Bøger af Mary Korte

TTHE GREAT DEPRESSION WAS A CHALLENGE FOR EVERYONE but to be born crippled and shuffled from foster home to foster home during hard times, well, that required an extra measure of endurance.In his own words, Forrest shares his experience growing up in foster care through the Depression and World War II.Born with a club foot during a time when surgical procedures were often experimental, he underwent many surgeries over a thirteen-year period. A fourth [or more] of his childhood his home away from home was St. Paul's Children's Hospital, hundreds of miles from any semblance of family. Visiting days, when parents came to visit their children [and nobody came to see him], he withdrew within himself. Yet, he became resourceful.One of seven children born to a poor, struggling potato farmer in northern Minnesota, he became a ward of the State before he was a week old. Needing special medical care, and behaviorally more than a handful, numerous foster families gave up on him.At age eight, finally finding stability in a foster home, he learned to stand up for himself, to use his ingenuity to save many a day, and, most importantly, to hold Welfare to its promise. But he had a dark secret that he somehow managed to hide from everyone.

It is a given. Children's minds absorb and believe as truths whatever they learn from parents and close friends. Sadly, through example, racism has been passed down from generation to generation. At an early age, Author Mary Korte-living in poverty under the sadistic thumb of a mean stepmother-realized the injustice of racism. Rather than assimilating prejudicial lessons taught and practiced around her, she quietly rejected them. Experiencing abuse at home and bullying at school (She often heard, "You're nothing but Poor White Trash."), she consciously rejected the mistaken notion that Whites were superior to all other races. As this chronological memoir demonstrates, she did nothing great to change the world. She just made it a point to do small acts of acceptance. She hopes her memoir, True Colors, will encourage everyone to adopt ACCEPTANCE as their True Color. Recommended "easy" reading for junior/middle/high school students and adults.

This book could easily have been titled FORMATTING MADE EASY and FUN. It is written so that you, the reader, can easily understand and apply every formatting task needed to produce a professional-looking book.The author took pains to spell out every step about formatting as she formatted it, being careful NOT to leave out the minutest detail. A person who has no formatting experience and very little computer knowledge can successfully format a TO-BE BOOK by following her directions.Tutorials are separated into 56 easy-to-read (mostly short) chapters. Directions are clear and repeated throughout the book and technical terms are underlined.Readers will be surprised at how many step-by-step visual aids for formatting front matter pages and chapter/section titles are included. You will learn how to insert your author name, book title and page numbering correctly in Header & Footer areas and you will learn how to modify styles and "the whys" of many formatting rules.The author also includes glitches you may encounter and how to resolve them, plus two methods for inserting page numbers. If you follow her directions, you will end up with a professionally formatted book you will be proud to share with others.Knowing how-to books can be boring to read and, at times, difficult to follow, the author purposely invented a sidekick, Phantom, to challenge her throughout the book. Hopefully, Phantom will mitigate your learning frustration and make your journey into the mysterious, scary realm of formatting enjoyable.Although the author is a Mac person, she took into account both Mac and PC people write books. Thus, PC directions are intertwined with Mac directions (hopefully in all the right places) and a Mac to PC conversion chapter is included.

My Mind Is Totally Mine, the last book in the Cocky Chicks Series, is a lesson in endurance and patience and a reminder that persistence pays off. A young girl holds fast to her dream despite being blasted daily with negativity, such as "Bohunk, who do you think you are these days, showing off with As?"Seven illustrations, less than fifty words per page, artistic, eye-appealing formatting, anda glossary defining text-underlined words all contribute to a fascinating read.Trapped in poverty, degraded, and abused, the road to a better life looks bleak for Miss Maggie McPhee. Her struggle to "rise above" is both wrenching and hopeful.Longing to cut her sash to the hated label of Poor White Trash, she takes to heart the lecture the teacher next door gives when confronting the collective, year-long "naughty" behavior of her class. (Told in Korte's second parody, Hats Off to Mr. Boar.) Smitten by his directive, she works hard to improve her grades despite belittlement and put-downs from a mean stepmother. She wants to better herself. She wants to go to college. Sadly, in high school, her dream is beaten down by an adage that burdens her with stress-laden baggage. Convinced her goal is unattainable, she settles for less than her best until a historic event flips her dream to obtainable. But lingering demons haunt her mind. To break their shackles, what simple word must she say?Besides this rhyming parody (based on actual events) being a thought-provoking read, it also promotes diversity, teaches valuable life lessons, and emphasizes the importance of education.

After Santa's accident, Mitzi, his wife, goes through the gamut of rescuing, failing, misusing her authority, overreacting, and alienating others. In short, she makes a mess of things trying to fix Santa's problem. Not until she asks for help does she realize the positive possibilities that lie at her fingertips.Unable to function at one hundred percent, Santa falls victim to confusion, anxiety, distrust, suspicion, and the unthinkable. Grant it, he does his best to either hide or compensate for his problem-sometimes quite humorously.In Seattle, with an eccentric reporter breathing down his neck and his memory in a fog, it's tricky for Jolly Old Saint Nicholas to get through his month-long Santa Claus Helper stint without someone discovering his secret. One night, under the watchful eye of Sam Toddle, an unusual request by a guilt-ridden parent magically lifts one problem off his shoulders but sets him spinning when he realizes he can't produce what she wants. Who saves his neck? And the snoopy reporter, what is he planning?Oh, and how does one elf handle his devastation when someone doesn't say, "It's a secret."?For ages 12 through adulthood.

Trickery and drama are set in motion as a child's needs and the stability of a family hang in the balance. In his effort to help, Santa matches wits with Sam Toddle, the snoopy reporter, plus, a mystery man enters the mix. Who is he? And that guilt-ridden parent-why is she sneaking around? What is she up to? And who's playing matchmaker? A week after his Christmas Eve run, Santa, cozied up in his favorite chair, about to enjoy a lively football game, is distracted by a knock at the door. "Privacy? You want privacy away from here. Why?" Is Santa's secret safe for another year? The answer will surprise you. Fun reading for 12 through adulthood.

Hats Off to Mr. Boar, book 2 of 3 in the Cocky Chicks Series, dramatizes in rhyme a fifth-grade teacher's worse nightmare."Before it's too late, will someone stop those cocky chicks from their disastrous fate."six illustrations, less than fifty words per page, eye-appealing formatting, anda glossary defining text-underlined words.All year long principal/teacher Mr. Cock-Rooster exercises no clout which the cocky chicks don't want their parents to find out. To them, each school day is a holiday. It is sad to say, but they manage to string their tomfoolery into early May. But ah, upon sighting a feared figure sauntering through their classroom door, they gasp, then tilt their heads to the floor.Hats Off to Mr. Boar, showcases a conscientious teacher's grit, patience, and wisdom.For eight months straight, Mr. Boar, the fifth-grade teacher at Pine Township Elementary School, tolerates the rowdy-ruckus roar occurring daily in the classroom next door. Having no authority to interfere, he can do naught but persevere. That is until the opportunity arises. Then for the out-of-line cocky chicks, a lesson, in reality, he devises.Afterward, looking forward to summertime pleasure, the cocky chicks give little thought to Mr. Boar's warning measure. But wait. One bedraggled girl sees his intervention as divine. How his lecture changes her world is told in Korte's last parody, My Mind Is Totally Mine.Besides being fun to read, this rhyming parody also promotes diversity, builds vocabulary, teaches valuable life lessons, and emphasizes the importance of education.

Bully Jake and Grace's Fate, book 1 of 3 in the Cocky Chicks Series, dramatizes in rhyme what happens when all-day play replaces learning in a sixth-grade classroom.EIGHT illustrationsLESS THAN fifty words per pageEYE-APPEALING formattingA GLOSSARY defining text-underlined words.NO supervision, NO limits to adhere to, and NO homework means NO brain stretching for twenty-nine cocky chicks. Stepping off the school bus each morning, looking forward to a day filled with nothing but play, leads to creative minds wandering toward devious ways. One student, Bully Jake (who forever clamors for attention), loves trapping timid Grace in no-win situations.School day after school day, twenty-nine cocky chicks [In this story, chicks are both male and female.] manipulate their wimpy teacher, Mr. Cock-ROOSTER [He is also the school principal.] into sending them outside to play. The drill is simple. Create a rowdy-ruckus roar, and Mr. Cock-Rooster will send us out the door.But oh, their non-learning endeavors make Mr. Boar (the fifth-grade teacher next door) angry to his core.All year, not a smidgen of schoolwork they do as day after day, they play baseball out under the sun. But one spring day, much more lies at stake than either side (the boys against the girls) winning, as proven by one cocky chick NOT grinning.Besides being fun reading, this rhyming parody promotes diversity, teaches valuable life lessons, and emphasizes the importance of education.

"NOBODY KNOWS and nobody is going to know either." This mentality has worked for Santa since the day he placated his father by saying, "Yes, Poppa, I'll keep it secret forever." Years pass. Stubbornness cements his intent. He will not tell. No one outside the Region guesses his secret and no one in his homeland snitches. Past Holiday Seasons have been routine.However, this year's Blessing Day [November first] brings many surprises-and disaster. Caught up in his favorite daydream, he dismisses the signs of impending doom. Little does he suspect Mother Nature's vengeance. Her "snowball" surprise puts his fate in his wife Mitzi's hands. How she handles his ensuing problems is disclosed in Volume 2.REVIEW". . . a novel about a very different kind of Santa Claus.". . . This fast-paced, playful tale focuses on the North Pole Village and its most famous resident. This version of Santa is as kindly and cheerful as the folkloric one, but he's also keeping a secret . . . His wife, Mitzi, constantly worries that this fact will be discovered and revealed . . . It's revealed that Mitzi has been married to Santa for nearly half a century, but before that, she grew up in an abusive household, which Korte vividly evokes in a series of well-deployed flashbacks. As a result, she has a cautious soul, a nagging inner voice of doubt she refers to as her "nattering Tomacita." She embarks upon a series of unexpected adventures, away from Santa and her settled life, and these are the amusing and dramatic high points of the book. The author also makes easy reading out of Santa's bewilderment back home . . . The overall narrative has a disjointed but playful voice . . . It ends with a low-key cliffhanger that will leave readers curious to move on to the next volume."A lighthearted . . . fantasy with some darker undertones."-Kirkus Reviews

CAPTIVATING, THOUGHT-PROVOKING, CONVINCING, TIMELY . . . "NOBODY KNOWS and nobody is going to know either." This mentality has worked for Santa since the day he placated his father by saying, "Yes, Poppa. I'll keep it secret forever." Years pass. Due to social changes, the fears that led to his poppa taking drastic measures to protect Santa are no longer relevant. Santa knows this, but stubbornness, and lingering fears, cement his intent. He-wedded to the secret-keeping law since a small child-will not tell. To date, no one outside the North Pole Region has guessed his secret and no one in his homeland has snitched. Past Christmas Seasons have been routine, but this one brings more surprises than are wanted. Besides someone searching for a way to covertly expose his secret, some serious/sad/hilarious reminiscing by Santa and Mitzi, regarding bygone days and past conflict in their marriage, foreshadows disaster . . . a disaster many fear could not only ruin Christmas but also Santa's reputation.