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Mindy Hardwick
Bestselling author, Mindy Hardwick, enjoys writing sweet contemporary small-town romance as well as children's books which celebrate art and community in the Pacific Northwest. Her published books include: Sweetheart Cottage, Stained Glass Summer and Weaving Magic as well as a digital picture book, Finders Keepers. Mindy can often be found walking on the Oregon Coast beaches and dreaming up new story ideas with her cocker spaniel, Stormy.
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*Click on the cover for more information and to purchase via Amazon.com.
“When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.”
—Lao Tzu
But is the teacher ready? That’s the question that haunts every teacher that fateful first day in the classroom. Making it through that day and the 179 school days that follow is how every career in education—and lifelong learning—truly begins. In this collection, fifty teachers share the trials, tribulations, and triumphs they’ve experienced during their first year on the job. Organized along the lines of the school calendar, these touching tales illustrate the learning curve experienced by new teachers:
Facing Day One
Meeting the Students
Surprising the Students
Bonding with Faculty and Staff
Being Surprised by the Students
Watching the Students Bloom
Saying Farewell
From the hilariously obsessive-compulsive preparation of a rookie English professor to the poignant lesson a bold third grader imparts upon his novice teacher about love and acceptance, this moving collection is sure to motivate new and veteran teachers alike.
MY FIRST YEAR IN THE CLASSROOM
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The gang leader doesn’t like poetry, but will a detention center workshop show her how to express love for her newborn daughter? A teen boy dies of a drug overdose. Will his final poem speak what he cannot say?
In the middle of a career change from teacher to writer, Mindy Hardwick volunteered to facilitate a weekly poetry workshop at a juvenile detention center. By helping the teens write poetry about their lives, Mindy discovered strength and courage to grieve the loss of her father, find forgiveness and release the past.
Drug Court Judges, Parole Officer and educators working with restorative justice will find the book beneficial to understanding the young people in their care.
A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the book will be used as a grant for writers to work with teens at Denney Juvenile Justice Center. The youth's poetry anthologies can be downloaded at: http://www.denneypoetry.org
KIDS IN ORANGE
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Twelve-year-old Jasmine adores her photographer Father and wants to be an artist just like him. But when Dad abandons the family, Jasmine is sent to spend the summer with her Uncle on a Pacific Northwest Island. Soon, Jasmine is learning stained glass from island glass artist, Opal, and thinking she might just be developing a crush on Island boy, Cole. Can Jasmine call herself an artist by her own terms.in this middle grade coming-of-age contemporary novel for tweens.
STAINED GLASS SUMMER
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Eleven-year-old Colt is devastated when his beloved Granddad’s vintage toy collection is stolen by a gang of obit robbers. Determined to solve the crime, Colt enlists the help of a girl who talks to ghosts and a gang leader who plants marigolds in the moonlight. But can Colt uncover the secret behind Granddad’s toys before everything is destroyed in this middle grade contemporary mystery.
SEYMOUR'S SECRET
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Can a bet to save a dying town bring two high school sweethearts together for a second chance at love in this sweet contemporary family saga small-town holiday romance.
Self-reliant and determined never to fall in love again, Rylee Harper is traveling with her dog, Raisin, to Cranberry Bay, a small Oregon Coast town. Rylee intends to make friends with no one least they discover the family's long-held secret. But when former high school sweetheart, Bryan Shuster, offers her a job staging his vintage river cottages, Rylee finds her guard softening. However, when Bryan's plan threatens to unearth Rylee's shameful family secret, will Rylee run away or will she trust Bryan with her heart and stay?
SWEETHEART COTTAGE
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Can two small-town business competitors set aside their differences and find love in this summer family saga romance?
Cranberry Bay sewing shop owner and activist Katie Coos campaigns tirelessly to preserve the community feel of the town she loves. Savvy and successful developer Sawyer Shuster, meanwhile, seeks to provide a future for his beloved childhood community through large-scale developments. When Katie reluctantly purchases an auction certificate for Sawyer’s handyman skills, both are determined to keep their distance. But as summer heats up, Katie and Sawyer’s feelings ignite until both must find a way to trust each other or risk losing not only their businesses but also their chance at love.
SWEETHEART SUMMER
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Can Shantel and Christopher move beyond magical illusions to find love in this young adult contemporary romance?
He loves magic. She loves romance. But the biggest illusion is the one Shantel and Christopher perform together. Sixteen- year- old Christopher fights to stay sober while fifteen-year-old Shantel struggles in the aftermath of her mother’s death and seeks refuge in a fantasy world. But the unacknowledged roots of their problems refuse to stay buried and soon, the two are headed toward a deadly magic trick.
WEAVING MAGIC
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