Books with author Maggie Kirton

*** Contains mature themes. For readers 18+ *** “Living is what’s supposed to happen after you survive. It’s life in ‘post-survival’ that defines the human character’s ability to move forward from trauma.” - Maggie Kirton My Firefly is a true account of a child's abuse at the hands of her family. It will pull you into its pages and grab hold of your spirit. Seen from the perspective of the family home, a young girl struggles to stay alive as she is slowly ripped apart emotionally, physically, and sexually by her father. You’ll experience an abundance of feelings throughout this book and won’t be able to put it down. It is cruel and brutish and bloody. But in the end, Kirton shows that there is hope of having a full and meaningful life even after a horrible and traumatic experience.

My Firefly Updated Edition - 2018 This edition of My Firefly includes "Ventice", my personal journal (written in my first-person voice) was written during the process of pressing charges in 2011. The original story has not been changed and the additional content has been added directly to the end of the original. “Living is what’s supposed to happen after you survive. It’s life in ‘post-survival’ that defines the human character’s ability to move forward from trauma.” - Maggie Kirton My Firefly is a true account of a child's abuse at the hands of her family. It will pull you into its pages and grab hold of your spirit. Seen from the perspective of the family home, a young girl struggles to stay alive as she is slowly ripped apart emotionally, physically, and sexually by her father. You’ll experience an abundance of feelings throughout this book and won’t be able to put it down. It is cruel and brutish and bloody. But in the end, Kirton shows that there is hope of having a full and meaningful life even after a horrible and traumatic experience. Author's reply to reviewers: Why does the house tell the story? The people who do nothing; those which watch from the rafters, standing back and shaking their heads; those which stand by and pretend it didn’t happen or that it has no importance; those are the people I’m trying to reach. The house screamed for me because I couldn’t scream for myself when I wrote my story or when I lived it. No one heard me and those who did, turned a blind eye. I was a waste of their time. Maybe if they remove themselves from my voice they might use their own to make a difference in someone else’s life. So, thank you, all of you, for the reviews . . . it means that my book made some noise whether it is good or bad is really beside the point. I don’t want the reader of my book to feel my pain or hear my screams. I want the reader to feel what the house felt: helpless, incapable, useless, and silent - because that is exactly how an abused child sees the world around them. An abused child is not so much in pain as much as they are ‘alone’ while waiting for the next pain to be done with. And now, before you buy my book and read it, you are forewarned. This book is brutal, graphic in its details and its subject is insane on many levels. My Firefly is being used in different school systems in Canada to help identify abuse in students. It has opened the ‘doors of hope’ to many other survivors. It has helped remind me that I am alive in spite of its contents. Besides, there are too many incidents to mention that are NOT in this book - I only wrote about the easy ones. Imagination saved my life when I was a child; why shouldn’t I write it in the most creative and unique voice possible?! 'Firefly 2' is currently being written in my voice and it will take you through the PTSD that came alive through the writing of My Firefly and continues to this day and you’ll find out what happens when you press charges at the age of 54! Remember, it’s not about who tells your story – it’s about ‘telling’ your story and then moving forward one step at a time! ‘Living’ is what’s supposed to happen after you survive. It’s life in post-survival that defines the human character’s ability to move forward from trauma. I choose to live fully and completely in spite of my childhood because ‘just surviving’ isn’t good enough for me!

Sir: 18 Day-Time Stories for ChildrenThe short stories within this book, although fictional, lightly touch on real-life social issues to assist a child to use their imagination and be creative. It is, most importantly, intended to be read with an adult to encourage verbal communication about the issues in the stories. The topics in these stories bring to light common social issues that many children face every day; but the stories do not tell the children what to think or what to say. The issues are presented as hidden messages within the fictional stories - the child will find them if an issue is relevant to their own personal lives. Therefore, these are not "bed-time" stories; they are "day-time" stories intended for use in the light of day when a child's mind is awake and alert.This book contains:17 very short stories: Sir, an imaginary, simple, and ancient man, lives beneath the only tree in a large field. The village children often visit him, bringing him their troubles, hopes, and dreams.1 longer short story: "My Dream of Istas" Sir has an adventurous dream about the Village children being held captive by Istas, the wicked King of the Mountain.This educational children's book is sparsely illustrated to encourage a vivid, literary imagination, and, of course, to maintain focus on the lessons being taught. In closing, the purpose of this book is as simple as Sir: to encourage children to verbalize their hopes and dreams as well as their problems. If a difficult issue or situation uses up too much space in a child's mind, takes them away from creativity, or cocoons them within their own skin with worry, then that issue is not a small one and it needs to be addressed.

Sir: 18 Day-Time Stories for Children The interior of this edition is printed in full color. For cost effectiveness, the black and white version of Sir can be found at the following link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1983282006 ASIN: 1983282006 The short stories within this book, although fictional, lightly touch on real-life social issues to assist a child to use their imagination and be creative. It is, most importantly, intended to be read with an adult to encourage verbal communication about the issues in the stories. The topics in these stories bring to light common social issues that many children face every day; but the stories do not tell the children what to think or what to say. The issues are presented as hidden messages within the fictional stories - the child will find them if an issue is relevant to their own personal lives. Therefore, these are not "bed-time" stories; they are "day-time" stories intended for use in the light of day when a child's mind is awake and alert. This book contains: 17 very short stories: Sir, an imaginary, simple, and ancient man, lives beneath the only tree in a large field. The village children often visit him, bringing him their troubles, hopes, and dreams. 1 longer short story: "My Dream of Istas" Sir has an adventurous dream about the Village children being held captive by Istas, the wicked King of the Mountain. This educational children's book is sparsely illustrated to encourage a vivid, literary imagination, and, of course, to maintain focus on the lessons being taught. In closing, the purpose of this book is as simple as Sir: to encourage children to verbalize their hopes and dreams as well as their problems. If a difficult issue or situation uses up too much space in a child's mind, takes them away from creativity, or cocoons them within their own skin with worry, then that issue is not a small one and it needs to be addressed.

Sir: 18 Day-Time Stories for Children NOTE: For the purpose of cost effectiveness, this edition is printed in black and white. If you prefer to purchase the full color edition of "Sir" please visit the following link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1983320757 (ASIN: 1983320757) The short stories within this book, although fictional, lightly touch on real-life social issues to assist a child to use their imagination and be creative. It is, most importantly, intended to be read with an adult to encourage verbal communication about the issues in the stories. The topics in these stories bring to light common social issues that many children face every day; but the stories do not tell the children what to think or what to say. The issues are presented as hidden messages within the fictional stories - the child will find them if an issue is relevant to their own personal lives. Therefore, these are not "bed-time" stories; they are "day-time" stories intended for use in the light of day when a child's mind is awake and alert.This book contains:17 very short stories: Sir, an imaginary, simple, and ancient man, lives beneath the only tree in a large field. The village children often visit him, bringing him their troubles, hopes, and dreams.1 longer short story: "My Dream of Istas" Sir has an adventurous dream about the Village children being held captive by Istas, the wicked King of the Mountain.This educational children's book is sparsely illustrated to encourage a vivid, literary imagination, and, of course, to maintain focus on the lessons being taught. In closing, the purpose of this book is as simple as Sir: to encourage children to verbalize their hopes and dreams as well as their problems. If a difficult issue or situation uses up too much space in a child's mind, takes them away from creativity, or cocoons them within their own skin with worry, then that issue is not a small one and it needs to be addressed.

Sir The importance of Imagination within the Special Education classroom. by Maggie Kirton This Volume includes 3 sections of learning: 1) Series of very short stories: Sir, an imaginary, simple and ancient man, lives beneath the only tree in a large field - his only companions are the cows and sheep. The village children often visit him, bringing him their troubles, hopes and dreams. 2) Letters to Sir: Sir receives letters from, and subsequently replies to, troubled children from all over the world. 3) My Dream of Istas: (a short story) Sir has an adventurous dream about the Village children being held captive by Istas, the King of the Mountain. This educational children's book is not illustrated to assist in encouraging a vivid, literary imagination and, of course, to maintain focus on the lessons being taught. The purpose of this series is as simple as Sir: to encourage children to 'talk' about their problems and to learn that they are not alone not matter how big or small their problem may seem to be - to a child, if an issue takes up space in their minds, takes them away from creativity or cocoons them within their own skin, that issue is not a small one . . . Standard teaching curriculums work for children in the vast majority of classrooms, but what happens to those children that learn in the classroom labelled: Special Education? In this classroom, teachers use wonderful and creative ways to incorporate standard teaching techniques with the special needs of each individual child within the room. Sir is written as a long-term, group-learning, lesson plan which takes in multiple children within the classroom, all learning the same things at the same time, and yet leaving room for each individual child to use their own imagination and creativity on their own terms … thereby increasing the likelihood of successful learning in a calm, gentle, and creative learning environment. Lessons include: organized group discussions, artwork, creative thinking, social skills, tolerance, self-respect, respecting the views of others, the differences between right and wrong, and the list goes on and on – all based on the common theme: using imagination to learn within the Special Education classroom.