Category Archives: Books

Here s a list of books written for teachers that are worth reading. Enjoy!

Chalkboard books part of collections of numerous prestigious libraries

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I always get excited when I learn that one of my books has been added to the collection of a prestigious university library. A search of WorldCat reveals that both of my books have been added to the collections of numerous prestigious university libraries.

My first book, Chalkboard Champions (Wheatmark: 2012), has been added to the library of West Virginia State University in Institute, West Virginia, and to the library of Queensboro Community College in Bayside, New York. It is also a part of the collection of the twelve other academic libraries. These include the University of Arizona, Tucson; University of Hawaii at Manoa in Honolulu, Hawaii; the City University of New York in New York, New York; and Berea College in Berea, Kentucky. The volume is also part of the collection of the libraries of Winona State University in Winona, Minnesota; the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Mississippi; and the State University of New York in Oswego, New York. The book is also available at Hunter College in New York, New York; Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey; Salem State University in Salem, Massachusetts; and the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California. In addition, it is part of the collection of the Library of Congress in Washington, DC.

Chalkboard Heroes (Wheatmark: 2015) has been added to the collection of the Library of Congress in Washington, DC. The volume is also included in the collections of the Autry Museum of the American West in Los Angeles, California; Chadron State University in Chadron, Nebraska; the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Mississippi; and the University of Chicago Library in Chicago, Illinois. The volume can also be found in the Alaska State Library in Juneau, Alaska; Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana; and Central Connecticut State Library in New Britain, Connecticut.

Many thanks to all these prestigious libraries for honoring my work!

Your students would enjoy reading Unleashed! The Dog Park Chronicles

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If you’re looking for some reading material for your students,  I suggest my most recent book, Unleashed! The Dog Park Chronicles, which is now available in both paperback and ebook versions from amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com. This is my first novel for young people. But the volume has also garnered praise from adults who have read it and loved it!

In the book, I have created a charming cast of animal characters and their human companions who live in or visit the local dog park. Each event which takes place holds an essential message about kindness, community, inclusion, and personal responsibility. There are also messages of anti-bullying and anti-prejudice.

In addition, the narrative includes commentary about how young people can appreciate nature, even if they live in a suburban environment. I explore themes related to the migratory patterns of Canada geese, the natural instincts of the animal characters, and the progression of the seasons.

The dog park described in the novel, Vila Borba, really exists! It is located not far from my home in Chino Hills, California. And depicted on the cover of the book are two of my very own pets! The little white terrier mix on the front cover is Kurby, whose rescue story is described in Chapter 4. (In the book the Kurby character is named Bowser.) The elegant black and white tuxedo pictured on the back cover is my own ladycat, Licorice.

This 156-page book would make a terrific book for your students to read, or for you to read aloud to your students! Order your copy today!

Terry Lee Marzell to make author appearance at Paws in the Park

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Author Terry Lee Marzell and her fur baby, Kurby, will make an author appearance at this year’s Paws in the Park event at Vila Borba Dog Park in Chino Hills on Sat., Sept. 6, from 9:00-11:00 am. Photo credit: Hal Marzell

Terry Lee Marzell will be making an author appearance at the Paws in the Park event to be held on Sat., Sept. 6, 2025, from 9:00 am to 11:00 am at Vila Barb Dog Park located at 17001 Amadora Dr, Chino Hills, CA 91709. At the event, Terry will feature her book, Unleashed! The Dog Park Chronicles.

The novel shares the story of Bowser, based on the true-life experience of Kurby, the little terrier mix that Terry and her husband, Hal, adopted after he was rescued from an abusive former owner. Their fur baby is even depicted on the front cover of the book!

But that’s not all the book is about. The narrative features a charming cast of animal characters and their human companions who live in or visit the dog park. Each event which takes place holds an essential message about kindness, community, inclusion, and personal responsibility. There are also messages about anti-bullying and anti-prejudice.

In addition, the narrative includes commentary about how young people can appreciate nature, even if they live in a suburban environment. For example, Marzell explores themes related to the migratory patterns of Canada geese, the natural instincts of the animal characters, and the progression of the seasons.

Come to the Paws in the Park event to meet Terry Lee Marzell and Kurby! Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing. The book is also available in both paperback and ebook versions online from amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com. See you at the park!

Sugarcane Academy shows how to teach children evacuated following catastrophic weather events

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As Americans mark the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, we understand that citizens of New Orleans are still in the process of rebuilding their lives and their communities.

As I usually do during times such as these, I ask myself questions about what the teachers were doing during times of upheaval like this. With regards to Hurricane Katrina specifically, I am reminded of a book I read which described a remarkable teacher who opened a school for the children of evacuees following the catastrophic weather event.

When surging flood waters from Hurricane Katrina forced thousands of families to flee from their homes, New Orleans residents had their minds more on survival than on whether their children would be missing school. But when a group of evacuee parents who landed in New Iberia, Louisiana, realized they would not be returning to their homes any time soon, they realized they had to find a strategy to help their children cope with their enforced and unexpected exile. They pooled their financial resources and hired a fellow refugee, teacher Paul Reynaud, to establish a one-room school for their children in an abandoned office building. The story furnishes valuable lessons for dealing with examples of nature’s fury.

The book is entitled Sugarcane Academy: How a New Orleans Teacher and His Storm-Struck Students Created a School to Remember.The author of this intriguing true story is journalist Michael Tisserand, and the volume was published in 2007 by Harcourt. You can find the book on amazon.com.

For other intriguing stories about remarkable teachers in America’s sometimes turbulent history, check out my book Chalkboard Champions. You will find it on the web site for Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

Unleashed makes a terrific story for your students to read

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Author Terry Lee Marzell and her fur baby, Kurby, share Unleashed! The Dog Park Chronicles Photo Credit: Hal Marzell

The upcoming school year is a terrific time to encourage your students to pick up a leisure reading book, or read one aloud to them during class!  I suggest my most recent book, Unleashed! The Dog Park Chronicles, which is now available in both paperback and ebook versions from amazon.comand barnesandnoble.com. This is my first novel for young people. But the volume has also garnered praise from both children and adults who have read it and loved it!

In the book, I have created a charming cast of animal characters and their human companions who live in or visit the local dog park. Each event which takes place holds an essential message about kindness, community, inclusion, and personal responsibility. There are also messages of anti-bullying and anti-prejudice.

In addition, the narrative includes commentary about how young people can appreciate nature, even if they live in a suburban environment. I explore themes related to the migratory patterns of Canada geese, the natural instincts of the animal characters, and the progression of the seasons.

The dog park described in the novel, Vila Borba, really exists! It is located not far from my home in Chino Hills, California. And depicted on the cover of the book are two of my very own pets! The little white terrier mix on the front cover is Kurby, whose rescue story is described in Chapter 4. (In the book the Kurby character is named Bowser.) The elegant black and white tuxedo pictured on the back cover is my own ladycat, Licorice.

This 156-page book would make a terrific book to read. If you have already purchased the book, thank you so much! I hope you would consider writing a review of the story on amazon. I am also asking for support to offer an AR (Accelerated Reading) quiz for the story. You could make a request for this at the AR website.

Have a great school year!