Books in Holiday Play Series series

"King! The Man and His Dream" is one of five books in the Holiday Play Series. Intended as a teacher/student learning tool, this scripted play is written for 16 major character roles, as well as many roles for extras. Synopsis: 1960's...THE DREAM BEGINS! Martin Luther King, Jr. was a young negro boy who grew up in the 1930's and 1940's. People of the black race, called negroes, were segregated, or set apart from others. There were negro churches and negro schools. So-called "white" restaurants would not serve food to negroes. Some states had laws that separated blacks in theaters and on buses. They had separate drinking fountains and bathrooms. Black Americans, sometimes called African Americans, did not have the same rights as other American citizens. Black people and other minorities thought these "segregation" laws were unfair. They wanted the same rights as white people. And many white people agreed. Young Martin Luther King had a dream of equality for all people, regardless of the color of their skin. He became one of the first leaders on the civil rights movement. His "non-violent" army of followers protested peacefully to bring attention to the injustice of segregation. They did not fight or cause a racial war. When King's followers broke an unjust law, they quietly went to jail. When they were attacked, they did not fight back. These non-violent acts got the attention of the people in the United States and around the world. King's dream came closer to reality when the United States Congress passed amendments to the constitution giving civil rights to all people. There were many steps in getting there. In 1964, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in helping to eliminate racial discrimination in the United States.

Proving that cats don't have the last word when it comes to making Christmas lists, author and artist Kandy Radzinski returns this holiday season with the canine companion book to last year's favorite, What Cats Want for Christmas. Using witty poems and winsome illustrations, What Dogs Want for Christmas lets our four-footed friends speak for themselves. And what does Man's Best Friend have on his holiday list? Ruffus, a dapper Scottie, would love "something with fur... that once went purr..." while the more practical basset hound Daisy complains, "My ears hang down to my feet. Can you fix them so they're short and neat?" Santa is going to need a bigger sleigh to fulfill some of these holiday wishes! After reading What Dogs Want for Christmas, canine lovers of all ages will think twice before buying another chew toy.Kandy Radzinski received her Master of Science in Art from East Texas State University. She taught art at Central Washington State College and the University of Tulsa. Kandy has illustrated children's books, posters, greeting cards, and even a six-foot penguin. Her books with Sleeping Bear Press include What Cats Want for Christmas and I is for Idea: An Inventions Alphabet. Kandy lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

"Thanksgiving Feast: The First American Holiday" is one of five books in the Holiday Play Series. Intended as a teacher/student learning tool, this scripted play is written for 9 major character roles, as well as many roles for extras. Synopsis of Play: November, 1620...Christopher Jones, Captain of the Mayflower, named this new land with a beautiful sheltered harbor. He called it Plymouth. More than 100 pilgrims started the journey from Plymouth, England. Half died before their settlement was built. When the pilgrims met their neighbors, the Wampanoag Indians, they were happy to learn the Indians were friendly. Two Indians, Samoset and Squanto, could speak English. They had learned from earlier explorers. Chief Massasoit was a loyal friend to the pilgrims. He sent messages to their little colony when there was danger of an attack from other warring tribes. Once, a Narraganset brave came into the pilgrim village with a rattlesnake skin wrapped around his arrows challenging the pilgrims to war. Governor Bradford, leader of the pilgrims, filled the skin with musket balls and sent it back to their chief. That was the end of the war threat. The pilgrims were not fishermen or hunters. Squanto taught them to hunt, fish and plant seeds. He and other friendly Indians saved the lives of the surviving pilgrims. In the fall of 1621, after the pilgrims harvested their food supply, they had a great feast of thanksgiving. Massasoit came with ninety Wampanoag Indians. They brought venison and wild turkey for the feast. The first American holiday was celebrated for three days with feasting and games.

"Christmas Magic" is one of five books in the Holiday Play Series. Intended as a teacher/student learning tool, this scripted play is written for 7 major character roles, as well as many roles for extras. Synopsis: The Christmas Magic is about the Jason family and their story of one magically Christmas together. It takes places in the early 1900's, when many people lived in little rural towns. Most traveled by horse or horse drawn wagons and buggies. Automobiles were a novelty, and it was believed they would never replace the horse. Few Americans traveled outside their small towns. This is a special time in the history of our country. It was a time of progress and growth and inventions - airplane, radio and telegraph, factories. This time of growth had not yet touched the lives of the Jason family and their neighbors when they had their magic Christmas.

"Flag for a New Country" is one of five books in the Holiday Play Series. Intended as a teacher/student learning tool, this scripted play is written for 24 major character roles, as well as many roles for extras. Synopsis of Play: In 1620, pilgrims sailed from Plymouth, England, to start the first permanent English colony in North America. After a long sea voyage, they landed on the east coast of a new land. This settlement by the pilgrims became the cornerstone of a new nation. By 1640, there were thirteen colonies along the east coast, and 16,000 settlers. The colonies were like thirteen small countries. King George III sent men from England to govern the new American colonies. The King's men set high taxes on the supplies sent to the American colonies. Many colonists stopped buying from England and rebelled against the English taxes. They wanted to right to vote on the taxes they were asked to pay. The English governors did not listen to the Americans. The colonists then knew it was time to form their own government and start their own country. Men from each of the separate colonies came together at a Continental Congress to make plans for the future. Forming theis Continental Congress was against the laws of England. The colonists were committing treason, punishable by death. People in the colonies called these brave founding fathers "patriots". The new American flag, with one star for each colony, helped unite the people. It gave them hope for a better life in their new country. They would be free to make their own laws. They would be free from the bonds of England.

“An exciting heart-warming tale…which puts the reader in the thick of things…Hesse's characters come alive on the page to tell a story filled with twists and turns.” The Canadian Horse JournalsTwo strong willed women in a world on fire struggle to find common ground. One is a stunning fifteen year-old who is resilient and self-reliant. The other is sixty-five, crippled by arthritis, and determined to bring her fragmented family back together.With two fjord horses, an old Appaloosa, an Irish wolfhound, a rogue wolf, a love struck rancher's son, and the hottest summer on record…What could possibly go wrong?One part adventure, two parts drama, with a little bit of romance thrown in, that is Independence. If you are a fan of Heartland, horses, and adventure, then you’ll enjoy this story.Read it now…also available in audio book for your listening pleasure.Here is what people are saying about Independence:"Independence is a great choice for the horse lover looking to add a little excitement to their reading list.” Canadian Horse Journals“If you love horses, even a little, you'll absolutely love it!”"Independence“ is about family, responsibility and finding yourself.”