One girl's struggle to deal with loss and lack
Meet the Author
Lori shares her dilemma with best friend, Tiffany.
Lori daydreams of happier times with her grandmother.
My Story
I grew up in Eggerts Crossing, a small rural community in the township of Lawrenceville, NJ. As an only child, I developed a bit of an active imagination. Creating scenarios for my own entertainment, some humorous, some serious.
I enjoyed reading all of the familiar childhood classics such as The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss, and the adventures of peculiar characters in the likes of Pippi Longstockings.
My appreciation for great literature, along with my desire to share it with children, were instrumental in my choice of careers. I received my BA in Elementary Education and a Masters in English As a Second Language.
​
I am married with two children, and reside in New Jersey. I attained a second Masters in School Counseling.
​
Writing became a craft that I pursued seriously, after taking two playwriting classes. To date, I have written two short plays that were read at a local community theater. Now I am happy to present my debut book, Colored Pencils for Lori.
ABOUT THE BOOK
​
One unfortunate event at school in December of 1968, just days before Christmas, has Lori in a tailspin. It is the day of the gift exchange, and she shows up to her fifth-grade class. . . without a gift! Lori finds herself in the throes of what could possibly be the worst day of all her years at the Eldridge Park Elementary School.
Oh, the looks she receives; the sneers she notices when she looks up from her Weekly Reader. Worst yet, are the confrontations she faces throughout the day when she must explain her situation. How does Lori cope with the embarrassment and the shame?
Lori's struggle unearths other secrets. Secrets that Lori would have rather kept concealed. She relies on the help of a friend, her teacher, a guidance counselor, and a very unlikely source, who comes to her rescue at the end of this awful day.
Colored Pencils for Lori can be enjoyed and appreciated by middle school-aged children and their parents. The book deals with the loss of a family member, and how that loss can directly impact the surviving members. The story is heart-warming and humorous. It takes an honest look at real struggles that spill outside of the home and affect children in their school environments. Colored Pencils for Lori is a work of fiction based on a real event that took place in the author's life.