed by a tornado) that she bears her soul. It is when the note is lost and believes it has been found by the school's bully, Marcus, that things drastically change for Alyssa and her mom. This book has been enjoyed by readers as young as second grade, and the comments from parents, educators, children, counselors, and more may be summed up in this one sentence, "Although Alyssa and her mom are homeless, they are not hopeless." The book may be used in conjunction with classroom Standard of Learning subjects such as Language Arts, Health, Social Studies, Government, and Public Speaking. There's No Place Like My Own Home has been found helpful for Social-Emotional Learning to include (but is not limited to) kindness, gratitude, sufficient conflict resolution, positive self-image. The reader will also learn how to reduce aggressive behavior, demonstrate self-control, manage emotions, set positive goals, engage in positive relations, and learn to solve problems effectively. Lastly, the book has an anti-bullying message. ABOUT THE AUTHORFlorenza is an author, publisher, narrative coach, speaker, radio talk show host, Master Storyteller, wife, and mother. Florenza and her husband, CSM (Ret US Army) Trefus Lee, have been married for nearly 38 years and reside in Hampton, Virginia. Their daughters, Jessica and Missy, call Las Vegas, Nevada home.Published titles by Florenza are: Adventurous Olivia's Alphabet QuestAmiri's Birthday WishBarry Bear's Very Best, Learning to Say No to Negative InfluencesIf...The Story of Faith WalkerO'KapiThere's No Place Like My Own HomeThe Tail of Max the Mindless Dog, A Children's Book on MindfulnessWelcome Home Daddy, Love, LexiWhen Life Gives Us WindChildren's Books coming soon are: Acornsville, Land of the Secret Seed KeepersAdventurous Olivia's Numerical QuestMicah and Malik's Super Awesome Excellent AdventureOh, My Goodness, Look at this Big MessTwo Bees in a HiveYoung Reader Chapter Books coming soon are: Hoku to the RescueTwo-Thirds is a WholeFor more information regarding Florenza's books, or to contact her to speak at your school or event, please visit www.florenza.o
Synopsis
Today is Alyssa's first day at Lee Ponder Intermediate School, and along with learning new names, faces, and classrooms, she has to maintain her secret. One that she doesn't want anyone to know, not even her new best friend, Onika. You see, Alyssa and her mom are homeless. When Alyssa has an assignment (to write a letter to a student in Alabama whose school and home have been destroyed by a tornado), she bears her soul. However, when the note is lost and believes the school's bully, Marcus has found it, that things drastically change for Alyssa and her mom. Readers have enjoyed this book as young as second grade, and the comments from parents, educators, children, counselors, and more may be summed up in this one sentence, "Although Alyssa and her mom are homeless, they are not hopeless." The book may be used in conjunction with classroom Standard of Learning subjects such as Language Arts, Health, Social Studies, Government, and Public Speaking. There's No Place Like My Own Home has been found helpful for Social-Emotional Learning to include (but is not limited to) kindness, gratitude, sufficient conflict resolution, positive self-image. The reader will also learn how to reduce aggressive behavior, demonstrate self-control, manage emotions, set positive goals, engage in positive relations, and learn to solve problems effectively. Lastly, the book has an anti-bullying message. A MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHORAs parents, we see so many distractions vying for our children's attention, challenges that may cause them to disconnect from humanity. We want them to understand the power of gratitude and empathy without feeling as if we are forcing it upon them. Age-appropriate books have a way of emerging our children into worlds that represent the qualities we know will make them kinder, more caring, and compassionate. This is what I had in mind as I penned the words to my book, "There's No Place Like My Own Home." I have to confess; I didn't set out to write this book. It was born out of a conversation I had with Christine Bush, the Valoha Giving Movement founder. She told someone I had written a children's book on the subject of homelessness; I had not. But from that conversation, this beautiful book was born. Reading it with your child will open the door to honest, sincere dialogue about those less fortunate, empathy, compassion, and the power of hope, faith, and friendship. I cannot wait to read your reviews on this work of love. Stay tuned, the sequel, "Home is Where the Heart Lives," is in production. ABOUT THE AUTHORFlorenza is an author, publisher, narrative coach, speaker, radio talk show host, Master Storyteller, wife, and mother. Florenza and her husband, CSM (Ret US Army) Trefus Lee, have been married for nearly 38 years and reside in Hampton, Virginia. Their daughters, Jessica and Missy, call Las Vegas, Nevada home.PUBLISHED TITLES BY FLORENZA: Adventurous Olivia's Alphabet QuestAmiri's Birthday WishBarry Bear's Very Best, Learning to Say No to Negative InfluencesIf...The Story of Faith WalkerO'KapiThere's No Place Like My Own HomeThe Tail of Max the Mindless Dog, A Children's Book on MindfulnessWelcome Home Daddy, Love, LexiWhen Life Gives Us WindChildren's Books coming soon are: Acornsville, Land of the Secret Seed KeepersAdventurous Olivia's Numerical QuestMicah and Malik's Super Awesome Excellent AdventureOh, My Goodness, Look at this Big MessTwo Bees in a HiveYoung Reader Chapter Books coming soon are: Hoku to the RescueTwo-Thirds is a WholeFor more information regarding Florenza's books, or to contact her to speak at your school or event, please visit www.florenza.o
Synopsis
Join Alyssa on her first day at Lee Ponder Intermediate School as she faces the challenge of not only navigating a new school, making new friends, and learning about her teachers but also safeguarding a secret she's determined to keep hidden, even from her new best friend, Onika. Little does anyone know that Alyssa and her mom are facing homelessness.
When Alyssa is given a writing assignment to compose a letter to a fellow student in Alabama whose life has been upended by a devastating tornado, she pours her emotions onto the pages. But when the letter goes missing, and Alyssa suspects it has fallen into the hands of Marcus, the school's notorious bully, her world takes a dramatic turn.
"There's No Place Like My Own Home" is a touching story that resonates with young readers from second grade and beyond. Parents, educators, children, counselors, and more have praised the book for delivering a powerful message: "Although Alyssa and her mom are homeless, they are not hopeless."
This book integrates with classroom Standards of Learning subjects like Language Arts, Health, Social Studies, Government, and Public Speaking. It also serves as a valuable resource for Social-Emotional Learning, covering themes such as kindness, gratitude, effective conflict resolution, positive self-image, reducing aggressive behavior, mastering self-control, emotional management, goal setting, building positive relationships, and problem-solving. In addition, the book carries a strong anti-bullying message, promoting empathy and compassion among young readers.