September 2nd, 2010

Join us for a Livestream chat on From Left to Write with Monica Holloway, author of Cowboy & Wills – TODAY, September 2nd at 1pm PST

by From Left to Write

September 2nd, 2010

A From Left to Write Interview and Livestream Chat with Monica Holloway, author of Cowboy & Wills

by From Left to Write

Monica Holloway, author of Cowboy & Wills

Monica Holloway joins us today on From Left to Write for an interview about her book Cowboy & Wills and about her life as a writer. Read the inspired posts by the From Left to Write bloggers about Cowboy & Wills and join the discussion.

Monica will also be on hand today, Thursday September 2nd at 1pm PST for an online Livestream chat here on From Left to Write. Please join us!

Q: Where is your favorite place to write?

Oddly enough, I write in my Jeep.  I think sitting outside Wills’s preschool and then elementary school or in waiting rooms at various therapies set me up for writing on the go.  Now when I sit down at my desk, my brain says, “Hey, you’re writing –better make it good.”  And then, I have no ideas.  If I’m in my car, I’m not really “working,” I’m just hanging out.  And, surprisingly, I get a ton of work done.  I wrote my first book entirely in my car.

Q: What was your favorite book as a child? As an adult?

My favorite book as a child was Now We Are Six by A.A. Milne.  I have so many favorites as an adult.  I’d have to start with My Home is Far Away by Dawn Powell.

Q: Are you in a book club? Tell us about it.

I’m not in a book club, but I am at book clubs almost every month.  I participate with book clubs when they read my books, and it’s a blast.  (And I usually have great food.  Generous readers, that’s what I have.)

Q: Do you have a tip for writers? (e.g., how to overcome writer’s block, find your voice, routines, etc.)

Write about what you know.  Find the stories that move and motivate you because if you’re inspired, your readers will be too.  I’m talking about memoir here.  If you’re writing fiction, write about what intrigues you and keeps you on the edge of your seat emotionally.  In fiction, you can research and write whatever you’d like.  You don’t at all have to stick with what you know.

Q:  What’s your favorite thing to do on the weekend?

My weekends are almost always spent having one day close to the house with Wills, Michael and the dogs and the other day driving somewhere with the same gang (and sometimes friends joining in) out to the desert, up to the mountains or cruising up and down the coast.  Wills loves to find new places and has this great book called “Afield and Afoot in Los Angeles County.”  Last summer, it was our goal to do every hike in that book.  We’re still working on getting that done.  Mostly because we go out of Los Angeles County a lot, so the book doesn’t apply.

Mostly, we’re outside, we’re driving and we’re looking for waterfalls and trails.  I spend my weekends happily covered in dust and dog fur.  (And don’t even try to picture my car.  There’s usually a golden retriever drooling out each back window as we whiz by and that drool usually ends up on the side of the car.  Wills sits between them playing DJ with my IPod.)

Neena from http://www.hooeycritic.com asks:

Q: You seemed to struggle a bit to find a place where you and your son could fit in amongst other parents and children.  As you son ages do you find yourself facing the same struggle or are there new ones that emerge?

I think in many ways, my struggle to fit in came with my own personality, including my own anxieties about not wanting to show how frightened I was or admitting that I was really struggling.  I can honestly say that most of the parents we’ve met along the way have been more than supportive and welcoming.  But when Wills was very young and really having a difficult time, I wanted to stay hidden, too – just Wills and I in our own little world.  With Wills’s profound stranger anxiety, he never wanted to leave the house.  It terrified him.  But isolating him would have been a huge mistake.

I was shoved out into the world, not only by the encouragement of Wills’s therapist, Katherine, but by a book I read. Temple Grandin’s THINKING IN PICTURES made me realize that I could not and should not isolate my son.  And whatever anxieties I was feeling about how uncomfortable and scared he was, I needed to deal with myself.  For Wills, I needed to be confident, strong and reassuring that he could handle a social situation.  Temple wrote that one of the best gifts her mother ever gave her was to insist that she go out into the world.  Otherwise, she wouldn’t have done it and might have remained isolated her entire life.  Even as a small child, Temple’s mother did not let her isolate herself.  That’s all I needed to know.  And that’s when Wills and I got out into the world.

Wills is now 13 and I find it so much easier.  For one thing, I have a great circle of friends and many parents around me who are going through similar struggles.  Also, Wills is so much more confident now and that is also calming for me.  He loves to be out in the world and he’s very curious about it.  It is SUCH a pleasure seeing him enjoying himself and laughing and meeting new people.  That changed everything for me.

What advice could you give to any parent struggling to find friends or a support system?

Don’t lead by my example.  Search out a support group immediately.  Find parents who can stand beside you and listen.  If you can afford it, get a therapist for yourself – someone who is there just for you.  There are organizations in most communities now; if you Google you’ll probably find them.  Ask your school for ideas of support groups or maybe start one yourself.

Lisa from http://www.grandmasbriefs.com/ asks:

Q: In what ways has your experience with Cowboy tamed your own OCD tendencies?

Lisa, I had to laugh at this one.  I wish I could say they were tamed, but, alas, they still plague me.  Not as much, but I do go on quite the cleaning spree if I’m stressed.  I think watching Wills struggle with his own OCD tendencies is what really keeps me in check.  I know he’s watching me, and I try very hard to show him that I have learned some skills to calm down those impulses.  I also confess immediately if he sees me over-obsessing so he knows it’s not about him, it’s about me.

Michelle from http://honestandtruly.blogspot.com asks:

Q: As the mother of an autistic son (thankfully high functioning), this book was really hard for me to read – especially the beginning because I saw so much of my own son there.  We’ve been very fortunate to have the support of Early Intervention from the state with therapies provided with a sliding scale cost paid to the state from the age of 17 months until 3.  From the age of 3, he’s received all therapies he needed from the local school district – a free, very good and very progressive preschool that specializes in special needs and at risk children (having the neurotypical role models that so many need).  You don’t seem to have any of this available to you.  Is California that unsupportive of special needs children, or was it a choice you made to not pursue those paths?

These services were available to us, but we did not reach out for them.  It still baffles me.  I just asked Michael what his opinion was of why we didn’t go through those channels, and it’s complicated.

Part of it was that we felt so blessed that Michael had just gotten his first big television deal when Wills was diagnosed, and we could afford what Wills needed.  We lived in a tiny rental house, but we somehow felt like we could handle it.  And I think we did that because I went to our local elementary school where the principal told me that Wills would have to attend their school and fail before we could receive services.  And even then, it didn’t mean that he could attend a smaller, private school or even get an aide.  This scared me so much, to think of Wills, who I knew could not reach out to anyone in those years, just disappearing among all of those kids and no one noticing, that I never went back to it.

I didn’t feel very confident or strong in those days – and I’m not a person who usually backs down.  I research, I complain, I ask questions.  But I think when it came to asking for services and fighting for what Wills needed, I felt small.  And that’s where advocating for your child comes in.  If you can’t do it, find someone who can.

I hope no one feels the way I did – EVER!  Don’t do what I did!

But that certainly changed.  Now, I go with my gut, and I feel much more confident.  No stone unturned.

You mention in the book a mom who met you and immediately began discussions of the diet “solution” – have you ever tried any of those changes or worked with other alternative solutions from chiropractors to homeopathic doctors and more?  If so, what did you learn from them?

We did try the diet and didn’t notice a big change in Wills.  Having said that, I have seen it do wonders for other children.  I’m not saying it “cured” them, but I’ve seen significant improvement.  I don’ t know enough about it to say whether that lasts or not.

Wills hated the chiropractor, it terrified him and he didn’t want to be touched.

Animals are the closest thing to homeopathic we got.  Last year, Wills began riding horses every week with a therapist and a trainer.  He knows everything about horses – everything.  And when he climbs in the saddle, I see his face completely relax.  He’s in the best emotional place when he’s up there.

With my son turning seven this fall, he’s beginning to realize more and more that he’s different from others (yay, social awareness). How do you explain your child to himself in a way he can understand and accept without losing confidence in himself?

This is such an important question.  This is what Wills’s therapist, Katherine, told us.  “If a child asks a question, answer it.  But don’t give them more information than they need.  They might not be asking the ‘big’ question, but are, instead, more curious about the situation at hand.”

For instance in the book when we’re at occupational therapy and Wills asks me, “Why don’t other kids come here?”  I explained, “Other kids do come here, just not the kids in your class.”  And then I explained how every person in the world is different, and we all struggle with something.  I gave him examples of how other children he knew had tutors or speech therapists.  And for Wills, he was needing help learning to hold a pencil and to balance on a bicycle, which is why we were going to OT.  And then I was quick to point out all the things Wills could do without needing help at all.

So I tried to answer his questions, but also raise his confidence.  Sometimes it worked, and sometimes it didn’t.  Sometimes, he just needed to cry over the fact that all his friends could tolerate a movie theatre and he could not — and that it really stinks to be the one who can’t go or can’t catch the ball or whatever it is.  Sometimes it’s a lot to just sit in that moment with him.

And of course – how many animals do you have now? :)

Okay, we’ve brought it waaaay down.  We have two golden retrievers – Buddy who we get at the end of the book, and a new puppy, Leo Henry.  We adopted two beautiful bunnies from Bunny World here in LA, Wills has four hermit crabs and our very last hamster, California Grey, just died.  And I hope that’s the end of the hamster brigade.  Now Wills wants a kitten.  Stay tuned…

Jennifer from http://www.wantapeanut.com/ asks:

Q: As a mother of a 3 year old boy with autism, I want to thank you for writing a book filled with such love and hope. Your hard work, and of course Wills’s, seems to be paying off in spades.

1. You mention how isolating it can be to have a child with autism. Writing, though a wonderful outlet, is also often a solitary task. How were you able to balance dedicating yourself to your child with your writing, and maintaining some sense of yourself?

When Wills was very young, I did not balance my personal/professional life well at all.  I’m not sure anyone can.  Lucky for me, my husband was able to support us and I was a fulltime mom.

Often I was too exhausted to write anything at the end of the day but when I did, it was a great emotional and creative outlet for me.  Wills was six-years-old before I became published and began my writing “career.”  And even then, it was tough to juggle.  I think that’s how I became so comfortable writing in my car.  I was always outside of school or in a waiting room at various therapies where I could be there for Wills.  I learned to write in any half hour or fifteen minute period of time I had.

In terms of keeping a sense of myself, I think I’m just now getting that back – and Wills is 13.  I hope that’s not discouraging, but when I look back, I don’t see that as such a negative thing.  I was so lucky to be able to stay home with him and be with him twenty-four hours a day in those early years.  I wouldn’t change that for anything.  It would have helped me to know that this time was coming.  I think the hardest thing about those days was worrying that my entire life would be consumed by my son.  And that has not been the case.  He only enhances it.

2. You touch a little bit on how much your relationship with your husband has been affected by your son’s challenges. It sounds like you had some pretty tough times. How has your marriage improved now that Wills has made so much progress and what advice would you give for those of us just starting out on this journey?

There were times I was positive that my marriage would not survive.  We all have different issues in our marriages, but I think a similar difficulty that I hear about quite a bit when I talk to families (and heaven knows I experienced it myself), is that husbands and wives are on different time tables in terms of dealing with the diagnosis and what that might mean for the future.  So there’s a lot of tension there.  And the financial strain of the therapies and the special schools only add to the difficulty between a couple.  It’s a huge challenge.

My husband and I ended up in therapy and, luckily, our insurance paid for most of it.  I don’t think either one of us wanted to admit that we were terrified and (this is the worst thing of all because you love your child more than anything on this earth and it’s a difficult thing to admit) but we both had to deal with the disappointment of the diagnosis.  We actually had to grieve together.  And we both had to admit that we each felt guilty about it.  We both felt that it was somehow our fault, which, of course, it wasn’t.

And guess what?  It’s only been great news that Wills wasn’t “what we’d expected.”  What fun would that have been?  He’s completely changed our lives for the better in every way, and we are so grateful for him.  But we didn’t know that then.

April from http://formerlyaprildawn.blogspot.com asks:

Q: You wrote at one point about the mother who claims to have cured her child’s autism with a change in diet. Did you follow that child’s progress? How is he (she?) doing today? You also mentioned you were considering doing the same, but it didn’t come up again. Did you try that diet? Did you see any difference?

Thanks, April.  This is a great question, and it comes up a lot at my book readings.  I will say without a doubt, that the diet seemed to help that child.  In fact, I could tell when he had gone off the diet because he lacked focus and seemed much more impulsive.  So for him, I think it was a great thing.  For Wills, I didn’t notice a big change at all.

I’m a mom and not a doctor or a scientist, but that child’s autism was very different from Wills’s, and I wonder if the diet worked for him because of those differences.  I have no idea.  But Wills had early onset autism, meaning that he was autistic from birth.  We didn’t notice a big change in him, unlike the mother who did the diet.  That little boy was functioning typically until he received his MMR vaccinations.  And I know it’s a big controversy and since that was not my experience, I hesitate to go into it.  But I wonder if that’s why the diet helped that child, but not Wills.

There’s just so much we still don’t know, which is very frustrating.

Would I say that the child was cured?  No.  I will only say that it seemed to help a lot, which is a wonderful thing.

I loved the book, and bawled at the end. I think your story covered many of the fears and hopes and frustrations of parenthood in a universal way. Thanks so much for sharing it with us!

Thank you so much.  I’m so happy that the book struck you in a universal way because that’s what I find has been really true – all of us as parents share many of the same dreams and worries, regardless of what our kids are facing out there.

Visit Monica Holloway’s website and the publisher’s website.

Fan Cowboy & Wills on Facebook.

Purchase your copy of Cowboy & Wills by Monica Holloway.

Check out other From Left to Write upcoming book clubs and follow the From Left to Write Google Calendar to keep up to date on all of the book club events and dates.

September 2nd, 2010

Cowboy, Wills, and A Mother’s Courage

by Jennifer-B

When my son Moe was diagnosed with autism, my first instinct was to read. Get on the internet, get the books, and learn and much as I could. There are so many books on the treatment of autism, and I quickly became overwhelmed with all there was to learn. I couldn’t read them all. Then there were the memoirs, famous in autism circles: Thinking in Pictures: My Life with Autism, Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger’s, The Horse Boy: A Father’s Quest to Heal His Son. I read a little bit of these, here and there, but I found it difficult. The grief was too new and it was hard to read about how challenging life could be, even for successful adults living with autism. It took me weeks to finally watch the Temple Grandin movie on HBO, though I knew it would be excellent. (It was, and now it’s a big Emmy winner too!)

Earlier this summer, I was approached by the publisher of the book Cowboy and Wills: A Love Story, a memoir written by Monica Holloway, the mother of an autistic boy. I’d heard of the book long before, but could never bring myself to read it. But it has been over a year since Moe’s diagnosis, and it seemed time. So I asked if we could read the book for the From Left To Write book club, and today we are writing about this book.

The first thing I noticed as I read Cowboy and Wills, is that Wills is nothing like Moe. Where Wills is incredibly verbal, Moe has very few words. Where Wills is extremely sensitive to noise and commotion, Moe seeks light and sensory input. Where Wills has anxiety and obsessive compulsive tendencies, Moe eats mud. They say that when you’ve met one autistic child, you’ve met one autistic child. Wills are Moe are very different kids.

The second thing I realized is that it didn’t matter. I felt for Wills and his struggles, and I understood Monica’s feelings of fear and isolation. I understood her willingness to do anything for Wills. In one scene, Wills bolts out of the front gate at a birthday party. She catches him and wonders what if she hadn’t been fast enough? But she knows that “I would be fast enough…even in my eighties.” I’ve had the same fears. She wishes that “love cured autism.” Me too.

Warning: Spoiler Alert. If you don’t want to know how this book ends, stop reading here! Though frankly, I wish I’d had this information before I started the book.

This book was not the book I thought it was going to be. I thought it was a book about how a dog helped bring a boy out of his shell, helping him break through his autism. And it was, at least in part. Cowboy, a golden retriever puppy, helped Wills with his confidence and with his ability to handle change. When Wills was not sure how to approach others, Cowboy would do it for him. When Wills was scared or upset, he could use the dog, saying that Cowboy was afraid or upset. Cowboy was ice-breaker, interpreter, and therapist all in one. But here is the thing nobody told me: the dog, a pet store purchase, died after only 3 years.

I was reading the end of the book, as Cowboy was getting sicker and sicker (why wasn’t I warned??), when I received a call from Moe’s teacher at school, the magnificent Mrs. M. Moe had had an accident at school. My heart raced and I imagined myself racing to an emergency room somewhere. Turns out he was fine, just fell on the playground and cut his lip, but it bled pretty badly and she wanted to let me know. He could stay the rest of the day. As I read on, crying a little out of relief but mostly because the dog was dying (are you kidding me??), the phone rang again and I had to quickly pull myself together. Moe’s teacher called back. He was pretty uncomfortable and fussy. Would I come get him? I hung up the phone, then broke down in tears.

I realized that I’m still pretty fragile. I haven’t quite come to terms with Moe’s diagnosis and maybe I never will. Hearing others’ stories will always be difficult. But I have come a long way. In the early days, I was afraid to involve myself in any support groups for fear that I’d hear too many upsetting stories. But I went to one parent meeting and found other people with humor, open ears and a lot of great advice. I was worried about what I’d see when Moe first entered school. What would the kids be like? But seeing the other kids like Moe is great. They laugh and play, and yes, occasionally have difficult times. And that is great too because then I know I’m not alone. And after reading Cowboy and Wills I realized that I need to read more autism stories. Wills has many challenges, but he’s a funny, smart boy. This book, though the dog dies (seriously??), is full of inspiration and hope. And we all can use a little dose of that.

I was given a copy of the book Cowboy and Wills free of charge by the publisher, with no obligation, as part of the From Left To Write book club. Jen also writes at her personal blog, Anybody Want A Peanut?

September 2nd, 2010

Cowboy & Wills by Monica Holloway – A From Left to Write Book Club

by From Left to Write

Cowboy & Wills by Monica Holloway

A boy and a dog, a dog and a boy. Do you have a pet that has changed your family? Although we, as parents, all face challenges with our kids, some are more profound. What gets your through?  Read the stories the From Left to Write bloggers are sharing today, inspired by book Cowboy & Wills: A Remarkable Little Boy and the Puppy that Changed His Life by Monica Holloway.

Special thanks to Jen Bush from Anybody Want A Peanut? (a journal of life, love and early intervention) for sourcing this book and for leading us off here on From Left to Write with her post about Cowboy, Wills and a mother’s courage.

About the book:

In this exceptionally touching memoir, critically acclaimed author Monica Holloway shares the extraordinary, deeply moving story of Cowboy, the golden retriever puppy who changed her son’s life.

The day Monica learns that her lovable, brilliant threeyear- old son, Wills, has autism spectrum disorder, she takes him to buy an aquarium. It’s the first in a string of impulsive trips to the pet store to buy animals as a distraction from the uncontrollable, crushing reality of Wills’s diagnosis. But while Wills diligently tends to the growing menagerie, what he really wants is a puppy. And one Christmas, when Wills is six, Cowboy Carol Lawrence joins their family.

Like all dynamic duos, Cowboy and Wills complement each other perfectly. Wills is cautious, fastidious, and irresistibly tenderhearted. Cowboy, a rambunctious golden retriever, is overeager, affectionate, and impulsive. And from the moment Cowboy enters their lives, Monica sees her son step a little farther into the world.

Soon, the boy who could barely say hello to his classmates in kindergarten is sharing stories of his new “sister” Cowboy during morning circle. Children crowd around them at the park, and instead of running away, Wills, holding Cowboy’s leash in his sweaty fist, proudly answers all of their questions. With Cowboy, he finds the courage to invite kids over for playdates, overcomes his debilitating fear of water to swim along beside her in the family pool, and, after years of gentle coaxing, Wills finally sleeps in his own bed with Cowboy’s paws draped across his small chest. Through it all, Cowboy is there, dragging him toward other children, giving him the confidence to try new things and the courage to face his worst fears. And when Cowboy turns out to need her new family as much as they need her, they discover just how much she has taught them—about devotion, about loyalty, and about never giving up.

Sometimes it’s what you don’t know to hope for that saves you. For Monica, her husband, Michael, and their son, Wills, salvation came in the form of a puppy with pale blonde fur, chocolate brown eyes, a fondness for chewing the crotch out of underpants, and a limitless capacity for love.

Visit Monica Holloway’s website and the publisher’s website.

Fan Cowboy & Wills on Facebook.

Purchase your copy of Cowboy & Wills by Monica Holloway.

Check out other From Left to Write upcoming book clubs and follow the From Left to Write Google Calendar to keep up to date on all of the book club events and dates.

August 31st, 2010

A From Left to Write Interview with Cathy Diez-Luckie, author of Figures in Motion

by From Left to Write

Cathy Diez-Luckie, author of Figures in Motion

Cathy Diez-Luckie joins us today on From Left to Write for an interview about her children’s activity books Figures in Motion and about her life as a writer.

Read the inspired book club posts about Figures in Motion books by the From Left to Write bloggers.

Q: Maxine from The French Mommy asks: Did you make these types of cutouts with your own kids before you came up with the book idea? What inspired you to develop the idea of blending science, art and education? I also want to just say thanks for the new dinosaur jungle now exhibiting in my daughter’s room. Hey they all have moving parts!

A: Thanks Maxine! The story of how this came about involved my mom and a Thanksgiving holiday. My mom was visiting us and she mentioned that when she was in school, she made movable figures of the Pilgrims, attached with fasteners. After my children went to bed (I wanted it to be a surprise! :) ) I sketched out a set of Pilgrim figures for each child on construction paper. The next day I was so surprised at how excited they were to make these figures and put them together! (They still have them.) Since I was teaching ancient history for our homeschooling history class, I started making historic figures. Then with two seven year old boys (at the time) I had to make dinosaurs! (You can see the progression…)

Q: Where is your favorite place to write?

A: The largest part of my books are made up of illustrations so I generally do most of my work at the computer. My favorite part of the process is researching and sketching historic people or animals. I just love history and science and am grateful that I have an opportunity to learn more about the past as I am designing and constructing my books.

Q: What was your favorite book as a child? As an adult?

A: My favorite book as a child, and one that I continue to enjoy was a gift from my aunt entitled “Henry and the Red Glove” by Teiji Takai (1959), This is an oversized, beautifully illustrated story of a dog who finds a red glove as he and his parents are walking in the country. The story follows his adventures as he travels to a large “dog city” and eventually presents the mysterious glove to the Dog King. In gratitude for the present of this rare object, the king invites him to live in the palace. But in the end, he decides to return to the country to live with his parents rather than enjoy the benefits of living in the palace.

As an adult, my favorite book is Don Quixote De La Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes. The first time I read it I was taken aback by how funny it was. I didn’t expect that much hilarity from one of the first novels ever written (four hundred years ago). My children and I are currently listening to the unabridged version on CD and even they (ages 11, 9, and 9) are enjoying it.

Q: Are you in a book club? Tell us about it.

A: I am not in a book club at this time. I spend most of my reading about the history of the people I am illustrating, or studying period costume collections.

Q: Do you have a tip for writers? (e.g., how to overcome writer’s block, find your voice, routines, etc.)

A: Yes, I would encourage everyone to try to write everyday. You will be surprised how much you can accomplish if you just keep at it. Even if it is only for a few minutes here and there. Make a commitment to yourself to reach a goal that you set for yourself. It’s also good to take breaks, (I always take Sundays off from my work) but I try to write and make some kind of progress every day. Keep you mind focussed on your project and use those “spare” minutes to take notes, plan the next step, etc.

Q:  What’s your favorite thing to do on the weekend?

A: My husband and I like to go hiking with our children. We live in the Oakland hills next to a great Redwood park and it’s only a few minutes walk to escape the crowds of the city.

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Visit the Figures in Motion website.

Follow Cathy Diez-Luckie on Twitter.

Purchase your copy of Famous Ancient Figures and DINOSAURS on the Move by Cathy Diez-Luckie.

Check out other From Left to Write upcoming book clubs and follow the From Left to Write Google Calendar to keep up to date on all of the book club events and dates.

August 27th, 2010

Figures in Motion by Cathy Diez-Luckie – A From Left to Write Book Club

by From Left to Write

Figures in Motion: Dinosaurs on the Move by Cathy Diez-Luckie

Isn’t history an easy subject in school? No? This is the first children’s book we have read here on From Left to Write and, our club being comprised of many moms, we can’t wait to talk about more children’s literature in the future. Read the stories the From Left to Write bloggers are sharing today, inspired by the Figures in Motion books Famous Figures of Ancient Times and DINOSAURS on the Move by Cathy Diez-Luckie.

About the book:

Dinosaurs on the Move: Make prehistoric times come to life with extraordinary dinosaurs that once roamed the earth! Cut-and-color or pre-colored action figures really move as you bring Tyrannosaurus Rex, Allosaurus, Triceratops, Stegosaurus, Ankylosaurus, Brachiosaurus, and others to life.

Move their jaws, clash their teeth, and make their powerful legs run as you act out your own dinosaur battles—or make up your own stories about these mighty creatures that ruled the planet.

Use this creative learning tool to introduce and reinforce the wonder of natural history and inspire a love of paleontology with hands-on activities for children ages 6 to 12.

Figures in Motion: Famous Figures of Ancient Times by Cathy Diez-Luckie

Famous Figures of Ancient Times: Emperors! Conquerors! Philosophers! These 20 peoples haped history and our world today. Now you can make real moving figures of these world-changing individuals from thousands of years ago. Cut-and-color or pre-colored action figures really move as you play out the lives of Julius Caesar, Alexander the Great, Jesus, King David, Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi (builder of the Great Wall of China), Hannibal (and his elephant!) and others.

Their stories are right in the book – or make up your own stories about these powerful men whose fame has lasted for thousands of years.

Yes, they really move! All you need is this book, a hole punch, and easy-to-use fasteners for assembly. Move their arms and legs, use their swords and shields and act out the real stories of history or make up your own and travel through time.

Famous Figures of Ancient Times by Cathy Diez-Luckie is the National Bronze Medal Winner of the 2009 Independent Book Publishers Awards in the Children’s Interactive Book Category.

Visit the Figures in Motion website.

Follow Cathy Diez-Luckie on Twitter.

Purchase your copy of Famous Ancient Figures and DINOSAURS on the Move by Cathy Diez-Luckie.

Check out other From Left to Write upcoming book clubs and follow the From Left to Write Google Calendar to keep up to date on all of the book club events and dates.