New book offers rich glimpses into farm life in 1950s, 1960s

TEMPE, Ariz. - Lawn Griffiths has released a collection of true stories and essays titled "Batting Rocks Over the Barn: An Iowa Farm Boy's Odyssey" (published by Xlibris). The award-winning writer's latest book follows his incredible journey as a young Iowa boy who dared to chart his destiny beyond the rural landscape of the 1950s and 1960s.

"Batting Rocks Over the Barn" captures the rhythm of rural life through the eyes of a young boy who grew up to become a newspaper journalist and farm editor. As largely a non-fiction biography, the work is narrated by the author from real experiences on the farm leading up to college.

The book devotes considerable space to the writer's parents, his twin brother and sister, plus such other people as hired men, neighbors, teachers and others who came to the farm.  All are important because of their genuine place in the writer's formative years, especially in their teaching responsibility.

Pervading the book is the author's belief that, put together, the varied experiences, jobs and misadventures helped shape him to be an alumnus of the rural school of hard knocks.  Time and again, the author has zeroed in on single elements of his farm life like fences, grease guns and harvesting wild asparagus in the roadside ditches, the  death of the town's blacksmith and city kids' raiding of his father's melon patch.

"Batting Rocks Over the Barn"

By Lawn Griffiths

Hardcover | 6 x 9in | 150 pages | ISBN 9781503572843

Softcover | 6 x 9in | 150 pages | ISBN 9781503572836

E-Book | 150 pages | ISBN 9781503572829

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the Author

Lawn Griffiths spent 40 years in daily newspapers as writer, editor and columnist, including 12 years with the Waterloo (Iowa) Courier, 25 years with Tribune Newspapers in Mesa, Arizona, plus freelance writing for the Arizona Republic. Born in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1946, he grew up on a farm near Parkersburg, Iowa. He earned a bachelor's degree in science journalism from Iowa State University in 1968 and master's degree from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University in 1972. He also served in the Peace Corps in Paraguay and the U.S. Army. Griffiths has earned more than 80 writing and community service awards.

MOLINE, IL - WQPT, the Quad Cities Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) station, has announced Michael Carton has joined the station as the new director of education and outreach.

Carton has been a teacher for seven years, most recently as a first grade teacher at Frances Willard Elementary. He is a graduate of Western Illinois University, with a degree in elementary education, and is the recipient of the 2015 Master Teacher Award from the Dispatch Argus Newspaper. He has also been honored by PBS with a Teachers Innovator Award.

Carton began his association with WQPT as a member of the first class of WQPT/PBS Ambassadors in 2004. Since that time, he has remained a committed volunteer, most recently earning the National Friends of Public Television Outstanding Volunteer of the Year Award for his work on WQPT's new special event for families, Imagination Station. WQPT chose Carton as its Volunteer of the Year in 2009.

"I am really looking forward to this opportunity to reach more students in my new role with WQPT," said Carton. "I have had the good fortune of teaching 30 first graders, but this job gives me the ability to make a difference to even more people, from pre-school through adults."

"Michael is a seasoned professional who will combine strengths of classroom teaching with the power of PBS programming for the benefit of all children in our region, expanding that vision to include learners of all ages," said Mary Pruess, WQPT general manager. "We are delighted to welcome him to our team."

Carton succeeds Ana Kehoe, who spent 20 years in the WQPT position, retiring last year.

WQPT is a media service of Western Illinois University. For more information, visit http://wqpt.org/.

Wanda Reu pens story of acceptance, respect between English family, Arabian servant

DONNELLSON, Iowa - From the wetlands of Louisiana to the hot sands of Saudi Arabia, author Wanda Reu's new historical novel places readers "Between Two Worlds" (published by AuthorHouse).

Reu's fascination with Louisiana's culture and people began when her uncle brought back stories of living in the southern state. Now, Reu uses this interest in Louisiana's rich culture to create a fictional story about two families - worlds apart - whose lives are equally changed by each other's influences.

"I chose to write this book to reveal my concern about the complex, ever-existing problems that are part of our world scene today," Reu says. "I hope some fresh ideas are revealed that will challenge us to strive to do what we can to change our global situation."

In "Between Two Worlds," Bowregard Le Faye - a resident of the Lake Charles La Blue estate in Louisiana - meets his future wife Catherine after she decides to leave "boring old England" and seek adventure and success in New Orleans. Upon settling down in a house, the Le Fayes give birth to a son, James. James is introduced to one of the house servants - a young Arabian man named Abu - who teaches James about the culture, traditions and lifestyle of his native land.

As the two learn from each other, an unbreakable bond is created that fosters both young men's respect for their differences, ultimately inspiring James to one day live in Arabia himself.

"Between Two Worlds"

By Wanda Reu

Hardcover | 6 x 9 in | 578 pages | ISBN 9781496961648

Softcover | 6 x 9 in | 578 pages | ISBN 9781496961631

E-Book | 578 pages | ISBN 9781496961624

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the Author

Wanda Reu was born and raised in Midwestern America. She grew up in a rural area, and her father was a tiller of the land and a guardian of the animals that helped provide income for his family. By the time Reu reached the sixth and seventh grades, it was nothing for her to read 100 books each winter. As an adult, she wondered what it would be like to write her own books. She loves historical dramas, mysteries, humorous stories and stories of faith. She also enjoys reading children's stories and has written a number of children's books. In the years since her retirement, she has enjoyed writing all sorts of stories and poetry.

. For the latest, follow @authorhouse on Twitter.

###

Birds teach gardener lessons in 'Bird Lady Meets Mort and Ort in "It's a Great Day for Pulling Weeds"'

LAKE CARROLL, Ill. - Author and registered nurse Janet E. Golden, writing under the pen name Gramma Golden, launched a new marketing campaign for her children's book "Bird Lady Meets Mort and Ort in 'It's a Great Day for Pulling Weeds'" (published by AuthorHouse) this year with an online radio interview about her book, which can be found online at www.toginet.com/podcasts/authortalk.

Golden shares an educational message through a whimsical story about talking birds who teach a gardener to correct her irresponsible gardening habits.

As a result of reading numerous articles and reports about the drastic loss of vital pollinators and their habitats in magazines, journals and the news media, Golden's desire is to teach the younger generation to become responsible gardeners.

"I have noticed changes in our own gardens with a decrease in butterflies, bees and blooms in the past few years," Golden says. "I want my readers to help Bird Lady in her effort to help nature and our environment survive by making changes to their practices."

Mort and Ort Aahkamort are unusually attractive and vividly colored birds who visit Bird Lady's garden. Throughout the story, Mort and Ort teach Bird Lady to recognize her careless gardening practices. The lessons Bird Lady gets from Mort and Ort help her make changes in her garden so that nature may thrive.

"Children are naturally drawn to their surroundings - they are curious and love chasing butterflies, birds, bugs and the like," Golden says. "It is vital to teach our youngsters now to become responsible in reversing our gardening practices and nurturing our environment so that wildlife can be sustained."

In attempting to reach more children and adults with her message, Golden has read her book to more than 1,700 elementary school children in the past year, a senior center gathering, Vacation Bible School attendees and as the guest author at a Young Authors Award Ceremony for children and their parents.

Golden writes blog posts in an effort to continue with her theme of educating readers, young and old, about various concerns regarding nature.  So far, a series of 12 blogs can be read on her website, www.grammagoldenbooks.com.

"Bird Lady Meets Mort and Ort in 'It's a Great Day for Pulling Weeds'"

By Gramma Golden

Softcover | 8.5 x 11 in | 38 pages | ISBN 9781491867709

E-Book | 38 pages | ISBN 9781491867716

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the Author

Gramma Golden is a registered nurse and healthcare educator. She strives to teach young readers to care for, and be responsible stewards of, the environment in which they live. She has written a monthly newspaper article for the past ten years on nature and preservation of natural habitats for the lake community in which she lives. She lives in northwestern Illinois with her husband.

. For the latest, follow @authorhouse on Twitter.

###