Author Archives: fairygodmotheracademy
Free Music Friday!
The Fairy Godmother Academy is giving away 1000 free MP3 downloads of our new music. This week, we have 2 great songs to share with you… happy Free Music Friday!
What A Best Friend Knows by Gabby Gillespie
from Fairy Godmother Academy Vol 1
“I can really relate to Birdie and Kerka’s friendship. My best friend and I are always learning things together, having adventures together, laughing and crying together. I loved recording ‘What a Best Friend Knows,’ it’s a song I can sing from my heart”
— Gabby Gillespie
Free Song Code: FGAFRIEND
First 500 dreamers to use this code get a free MP3 from the Fairy Godmother Academy Shop Continue reading
What A Best Friend Knows Sing-Along
This song makes me think of my friend Kerka. Of course we’re friends at school, but if you’ve read my book then you know we’ve been on BIG adventures together. We couldn’t be more different, but I think that’s what makes us such a good team. When we were travelling together, I’d be noticing the leaves on a tree, and then realize Kerka was already halfway through climbing it! We’ve laughed and cried together and even gotten in a few fights, but put us together and there’s no challenge we can’t beat. Continue reading
Review: Brimful Curiosities – Birdie’s Book
See original post at Brimful Curiosities Website >
I enjoyed the intergenerational aspect of the book (perfect for mother/daughter bookclubs), the use of a family tree and the Latin phrases sprinkled throughout the book. Scrapbook style images of birds, flowers and other objects add interest to the book, sometimes appearing as faded pictures under the text. Birdie is a highly likeable character and she makes interesting observations…
“Fairy godmothers do help people.” She turned to me. “But the people you will help won’t always know what you are doing. You will have a magic in your world that can make a difference, not just to people but also to the world itself. And in your case, your family – those of the Arbor Lineage – has magic that helps the green world the most.” – The Fairy Godmother Academy: Birdie’s Book by Jan Bozarth
When thinking of stories involving fairy godmothers, Cinderella probably comes to mind first. But how does a fairy godmother learn her trade? Author Jan Bozarth has her own ideas about fairy godmothers. In her book series, The Fairy Godmother Academy, all fairy-godmother’s-in-the making must complete special quests and gain wisdom through specialized training through the Fairy Godmother Academy. Sometimes fairy-godmother’s-in-training are just ordinary girls that don’t even realize they possess special skills. Such is the case with a twelve-year-old girl named Birdie Cramer Bright.
Birdie doesn’t have a clue what lies in store for her when she visits Mo, her long-lost grandmother. Birdie’s mother, Emma, doesn’t get along her Grandma Mo at all and calls her a crazy old bat. But when Birdie finally meets her grandmother for the first time, she finds that they have many things in common. They both share a love of plants and can even name species by botanical (Latin) names. During her three day visit Birdie also discovers that she belongs to the Arbor Lineage of fairy-godmothers. After she stumbles upon an old book called “The Book of Dreams” she learns more about her lineage and enters a world called Aventurine. There she makes a new friend her age named Kerka and meets several mythical creatures including the Willowood Fairies. If Birdie intends to become a fairy godmother, the fate of the Arbor Lineage and all that is green lies in her hands. With Kerka’s help, she must complete a quest to save the rotting Glimmer Tree and repair her broken family talisman, the Singing Stone.
A cross between the Disney Tinkerbell stories and Harry Potter, Birdie’s Book is a imaginative fantasy for tween girls. Birdie goes on an magical adventure of self-discovery, learns about responsibility and tries to encourage reconciliation between her mother and grandmother. I enjoyed the intergenerational aspect of the book (perfect for mother/daughter bookclubs), the use of a family tree and the Latin phrases sprinkled throughout the book. Scrapbook style images of birds, flowers and other objects add interest to the book, sometimes appearing as faded pictures under the text. Birdie is a highly likeable character and she makes interesting observations, comparing people to flowers (her mom is like a calla lily and her grandmother, a tiger lily).
Birdie’s Book releases on August 25, 2009 and is the first book in The Fairy Godmother Academy series. The series also includes a multimedia component featuring a website and trading cards. Readers can experience the dream world of Aventurine by visiting the corresponding online website and Fairy Godmother Academy social network at
Press: Austin360 – FGA Launch Party
Fairy Godmother Academy Launch at Hotel St. Cecilia
By Michael Barnes
Friday, August 28, 2009, 12:17 PM
I think we’re all going to hear a lot about this Austin-centric project.
You read about it here first: “The Fairy Godmother Academy” is going to be big. OK, maybe not Harry Potter big, but so promising that Disney, Random House and other media powerhouses are deeply involved
The Academy is a concept from Jan Bozarth, formerly of Houston, now of Marfa, whose artistic team is mostly based in Austin. The concept includes seven books, video games, Web site, songs, CDs and planned Fairy Godmother parties for girls.
During a launch party at Hotel St. Cecilia on Thursday, I mingled with concept investors from Hong Kong and Los Angeles, literary agents, lawyers, game developers, kids and, of course, Bozarth. Already, 500 Fairy Godmother parties have sold out around the country. I think we’re all going to hear a lot about this Austin-centric project.
Review: New Moon – Birdie’s Book
See original Review at New Moon by Rasberry >
Rated: 5.0 Moons
Sarah Cramer Bright is not normal. For starters, she nicknames everything- herself Birdie, her daisy, Belle, and even her Granny Mo, Lilium Tigrinum. She says her Mom is a physco-maniac who doesn’t love or care about her. But this isn’t the only thing strange about her- while staying at her Granny’s house, she soon finds out that she is a Fairy-Godmother-in-Training, and part of a long line of them called the Arbor Lineage. If this isn’t enough for her, she soon realizes that the fairy world needs her help to save “The Glimmer Tree”, and retrieve the other half of the “Singing Stone”. This quest is not easy- she has many obstacles to face, many people to meet, and many things to discover. This journey not only helps Birdie learn about her Mother’s strange past, but also helps her independence, and most importantly, helps her to learn about her true self. Join Birdie along in this incredible, breath-taking adventure, full of suspense and mystery.