Celebrations for WORLD BOOK DAY are happening today in schools everywhere.  Students arrived in class dressed up as their favorite character and enjoying author visits, as well as sharing their own books published through Writers’ Workshop.  It’s an opportunity to inspire enthusiasm for one’s favorite titles and create awareness of the diverse and worthwhile reads out there.

No longer an educator participating in these school celebrations, I chose to share a book review of an eBook that was recently written by a woman while undergoing breast cancer and extended preventative surgery.  Tanyia Pelham was motivated to  write, HEARTS of the PRAIRIE PAST, as she convalesced and reminisced about her youth in the 70’s,  living on a ranch situated near a small prairie town. She weaves a tale that is authentic through the dialogue (They really did talk this way!), and the priorities and principles that rural communities lived by in those days. Although, the life she creates appears simpler, there are still the conflicts, disagreements, secrets, vandalism, and racism that is prevalent in our society of today. Coming of age is the theme of Tanyia’s novel, capturing the insecurities of a young teenage girl as she discovers her inner strengths and accepts herself as she is. Any city tween/teen picking this novel up would find the contrast between the way country girl, Missy grew up pre-tech, completely foreign from their own modern day childhoods.  This can’t be classified as a historical novel, but it does take you back to a time, after the fallout from World War Two, and the importance of community to support one another. For the adults, this novel would be a walk down memory lane of a life that seemed simpler and straight forward.

You may want to celebrate WORLD BOOK DAY by reading Tanyia Pelham’s tender story from an era of by-gone days. It is available on Amazon in Kindle format or paperback.

Let me know if you celebrated WORLD BOOK DAY by snuggling in with a favorite read, and if you did, what was it? Leave a comment below, I’d love to receive book recommendations from you.