Tag Archives: Terry Lee Marzell

Terry Lee Marzell and Kurby to appear at Paws in the Park event

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

Join me and my beloved celebri-dog, Kurby, at an author appearance at the Paws in the Park event on Sept. 7, 2024, from 9:00 am to 11:00 am. The event will be held at Vila Borba Dog Park located at 17001 Amadora Dr, Chino Hills, CA 91709. At the event, I will feature my new book, Unleashed! The Dog Park Chronicles, a children’s book which features a setting at Vila Borba. I say the book is for children, but dog-lovers and animal lovers of all ages would enjoy it!

The novel shares the story of Bowser which is based on the true-life experience of Kurby, who was rescued from his abusive former owner. He’s even depicted on the front cover of the book! Another character in the novel is an elegant tuxedo cat, Licorice, another of my fur babies. She is depicted on the back cover.

But that’s not all the book is about! The narrative features a cast of charming 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, resilience, and personal responsibility. There are also messages about anti-bullying and anti-prejudice. In addition, the narrative includes commentary about how all of us can appreciate nature, even if we live in a suburban environment. For example, there are chapters about 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 me and Kurby! There you can purchase a copy of the novel and have it personally autographed. You can also purchase the book from amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com. And I will also have my award-winning teacher books, Chalkboard Champions and Chalkboard Heroes on hand.

See you there!

Terry Lee Marzell and Kurby to appear at September Paws in the Park event

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

Terry Lee Marzell and her fur baby, Kurby, will be making an author appearance at the Paws in the Park event to be held on Sept. 7, 2024, from 9:00 am to 11:00 am. The event will be held at Vila Borba Dog Park located at 17001 Amadora Dr, Chino Hills, CA 91709. At the event, Terry will feature her new book, Unleashed! The Dog Park Chronicles, a children’s book which features a setting at Vila Borba.

The novel shares the story of Bowser which is based on the true-life experience of Kurby, who was rescued from his abusive former owner. He’s even depicted on the front cover of the book! Another character in the novel is the elegant tuxedo cat, Licorice, another of Terry’s fur babies. She appears on the back cover.

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, there are chapters about 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! There you can purchase a copy of the novel and have it personally autographed by the author. You can also purchase the book from amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.

 

Marzell publishes new novel for children: Unleashed! The Dog Park Chronicles

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I am excited to announce that my most recent book, Unleashed! The Dog Park Chronicles, is now available in both paperback and ebook versions from amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com. This is my first novel for young children, ages 5—12.

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 is my own ladycat, Licorice.

This 156-page book would make a terrific leisure reading book for your students, or it would make an entertaining story for your own children. After you’ve read it, feel free to post a review on amazon. I’d love to read your thoughts!

Sweden’s Vasa Museum offers lesson in maritime history

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Author Terry Lee Marzell explores the Vasa Museum in Stockholm, Sweden. This museum is where the historic Swedish warship known as the Vasa is housed. Photo credit: Terry Lee Marzell

Summer is prime time for teachers—and students—to incorporate travel into their vacation plans. Many people, both young and mature, know that travel, in addition to being fun and intellectually stimulating, is one of the most meaningful learning opportunities available. Last month, I was able to enjoy the fun, stimulation, and learning opportunities to be gained from a tour of four Scandinavian countries.

Scandinavia is a region that abounds with watercraft. When Hal and I were there, we indulged in numerous cruises, and we visited a number of maritime museums. One of these included the Vasa Museum located in Stockholm, Sweden. This museum was built specifically to house the Vasa, a mighty ship of great importance to the country’s nautical history. The vessel is one of Sweden’s most popular tourist attractions. In fact, more than 35 million people have visited the ship since the Vasa Museum opened in 1989.

The Vasa was a warship that sank in Stockholm’s harbor on her maiden voyage on Aug. 10, 1628. In fact, the ship went down immediately after she was launched for the first time. After 333 years lying hidden on the harbor seabed, the ship was salvaged, fully intact. Today, the Vasa is the world’s best-preserved 17th century ship.

The Vasa was armed with 64 bronze cannons and was magnificently decorated with royal and national symbols, carved and painted in dazzling colors. Photo credit: Terry Lee Marzell

The man-of-war was built on the orders of Sweden’s King Gustavus Adolphus as a weapon for his military campaign against Poland and Lithuania. Constructed between 1626–1627, the Vasa was armed with bronze cannons. In fact, she was one of the most powerfully armed ships in the world in her day. In addition, she was magnificently decorated with royal and national symbols, carved and painted in dazzling colors.

Unfortunately, the king ordered the last-minute construction of an additional deck and the installation of extra cannons. The Vasa had not been designed to carry this extra, upper-deck tonnage. The weight made the ship dangerously top heavy, and therefore precariously unstable. But nobody wanted to incur the ire of their impatient and short-tempered king, so despite her lack of stability, the ship was launched anyway—amid much fanfare and celebration. Shipwrights pushed the vessel out to harbor and held their breath, hoping for the best. Their worst fears were realized. With the first strong gust of wind, the Vasa promptly tilted, swamped, and sank. The sinking not only represented a significant financial loss, but also cost the lives of numerous Swedish sailors—plus their womenfolk and children who were aboard to celebrate the inaugural voyage.

Among the many exhibits in the Vasa Museum are the remains of numerous individuals who went down with the ship. Photo credit: Terry Lee Marzell

In 1956, the vessel was located on the bottom of Stockholm Harbor, and in 1961, after 333 years underwater, covered in the rich silt of Stockholm Harbor, the Vasa was raised. In the years that followed, she was painstakingly restored. Then the Vasa Museum was built around her, and the facility was opened in 1989.

The museum houses a collection of over 40,000 artifacts, including the intact warship herself, six of the ship’s ten original sails, and two of the original 64 bronze cannons. In addition, the exhibits include the skeletal remains (encased in glass) of at least 15 individuals who went down with the vessel and some objects belonging to those individuals, including clothing, tools, coins, weapons, and cutlery.

Learning about the Vasa would make a great lesson in European history, geography, ship design (and design flaws), the technology used to raise the ship intact, or the science behind her natural preservation in the Scandinavian harbor. If you choose to fit a lesson about this historic ship into your curriculum, you and your students can learn more by visiting the museum website. A virtual tour of the ship is also available.

As always, teach a great day!

Exploring Oodi, the Central Public Library of Helsinki, Finland

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Teachers know that travel, in addition to being fun and intellectually stimulating, is one of the most meaningful experiential learning opportunities available for both themselves and for their students. Summer Break is a great time for travel! Earlier this month, I returned from a vacation to Scandinavia, and while I was there I visited an internationally-renowned Helsinki Central Library in Helsinki, Finland. This visit offers an excellent opportunity to incorporate a travel experience into the classroom curriculum.

Author Terry Lee Marzell visited the Helsinki Central Library on a vacation to the Scandinavian country of Finland in July, 2024. Photo Credit: Hal Marzell

This public library, the brainchild of Finnish Minister of Culture Claes Andersson, was conceived in 1988, and opened to the public on December 5, 2018, the flagship project celebrating the 100th anniversary of Finland’s independence. The facility, affectionately known as Oodi (“Ode”), is located on Kansalaistori Square, directly opposite the Finnish Parliament House. The positioning represents the library’s place as a promoter of equality, literacy, reading, and freedom of speech. In 2019, the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) named Oodi the best Public Library of the Year.

Author Terry Lee Marzell shows one of several sewing machines available for use by patrons at the Helsinki Central Library. Photo Credit: Hal Marzell

Oodi holds a collection of over 100,000 books in 23 languages. The collection also offers musical instruments, sheet music, movies, video games, and board games. I even saw a patron carry out a fishing pole he’d checked out! There are also sewing machines, a laser cutter, a vinyl cutter, 3-D printers, and a UV printer available for use.

The facility also boasts meeting rooms, game rooms, a playground for children, rehearsal rooms, a cafe, and a theater that holds 250 patrons. Often called “Finland’s living room,” there is a massive reading room located inside, a youth space, an interactive fairy tale wall, and seating options on a casual second-floor patio known as the Citizen’s Balcony located outside. The library also hosts lectures and concerts.

At a visit to the Helsinki Central Library, Hal and Terry Marzell came across this little robot transporting books from floor to floor. This little robot appears to have personality! Photo Credit: Hal Marzell

A model of updated technology, we were delighted to come across one of three robots that runs errands around the library, transporting books from floor to floor. And this little robot appears to have personality!

Simultaneously bustling with activity and a haven for quiet, independent study, Oodi is everything a modern library should be.

Given that Finland is a country not often found on travelers’ itineraries, it’s probably unlikely that you might ever escort your students on a trip there, but you can view a virtual tour of the facility—or share that virtual tour with your library science students—at this link: Oodi. Whether in person or online, I wish you happy exploring!