Ride a Horse Not an Elevator is a test of young courage. Lisa is a chubby city girl searching for friendship and excitement. She leaves home, and the elevators and bullies of a big apartment complex, to spend a summer in the country at her grandparents’ farm. Culture shock! Accompanied only by her loyal beagle, Donald Dog, Lisa faces a summer in a very different environment with its own challenges and dangers. Using an outhouse is the least of her problems! She is terrified of her new pony. Lisa’s grandfather is injured by a charging cow and needs her to ride the pony to get help. Remembering Grandma’s lesson about how love overcomes fear, she pushes herself past her anxieties to ride alone and obtain the help he needs.
Also includes recipes from grandma’s kitchen.
Reviews:
“A ‘warm fuzzy’ in paperback form. It is a tangible tale for storytelling that provides a springboard for discussion between children and adults.” Ruth Zwick, Educational Director, Sentinel Publications
“A special treat for children and adults!” Mary K. Henderberg, Editor
Wayne County Star
“Ride a Horse Not an
Elevator
is a refreshing tale of a young
city girl lucky enough to still have grandparents living on a farm. Using
the horse as a magnet, we have tied Lisa’s story of life’s lessons in this
child-friendly setting to agriculture, the care of horses and horse nutrition,
to human nutrition and good eating habits, fitness and exercise.” Jeannie Griffiths, Cornell
Cooperative Extension Horse Specialist, Department of Animal Science, Cornell
University
Now available as an e-book as well as paperback, you can read the introductory material of Ride a Horse Not an Elevator by clicking on the "LOOK INSIDE" feature on Amazon.
My children's novel,
Ride a Horse Not an Elevator, is used by Cornell University in their "Horse Book in a Bucket" 4-H program (see how 4-H members can present the educational "no preparation required" program on page 6 of the following newsletter:
http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/4H/horses/ubt/ubt_summer12.pdf).
I have just revised
Ride a Horse Not an Elevator to include some of the horse/human fact cards from the "Horse Book in a Bucket" program plus some writing tips for children (the novel also includes recipes from Grandma's kitchen). I can present the "Horse Book in a Bucket" program myself, but I do focus more on my novel and the process of writing. If there are any horse enthusiasts wishing to present the program or have me present it, please contact me directly at:
saundersbooks@aol.com.
I am looking for low/no cost ways that children can learn more about horses so I can make recommendations to their teachers about how the children can find out more from "real" horse people (ones that might be able to bring in a bridle, saddle, etc.).
I can forward you the fact cards and bring my "Bucket" of horse supplies and book to any school. Here is an excerpt from my novel where I describe the "Horse Book in a Bucket" program:
“HORSE BOOK IN A BUCKET”
The following reduced images are samples of information cards, worksheets and teacher’s answer keys from Cornell University’s “Horse Book in a Bucket” program—a bucket that includes educational materials for children, such as the novel, Ride a Horse Not an Elevator, toy horse, mane comb, breeds poster, containers of oats, corn, and soy bean meal, and a horse coloring poster.
“Ride a Horse Not an Elevator is a refreshing tale of a young city girl lucky enough to still have grandparents living on a farm. Using the horse as a magnet, we have tied Lisa’s story of life’s lessons in this child-friendly setting to agriculture, the care of horses and horse nutrition, to human nutrition and good eating habits, fitness and exercise,” said Jeannie Griffiths, Cornell Cooperative Extension Horse Specialist, Department of Animal Science, Cornell University.
The Horse Book in a Bucket” program, targeted at youth in the first through third grades, was created at Cornell University by the Department of Animal Science. There were many collaborators in this project, including the Department of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University, industry leaders, financial sponsors and more.
For more information about the “Horse Book in a Bucket” program, contact Jean T. Griffiths, Extension Horse Specialist, Department of Animal Science, Cornell University, at: jtg4@cornell.edu, 607-255-2857.
If you would like to have Lisa present her book and the "Horse Book in a Bucket" program, contact her directly at
saundersbooks@aol.com
A letter Lisa received after presenting Ride a Horse Not an Elevator on Thursday, July 11, 2013:
"Dear Lisa,
The children in the summer program really enjoyed your presentation of your novel, Ride a Horse Not an Elevator, and receiving an autographed copy. That aspect especially did a great deal to help them feel connected on a personal level to the whole writing process. Thank you so much for giving your time to them and sharing your expertise."
To see Lisa's other work, visit:
http://www.authorlisasaunders.com/
Other Children's Workshop Information:
RIDE A HORSE NOT AN ELEVATOR STUDY GUIDE
Lisa Saunders is the author of the
novel, Ride a Horse, Not an Elevator.
Does that mean she wrote the story or does it mean she drew the illustrations
for the story?
Although Ride a Horse, Not an Elevator is based on true events and real
people, Ms. Saunders calls it a novel. What is the definition of a novel?
What does “fiction” mean?
What does “non-fiction” mean?
Stories usually have at least one problem and a solution.
What were some of Lisa’s problems?
How were these problems resolved and/or how did Lisa
decide to think about things to feel better?
Lisa was caught between two worlds—her grandparents’ farm
in the country and her parents’ high-rise apartment in New York City. Where do
you think she belonged?
What are the definitions of “plot” and “theme”?
What is the plot of Ride a Horse Not an Elevator?
What is the theme of Ride a Horse Not an Elevator?
What did Lisa’s mother ask Lisa to do before taking the
long car ride with her uncle to upstate New York?
Have you ever regretted not listening to your parents?
Explain a time you wish you had listened to them.
YOUTH WRITING WORKSHOP
by Lisa Saunders,
author of Ride a Horse Not an Elevator
I have enjoyed writing stories ever since grade school—but sometimes my stories
got me into trouble because I liked to write real and imagined stories about
people I knew. Try to avoid writing about the people in your life unless you
get their permission or you know they will be pleased by what you write!
While
attending Suffern High School in New York, I joined the school newspaper and
wrote a humor column about real events at school. But when I ran out of things
to say, I decided to major in Business Management and Marketing instead of
writing at Cornell University.
After
my children were born, however, I had a lot to say again, so I started writing
stories in form letters and sending them to my family and friends to tell them
about some of the funny, scary, or sad things that were happening in my life. I
later shaped those stories into articles and submitted them to magazines.
I
joined a writers’ group that met in someone’s home. We shared what we wrote
with each other and made and received comments to make our stories better. I
wrote and rewrote my stories with the help of teachers and friends, plus I took
a writing class at Rockland Community College in New York. (I got my first
full-time writing job because of the connections I made in the class.)
The
ideas for my children’s novel, Ride a Horse, Not an Elevator, came when
my then first-grade daughter, Jackie, asked me what it was like to ride a horse
and go to my grandparents’ farm every summer. I showed her photographs, which
helped me remember what happened. I put those photographs into a photo album
and wrote little anecdotes to go with each one. To help me remember even more
about that time in my life, I called my parents, aunts and uncles, and my
grandmother who was still alive. I even called a veterinarian to find out what
my grandparents’ dog would have been like after his leg was amputated.
When
I wrote Ride a Horse Not an Elevator, I incorporated many of these
events into one summer and included the true stories of my:
●Great-grandfather
who invented a mechanical bed that
rode on railroad-like tracks
●Great
Aunt who hid her Twinkies in the dishwasher
●Grandfather
who hid his false teeth in his front pocket
●Uncle
who only carried pictures of cows in his wallet
●Great
Uncle who wouldn’t wash his own face
●Donald
Dog, my beagle who was afraid of everything,
yet was the hero in my dad’s fairy tales
●Ornery
pony that threatened to buck me off
●Grandmother
who taught me to see the humor of it all
Children
Writers
You can start publishing your stories
now. My daughter Jackie got her first short story published in a local
newspaper when she was nine years old. She is now working as a professional
writer in Washington, D.C., at a large, national organization.
You can work on your writing skills by
publishing a newsletter to mail or e-mail to your friends and family. Or, find
someone who wants to be your pen pal. You can include the stories you write in
school, plus you can tell them things that happen to you. Keep your stories in a
notebook. Sample topics to write about:
·
What
is the bravest thing you have ever done?
·
Were
you ever injured? What happened?
·
Did
someone ever save your life? What happened?
·
What
was the scariest thing that ever happened to you?
·
What
are some of funniest things that have happened to you?
·
Have
you ever taken a long car ride? What did you do to keep it fun?
·
Do
you have pets? Do they ever do anything that gets them in trouble?
·
Were
you ever afraid of something? How did you overcome your fear? If you haven’t
overcome it yet, what steps are you taking to deal with it?
·
Do
you know how to do something like catch a fish, bake cookies, or sew a travel
bag? Can you write down the directions so someone else can do it?
HOW CHILDREN AND ADULTS CAN GET PUBLISHED
1. Build your portfolio:
The easiest way to
get your thoughts into print and begin gathering "your" audience, is
to submit letters to the editor (don't forget to include your hometown when you
do) and to submit stories to those free weekly newspapers and monthly magazines
you see lying around. They are short staffed and welcome free stories with a
good photo or illustration (only send images that won't violate anyone's
copyright).
2. Call local editors directly, offering a story for free:
I finally began
earning money as a freelance writer when I called a Rockland County, New York,
magazine offering them a story I did on a friend in the area who beat the
Guinness World Record time for paddling down the Mississippi River. The editor
replied, "That sounds very interesting, but we have a limited budget and
won't be able to pay you." I assured him that was fine. I just needed to
get my foot in the door. Later, that magazine offered me the chance to write
the feature story, "The 7 Wonders of Rockland," for which I was paid.
When a developer read it, they contacted me with the offer to write even higher
paid articles about the towns where they were building. Although the magazine
and developer were paying me to write on a specific topic, I was still able to
share my personal insights and "voice" within.
3. Contact editors by name at national magazines:
It's almost pointless
to send a query letter to an editor without addressing it directly to them. You
can find an editor's name by flipping through the pages of the big general
books such as, Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market; The
Young Writers Guide to Getting Published by Kathy Henderson, the Writer's
Market and Literary Market Place, which are probably available at
your library or local bookstore. I've always found the updated contact
information by sitting on the floor of bookstores and libraries and skimming
through magazines looking for the current editors, or I call publishers to find
out who the submissions editor is. Read children magazines such as "Skipping
Stone," "Stone Soup" or "Cicada" to see what kinds of
stories publishers are looking for.
4. Write a query letter that grabs an editor’s interest
right away:
The next step is the
query letter, which introduces you and your work to a publisher. I've had the
most luck when I simply jump right into my story, hoping to catch their
interest in the first sentence. For example, the following query letter landed
me a publisher for my memoir, Anything But a Dog! It began: "Inevitably,
most kids ask for a dog. And who can blame them? Dogs like Lassie adore you,
keep you warm when you're caught in a blizzard and drag you out of burning
buildings when you're unconscious. But by the time we're adults, we've learned
the truth: dogs urinate on your new wall-to-wall carpets; dig holes in your
leather recliners to hide their rawhide bones, and bite your neighbor's kid. So
when my seven-year-old daughter Jackie asked for a dog, I said no. Our younger
daughter Elizabeth was disabled and wouldn't be able to protect herself from a
frisky animal. But I did make Jackie a promise: 'If God brings a dog to our
doorstep, you can have it.' In the meantime, I offered her a hamster..."
5. Learn how to use a digital camera:
Magazines and
newspapers need images to make their pages come alive—and many have had to lay
off their photographers. Offer to provide images with your story, and if that's
not possible, suggest images they might want to consider. In my historical
story, "The Hanging of Henry Gale," I wrote to the magazine: "After
reading the article about the Revolutionary War in your June issue, I thought
you'd be interested in my story, 'The Hanging of Henry Gale.' My ancestor Henry
Gale was a captain in the war who later became a leader in Shays' Rebellion. He
was found guilty of treason and sentenced to hang. I can submit a photo of his
headstone and suggest an illustration of Shays' Rebellion from the New York
Public Library image database."
6. Get out from behind your computer and meet writers and
editors:
Join writers’ groups
or form your own. Your local library may know of groups already meeting.
Sometimes getting a story published is simply a matter of “who you know.”
7.
Share your work with
your family and friends:
My first story accepted into a national magazine was a result of my
sister-in-law meeting the editor at a party. My sister-in-law mentioned to the editor that I had written a
short Christmas story about my disabled daughter. The editor was thrilled
because she still needed a story for her December issue.
8. Give readers what they want--but stay true to your voice
(or your soul):
When you write, write
from your heart—share your soul. Don't write what everyone else is writing.
When you share what you are really thinking, your readers may just find a
kindred spirit in you. Try to write every day, such as letters to your family
and friends, or in a journal.
Lisa Saunders Can Help You Get Published
Lisa
has written a free e-book, “How to Get Published.” She is also working on the
soon-to-be released softcover book, The National Guide to Self-Publishing
Books and E-Books (for free). Visit her website at www.authorlisasaunders to learn more.
If
you would like to have your story published in a book of short stories by other
young writers, have your parent contact Lisa Saunders at saundersbooks@aol.com for more details.
