RMA Publicity

Details: Published: 18 October 2020

Making Sure Children From Diverse Backgrounds See Themselves in Literature

The Black Lives Matter campaign has brought to the forefront an issue educators have struggled with for a long time—how to do a better job of teaching black and brown children, many of whom have a hard time relating to the accomplishments of white people that are taught about in school. Sandra Brown-Lindstedt, who grew up on the streets of Chicago, says the answer is to teach kids about the accomplishments of people they can relate to.

“As a young girl, I couldn’t really relate to the success stories I read about in books,” she says. “The only success stories I saw growing up in Chicago were the pimps and the girls who worked for them. They had on the nice clothes. They had the nice cars.”

Now 66, Brown-Lindstedt is hoping to inspire future generations of children to achieve great things by sharing her story through the new children’s book, Life of a Firefly: The Incredible Adventures and Mostly True Stories of Sandy Forte.

In her review of the book, Megan B. Joseph, MHA, said, “This was a beautiful tale that will remind children that no matter how bleak a situation may look, a little faith, or a firefly, can take them a long way. This book needs to be in every elementary and middle school library! Not only does it give black children a chance to read books with strong characters who look like them, it helps to humanize the black community to those outside of it. Well done!”

Life of a Firefly: The Incredible Adventures and Mostly True Stories of Sandy Forte is available in both paperback and Kindle formats through Amazon.com. The eBook is available in other formats as well. A portion of the proceeds from all book sales is being donated to the Mom and Baby Clinic charity in Uganda, a cause the author supports.

Details: Published: 30 September 2020

The Highland Villager Publishes Story About Alix Jans' Debut Novel

Congratulations to Alix Jans, author, Amandla. There was a story about his book in the Sept. 30 issue of his community newspaper, The Highland Villager. Learn more about Alix's book at www.alixjans.com.

Details: Published: 29 September 2020

A Story for Those Who Believe in Miracles, "The Flight of the Veil," Releases on Oct. 8

If you enjoy historic fiction, and believe in miracles, then you'll want to pick up a copy of Bruce J. Berger's novel, The Flight of the Veil, which was released on Oct. 8, 2020.

The story begins in 1990 when Holocaust survivor Nicky – a Brooklyn psychiatrist – receives a letter from Abbess Fevronia, the head of a women’s monastery in Greece. Although Nicky believes the rest of his family died at Auschwitz, he learns that Theodora, a mysteriously silent nun who’s lived at the monastery since 1944, may be his baby sister, Kal. With his old friend and new love, Helen, Nicky returns to Greece – to harrowing memories of his fighting with the partisans and to a reunion with his beloved sister. The Flight of the Veil explores the intersections of guilt and memory, faith and tragedy, fate and miracle.

Books are available through the publisher's website: BlackroseWriting.com.

Details: Parent Category: Feature Articles; Published: 25 September 2020

Rochester Media Turns Out for "Fall Follies" at The Waters on Mayowood in Rochester, MN

The first community event since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic attracted lots of media to The Waters on Mayowood senior living community in Rochester, Minn. on Sept. 24.

Two of the Rochester television stations that cover stories in the market came out to find the parking lot transformed into a festival grounds for an event inspired by the City of Rochester’s annual SocialICE event that residents enjoyed so much last winter. "Fall Follies" featured an opportunity to socialize, and enjoy drinks and hors'dourves. . Every bar set up in the parking lot had a different theme, and of course social distancing was practiced, and residents and staff wore masks.

Stories about the event ran during the evening newscasts on both KTTC-TV and KIMT-TV.

The next day, on Sept. 25, KIMT television returned to the community to put together another story. This one about the community's newest residents. About a month ago, a white parakeet later named Jasmine landed in the bushes at the community and didn't want to leave. Staff caught the bird and brought it inside, then decided to purchase three more parakeets.

The four newest residents of the community are said to be settling in nicely.