Wake Forest, NC April 11, 2008 – North Carolina author/illustrator Jeffery A. Faulkerson, MSSW, announced today the release of the first three offerings in his IT’S GOOD TO BE GOLDEN Children’s Picture Book Series. Written and illustrated for children between the ages of five and 10, the books introduce concepts that are critical to developing platforms for success.
Stories included in the IT’S GOOD TO BE GOLDEN Children’s Book Series include:
The Stranger in the Shadows (view cover and description at
www.publishamerica.com, Author keyword search: Faulkerson): encourages young children to be wary of strangers even when these same strangers display selfless acts of kindness. The story opens with the Golden family – parents Raymond, Sr. and Millicent, and sons Freddie and Ray-Ray – traveling from Michigan to their new home in Tennessee. When the family stops at a rest area for a picnic lunch, Freddie and Ray-Ray encounter “The Stranger in the Shadows”. Ray-Ray winds up missing, and Freddie assumes that his little brother has been snatched up by “The Stranger”. Freddie must find Ray-Ray to show his parents that he can be responsible for someone other than himself.
The Story of Henry the Heart (view cover and excerpt at
www.lulu.com, Author keyword search: Faulkerson): chronicles four-year-old Ray-Ray Golden’s quest to “listen to your Henry.” Henry the Heart is the guardian angel residing on the left side of Ray-Ray’s chest that encourages Ray-Ray to do right when he wants to do wrong. But when Ray-Ray makes some unkind remarks to his classmate Rachel, his willingness to do what’s right is put to the test. A must-read for elementary-aged children who are trying to be less selfish and more selfless.
Golden Innovations (view cover and excerpt at
www.lulu.com, Author keyword search: Faulkerson): chronicles Dr. Raymond Golden, Sr.’s quest to decrease humanity’s dependence on fossil fuels. Told by his oldest son Freddie, it is a tale that speaks to the importance of fathers being heroes in their children’s lives, and how their heroic exploits have the power to change the course of human history.
HOW THE SERIES WAS CONCEIVED
In 2007, Jeffery penned and illustrated his first children’s picture book about a successful African-American family for his then-three-year-old son Caleb. The title of that book was IT’S GOOD TO BE GOLDEN: The Stranger in the Shadows. Since then, he has added two more titles to the series, The Story of Henry the Heart and Golden Innovations.
The GOLDEN books grew out of Jeffery’s desire to introduce children of all racial/ethnic groups to African-American characters who are taking full advantage of righteous opportunities. For Jeffery, visits to area bookstores revealed a lack of children’s titles featuring African-American characters.
ABOUT JEFFERY A. FAULKERSON, MSSW
Jeffery A. Faulkerson is the Founder, President & CEO of PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS, a faith-based social research and service practice with for-profit offerings in communications/public relations and not-for-profit offerings in parent education and support, postsecondary advising and planning, and conference planning, coordination and implementation. A stay-at-home parent since August 2005, he has dedicated himself to "promoting functional families through words and deeds."
Jeffery is a graduate of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where he earned both his undergraduate (1991) and graduate (1998) degrees in Social Work. He has over 17 years of professional experience in nonprofit administration and direct service delivery to children, youths and adults. He is the author of Raising My V.O.I.C.E. (Verbalizing Orderly Impressions through Creative Endeavors) (www.buybooksontheweb.com), which chronicles his quest to understand why Americans focus so much on their differences, not enough on their similarities. His column Firm...but fair appears bi-monthly in the online publication Keeping Family First (www.keepingfamilyfirst.org).
In March 2008, Jeffery was a featured guest on The Michael Baisden Show, speaking on the topic Do As I Say, Not As I Do: Why Parents Need to Set a Better Example. Jeffery has been happily married to his wife Regina for over 14 years, and serves as the proud father to four-year-old Caleb.
Visit Jeffery online at
www.jefferyafaulkerson.com. -0-
Posted By: J. A. Faulkerson
Wednesday, September 24th 2008 at 10:12PM
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