WILMINGTON, NC, December 15, 2024 /24-7PressRelease/ — Children’s books can play a major role in shaping the minds and values of young readers. By incorporating life lessons into their storylines, they can help children develop important values that they will need to become responsible adults.
The SHELBY F. SQUIRREL Series is comprised of three books:
BOOK ONE: The Complete Adventures of SHELBY F. SQUIRREL and Friends: (ages 4 to 10)
Shelby is a young Flying Squirrel who lives with his mother and his twin sister, Darby. This delightful series of adventures includes necessary lessons for skills the young ones will need as adults, and endless fun and excitement as Shelby explores the world around him.
Shelby hiccups and stutters when he is upset or nervous, trouble finds him much too easily, and growing up is not what he wants to do. The forest provides him with many good friends, but when their beloved meadow is changed forever they all move to the woods beside a farm, where Shelby meets and learns about farm animals, a whole new experience.
BOOK TWO: The Great FOREST CAPER: A Shelby F. Squirrel Adventure: (ages 8 to 11)
Shelby F. Squirrel and his friends suddenly face mortal danger, and may lose everything! This fast-moving adventure includes Marvin F. Mouse, Molly and Polly Raccoon, the Wise Old Owl, Rosie Robin, and farm animals: Charlie the Horse, Sultan Rooster, and Billy Goat, all part of the close-knit group introduced in ‘The Complete Adventures of SHELBY F. SQUIRREL and Friends’. Combining the strength and wisdom of the whole community leads to a meticulously mounted counteroffensive, their only hope against heavy odds.
BOOK THREE: Where is Virginia?: Another Shelby F. Squirrel Adventure: (ages 9 to 12)
Virginia, a young flying squirrel with white fur, moves with her family to The Flying Squirrel Sanctuary to escape bullying. Her desperate parents call for help when she disappears, and Shelby and his friends organize a search party. They thankfully accept the help of Nikita, a dog who uses her tracking skills to pick up Virginia’s captor’s scent on the road. The animals are able to locate a building in town where they find Virginia has befriended a baby raccoon named Bandit, and perfected an escape plan. Meanwhile, Nikita’s owner, Bryan, drives them to the building. Virginia triggers an alarm during her escape, but she and Bandit manage to get away just as the fire trucks arrive. The story has a happy ending, with new flying squirrel babies, family reunions, a Canine Lacrosse tournament, and the announcement that no more animals will be captured.
“Shelby F. Squirrel was ‘born’ when a back door at my condo building was left open a little too long….I always thought that some animal would get in and create havoc; amazingly I have no idea why that animal became a flying squirrel,” Lawrie stated. “My goal is to put The SHELBY F. SQUIRREL Series in the hands of readers of all ages, but I must admit that a personal dream is for the Series to be part of school reading. I promise to donate a percentage to a charity that promotes world literacy. I only want SHELBY to be loved for who he is as a baby and who he becomes as an adult. The life lessons are there to be picked up without expanding on them, but simply as part of each rollicking adventure.”
Readers and reviewers have praised the books in the series. One Amazon reviewer said of BOOK ONE, “Though broken up into small nuggets that are perfect for bedtime reading, this collection reminds me of tales by Thornton W. Burgess and Beatrix Potter.” Another stated, “I must commend the author on her work. Shelby F. Squirrel is a wonderful creation, who deserves to be enjoyed by kids and grown-ups around the world. An easy 5 stars from me!”
Accompanying videos can be found on Youtube at http://www.youtube.com/@eleanorlawrie375.
Eleanor Lawrie is available for media interviews and can be contacted by email at [email protected]. All The SHELBY F. SQUIRREL Series books are available on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B00VD26BNO. More information is available on Eleanor’s website at https://flutesandflyingsquirrels.com.
About Eleanor Lawrie:
Eleanor Lawrie was born in Toronto, studied Commercial Art at Northern Secondary School and worked for a few years as a catalogue layout artist. Drawing and watercolour painting were busy pastimes for many years. Her love of music began at age 7 with piano lessons, and flute became a passion in high school, which led to her career as a professional musician. She was also in demand for several years as a music copyist for the Canadian Music Centre and CBC.
Eventually, symphony jobs (Hamilton Philharmonic and Niagara Symphony), chamber music, and private teaching became her full-time occupation. After retiring, she joined a writers group and soon brought her first SHELBY story to share. The group’s enthusiastic response encouraged her to carry on, and SHELBY subsequently led her into everything that followed.
# # #
