IN THE MORNING OF THE WORLD, Six Woodland Why Stories Down East Books, September 2000 Out of print. (Rare and collectible!) Try used book dealers. How did porcupines get prickles? Why do skunks have such an awful smell? It's in our nature to ponder such things... Here are six beautifully imagined stories from a grown-up explorer of woodlands who still delights in pondering the "why" of things and sharing her own imaginative answers. Susan Beckhorn's tales are a pleasure in themselves, as well as an inspiration for readers of all ages to start composing their own "just so" stories honoring the animals of their home ground, whether that be prairie, back yard, farmland, forest, or city park.

"Beckhorn's lyrical text conveys the dignity and allure of living creatures (including leeches) with freshness and gentle humor...Beckhorn's sure sense of line is an eloquent embellishment to this marvelous collection." - NAPRA Review "...fine storytelling with such pleasing illustrations." - Barbara Lucas, Author, Educator, Executive Dir., Lucas-Evans Books

THE KINGFISHER'S GIFT (Cover illustration copyright 2002 Larry MacDougall) Philomel Books, a division of Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers, May 2002 Junior Library Guild Selection and International Reading Association Honor Book To order, call: 1-607-356-3154 Most people would describe Franny Morrow as an odd child. She talks quietly to herself, forgets to eat, and disappears for hours at a time. And there are the fairies: King Tamarack, Queen Iris, and Princess Meadowsweet. Fairies only Franny can see. Friends who are all she has left to remind her of her dead father. When she is sent to live with her eccentric grandmother, she takes the fairies with her. Together, they search the old mansion for a lost treasure: a Kingfisher's feather, which they are certain will give Meadowsweet the gift of flight. But instead, they discover a greater magic, one that Franny never expected to find. The Kingfisher's Gift is a rare and beautiful story of growing up, of discovering the truth and wonder of imagination, the importance of believing, and the healing power of letting go.

"...gives the heart strings a real workout...tender and tearful moments aplenty..." - Kirkus "...should have appeal to fans of Frances Hodgeson Burnett's classic The Secret Garden and Janet Taylor Lisle's Afternoon of the Elves." - Booklist "Moving...brings the child, the other characters, and the early 1900s setting to life, creating a well-plotted story that unfolds clearly from its opening to Franny's ultimate reconciliation with her mother." - School Library Journal

SAREY BY LANTERN LIGHT Down East Books, August 2003 To order call: 1-800-462-6420 or click here Sarey has a different way of seeing, but her teacher at the crowded city school in Buffalo doesn't recognize this. She knows Sarey is bright and artistically talented, but blames Sarey's refusal to read on laziness. In fact, Sarey is dyslexic-a condition that in the 1970s was not so well recognized and understood as it is today. Sarey's parents are fed up with the city, and decide to move to far northern Maine-potato county-to make a new start. However, their dream to establish their own little house in the woods almost ends in disaster. For a crucial few hours in the falling dark of a snowy winter day, the success of her family's new life all depends on Sarey. Beautifully told, this is a moving story with likable and vividly drawn characters, simple but important values, and insightful portrayal of the world seen through the eyes of a child with dyslexia. Sarey by Lantern Light is sure to be welcomed by teachers, librarians, home-schooling parents, and young readers themselves.

MOOSE EGGS - Or Why Moose Have Flat Antlers Down East Books, September 2007 To order call: 1-800-462-6420 or click here Two earnest but not very well informed friends attempt to find and incubate moose eggs so that Moose can have some youngsters to raise. No surprise that they are not successful. The characters are bumbling but well-intentioned fellows who get themselves into scrapes that all work out okay in the end. This is a charmingly imaginative explanation of how Moose got his big, flat antlers; droopy nose; and wide hooves.

"In this fun fable, a fictional explanation is given for how moose came to have big, flat antlers. According to the tale, long ago moose looked much like other deer. But that changed when the Father of all Moose became eager to have children. Not knowing where babies come from, Moose foolishly believed his friend Grouse when he suggested that moose babies hatch from eggs. So Moose found two huge, egg-shaped boulders, and carried them in his antlers for months, waiting for them to hatch. Of course, they never did. But the whole experience of carrying the heavy rocks on his head caused Moose's shoulders to become humped and his antlers to grow wide and flat. And they've stayed that way to this very day!" --Your Big Back Yard

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