Hey All:
DadLabs has posted a great 4-minute video interview with author and creator of the Fairy Godmother Academy, Jan Bozarth. It’s a good look at why Jan has pursued this Dream, and what it means to go about this kind of project.
Check out the video below and check out other great stuff from DadLabs.com.
Let us know what you think in the comments below!
are always on the lookout for ways to help others, to become a cultural force for good. If you are near New Orleans, come to a signing, Q&A, reading and book give-away with Jan Bozarth, author and lead dreamer of the Fairy Godmother Academy. If you aren’t near New Orleans, please consider making a gift purchase of Birdie’s Book for the girls of east New Orleans. Details below…
Maple Street Book Shop
7523 Maple Street, New Orleans, LA 70118 (Click here for map…)
Contact: Cindy Dike @ 504-861-2105
East New Orleans Branch Library
5641 Read Blvd., New Orleans, LA 70127 (Click here for map…)
Contact: Lila La Graize @ 504-596-2646
Author Jan Bozarth will make two specially-scheduled visits to New Orleans during Mardi Gras. Bozarth will appear at the city’s beloved book seller Maple Street Book Shop on February 11 from 4 to 5:30 PM to sign books and answer questions about the series. On February 15 at 4:30 PM Bozarth will give a reading at the East New Orleans Branch Library, followed by a book give-away to children rebuilding their lives post-Katrina. The first 30 children to arrive will get a signed copy of Birdie’s Book.
It feels good to help others uncover their Wisdoms and Dreams, even if you never meet them! Please consider buying Birdie’s Book and gifting it The East New Orleans Library. 30 copies will be given to girls in attendance at Jan’s talk, and any additional copies will be in the stacks for girls who use the library. Simply go to Amazon and during checkout mark the book as gift, with the following address:
East New Orleans Branch Library
c/o: Lila La Graize
5641 Read Blvd.
New Orleans, LA 70127
Our families are the roots from which we grow. Although we all blossom in different ways, we can find support in our lineage. Interview a family member and discover your family’s wisdom! Do this Wisdom Act with your fam today!
Click to earn this beautiful Wisdom Card today!
Birdie hugs the Glimmer Tree when she meets it for the first time. How do you honor trees in real life? You decide, share an adventure with a friend, and grow in the Wisdom of the Arbor Lineage! Learn how in this Wisdom Act:
Click to earn this beautiful Wisdom Card today!
Check out lots more Wisdom Acts at the Wisdom Chooser.
from a person’s profile page or search results. They don’t have to respond by the deadline for you to be eligible, you just have to send the Friend Request.That’s It! On Monday, Dec. 14 at 6pm (CST-US) we will pick at random five members who have both entered the “DreamFriendsForever” code AND sent at least one friend request.
Ahh, The Fine Print.
We will attempt to notify the winners at the provided email address. If we do not hear back by the 16th of December, there is a great chance your signed copy of Birdie’s Book will not arrive in time for Christmas. If you live outside the continental US there is an excellent chance it will not arrive for Christmas even if you do respond immediately. You do not increase your chances by friend requesting multiple people, but if you find a few more than one you’d like to friend, feel free to do so. You have to be a member of the Academy to send Friend Requests, but you do not have to be enrolled. To be “joined”, or to be “enrolled” (the next level up that allows social network access) is free, but enrollment instructions are only sent to members under 13 years of age.
You can of course also Buy Birdie’s Book for the tween girl in your life!
Book Girl here! I just wanted to let you know that a Reader’s Guide for Birdie’s Book is now available. Aimed at Parents, it gives you some cool things to think about before you even read the book, plus questions to discuss when you finish, and activities to try out too.
Check it out at this link, it’s free!
Then post a comment, I’d love to know what all you other book girls think 🙂
The Fairy Godmother Academy appeared at the Texas Book Festival for the first time this year for an amazing experience connecting with Dreamers of all ages.
The fun started with an FGA flash mob at the Capitol steps, singing “Hello Dreamer” and enjoying people’s surprised faces as everyone around them broke into song.
Jan Bozarth spoke to the crowd in the Children’s Activity Tent about her experiences as a dreamer when she was a girl. She encouraged everyone there to think big, trust their own innate wisdom, and follow their dreams. Continue reading
Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman for Kidsreads.com
Bozarth has taken the best aspects of various young adult genres and mixed them together in a fresh and optimistic way. Dealing with parental conflict, family secrets, changes and challenges, BIRDIE’S BOOK often hits just the right note.
For Birdie, the move from California to New York City has not been an exciting adventure. She misses her beloved “Califa” and is angry at her mom for taking the new job that brought them to the cold city. Thankfully, her father is as understanding as ever and sends her for a weekend trip to visit her grandmother. Granny Mo and Birdie have never spent any time together, but as soon as Birdie meets her, she knows they are very much alike. Unlike Birdie’s straight-laced mother Emma, Mo is colorful and expressive, and has a way with plants that borders on the magical. And what Birdie comes to realize is that the magic is something that is passed down through the generations.
BIRDIE’S BOOK is Jan Bozarth’s first installment in The Fairy Godmother Academy series. It follows Birdie as she begins to understand her family in a new way and comprehend what sets them apart from other families. In some ways, this is a coming-of-age story: Birdie needs to rely on her own strengths to complete certain tasks that bring her to the next stage in life. She must come to see her mother not as an antagonist but as an individual with feelings and a history. But while there are many real-life scenarios present in Bozarth’s book, the work is also in the realm of fantasy. What Birdie learns is that her Granny Mo is a fairy godmother, and Birdie herself is a fairy godmother to be. While Bozarth doesn’t fully articulate what a fairy godmother is or what she does, it is clear they have powers to help those in this earthly realm. Birdie’s family, for example, is part of the Arbor Lineage that has talents to grow and heal the green life of earth.
In order to begin her training as a fairy godmother (a privilege her mother disregarded at age 14), Birdie must first travel to the mystical land of Aventurine to heal a sacred tree and fix a family heirloom known as the Singing Stone. On her journey, she has help from another fairy godmother to be, Kerka, who is set to be the heroine of the next book in the series. Birdie and Kerka face underwater creatures, dangerous plants, a real banshee and their own personal fears as they work together to find the other half of the Singing Stone and heal the dying tree.
BIRDIE’S BOOK is told from Birdie’s point of view and greatly captures a 12-year-old’s uncertainties, hopes, confusion, dreams and inherent confidence. Birdie is a gentle and likable girl, and readers will cheer for her on her adventure. But while the book is quite enjoyable, it is not without its problems. Adults reading BIRDIE’S BOOK may be distracted by some aspects (the contrary dates of the generations of women in the family, for example). Also, the highly stylized and fanciful black and white illustrations throughout add to the tone of the book, but may distract some readers from the text as well. For those reasons, this is not a totally cohesive book, but young girls will most likely be able to overlook that as they follow Birdie and Kerka into Aventurine.
Overall, this is a solid start to a series that is built on an interesting premise. Bozarth has taken the best aspects of various young adult genres and mixed them together in a fresh and optimistic way. Dealing with parental conflict, family secrets, changes and challenges, BIRDIE’S BOOK often hits just the right note.
Jan Bozarth delivers powerful life lessons in language that is both accessible to and respectful of young girls. I can’t wait to share this with my daughter.
Leslie M. | Saratoga, NY
This is a fun, light read that ought to be a hit with girls who like adventure and magic…
As a mother of a little girl I have to say that I was psyched to see see this book on the shelf. When doing every day battles with the likes of Barbie and Bratz this is like a breath of very fresh air. Not only does the author respect that young girls are smart, and interested in more than gossip and shopping, but that they are also inherently wise. This wisdom just needs to be tapped into and nurtured. A great read with just a right amount of fantasy and real world to keep your reader ripping through the pages!
momofgirl | Austin, TX