My name is Fran and I am a new author. I have written 2 children’s books and would like to share them with children of all ages. The main character in my book is a ten year old girl named Bertha who is over weight, not very pretty and totally uncoordinated. But, she is really smart, sassy and uses her sense of humor to deal with issues that children face today. These are true stories that really happened to me growing up in the Bronx. My Mom insisted that I try every sport known to mankind in order to help me lose weight. All it did was frustrate me and make me dislike sports. However, I was an still am a great punchball player and I can punch a ball down an entire field. I was able to punch better than any of the boys I knew even though I could not run.
At ten years old Bertha learns to deal with teh stress of growing up and going to Middle School and meeting some really tough kids. Add to that a mother who demands not only good grades, but perfect scores on all tests at all times and you have a child under real stress. Bertha learns how to deal with tough situations at home and in school and with a family member struck with a terrible disease in my second book Bertha Speaks Out.

My first book is My Name is Bertha and this one deals with Bertha’s dancing lessons, ice skating fisaco and her triumph in helping to stop some really tough kids from hurting some of her friends while on vacation. These are true stories that deal with real life situations.
For over 30 years I taught in the New York Public School system and I strived to let my students know how special and wonderful they were each and every day. I worked with children with reading and writing difficulties and loved every minute of every day. Children need to learn from the start that they should not judge each other on their outward appearances. It is what kind of person you are and the way you treat people that makes you who you are and special.

I loved playing the piano and the violin. I loved entertaining my friends on the piano while they sang. I used my skills as a pianist to help me deal with my dancing lessons in the story in my book called Bertha’s Dancing Lessons.

I hope that you will share your stories with me. I am currently writing a third book and it will be more of a chapter book dealing with issues that kids face today in Middle School and things we read about in the paper. Bertha will learn some hard lessons in this book.

Parents should learn to praise their children and encourage them to always do their best and work hard. But, if they do not get an A on a test and get a B and you know they studied, that is great too. I got migraines before and after tests. I was afraid to see my scores. I knew that if i did not get 100 on the test my mom would insist that I write the test over and know what I did wrong. I felt that I wanted to learn from my mistakes, but why write the whole test over? Why not write over what I got wrong?

My mom was and is strongwilled. She has Alzheimer’s now and I am making sure that she has the best possible care at home. She might have been tough on me while I was growing up, but I think that is what made me an even stronger adult.