Welcome, and thank you. Please explore the titles below, and enjoy.
Earl the Squirrel
The Fabulous Tale of Earl the Squirrel & his Friends in Gooseberry Woods is a book for children ages three to nine (pre-K to 3rd Grade). The Earl, as his friends call him, is a gregarious rodent whose exploits in Gooseberry Woods will excite and bring joy to young children and readers. Earl’s friends include his best mate Hop, a rabbit; Poppy, who is a beaver; and Mortimer, a very old and very wise owl. The adventures that Earl and his friends share will teach children about kindness, perseverance, and nature through themes including adversity, friendship, and community.
Earl the Squirrel
BOOK 2
The Fabulous Tale of Earl the Squirrel & his Friends in Gooseberry Woods is an engaging series for children ages three to nine who are beginning short chapter books. It’s also a wonderful bedtime story for younger children, just a 20-minute read, with fun, spirited voices for parents to perfect.
In this, the second book in the series, Earl and his mates help a young girl, and her even younger brother, rescue their new puppy which has become hopelessly lost in Gooseberry Woods. With the help of his best mate, a rabbit named Hop, and host of other forest animals, the children are reunited with their lost dog. Rollicking but accessible to young readers, Earl’s adventures in Gooseberry Woods will be a favorite.
highschoolification
American public education is in crisis, again. This time it is the pernicious influence of poorly trained administrators and publicly elected activists that serve as trustees on college and university governing boards. Their influence results in counterproductive educational policies, or “reforms,” that mirror our nation’s culture wars rather than our historical educational goals. All reforms are not created equal and great damage is being done to the academy, our students, and ultimately to our society. We pander to students, apologize for academic rigor, systematically degrade the quality of our courses and programs, and allow unqualified individuals to override the consensus viewpoint of disciplinary scholars.
Highschoolification is a warning to America and a reminder of the principles established by Thomas Jefferson for higher education in our republic. Higher education is an investment in our country, by our country, and for our country. Unfortunately, most Americans are ignorant of this fact. Indeed, a professional class of poorly trained educational administrators, supported by activist college boards, is taking higher education in the wrong direction. Instead of strengthening academic curricula in the face of today’s information wars and critical thinking crisis, higher education is guilty of courting mediocrity and of playing to the lowest common denominator in education: graduation rates. College boards do this because they see students as customers and colleges and universities as profit-generating businesses. Administrations do this because they believe they’re helping students by rewarding underachievement. These assumptions are both wrong and dangerous. The result of these forces on higher education is a diminution of standards that is havning a ripple effect through the American culture, economy, and political landscape. If we wish for our system of public education to remain the envy of the world, which it currently is, then we need to change its governance structure and reverse the trend in declining standards. If we endeavor to fulfill the Jeffersonian ideal of an educated citizenry taking an active role in our participatory government then we need to allow higher education to do what it does best, what it has been doing for over 200 years.
Dr. Steven J. Lysne is a reluctant critic of higher education in America. His account of the challenges facing public higher education should be of concern to every person that values our nation’s past and possesses hope for our nation’s future.
mediocre Poet
A collection of short poems for devoted lovers and brooding thinkers.
Novels
The debut novel by husband and wife authors, Living in Masterpiece is a fantastic journey through your favorite British cozy mysteries and dramadies. It follows the life of a septagenarian widow as she finds herself in one Masterpiece program after another. Familiar places , friendly faces, and unexpected turns make this evening read a masterpiece!
About Steven
A little angry, a little hopeful, and a little wistful. I suffer from restlessness and optimism. I love deeply but hate fiercely. I’m offended slowly, forgive quickly, and think excessively. I behave badly but I give generously. And when the moment happens, I write about all of it.
