The CSAA is pleased to support the efforts of members and readers of our newsletter, and for February we'd like to introduce you to a new book by author p.j. hartenaus. The information below is from her website www.beldenboy.com . She hopes to present her story at the 9th Annual CSAA Country School Conference at St. Vincent College, Latrobe, PA. in June. Click on the CSAA slate (top right) for more details on the conference.
Belden Boy: The Adventures of Peter McDugal
About the Book
You know what it’s like to be around a
bully everyday in school. You get knots in your stomach because you never know
when you’re going to be the next victim. It’s probably happened to you or one
of your friends already. But did you know that school bullies were doing these
same things more than one hundred years ago? Some things never change.
Meet
Peter McDugal. Same story, same pranks, but different time. Peter’s
adventures happen in and around a one room rock school house named Belden.
It’s more than a school. It’s a friend to Peter, tucked in the hills of
the Mississippi River Valley area. It holds the people of the community
together through good times and bad. Find out what makes Belden so special
and Peter’s life so adventurous!
About the Author
A person who wears many hats, p.j. hartenaus has reached one of her many goals...to be an author. Since the age of eight, she read Laura Ingalls Wilder books with a passion. Her grandmother would give those books to her as gifts and together they would share the stories over and over again. These books, of course, helped to formulate in her mind a love of the farms, the country, nature, and a simpler way of living, in general.
This stayed with her through her adult life. She married, had two beautiful daughters, and pursued her other goal which was to be a teacher. Many years and degrees later, p.j. hartenaus teaches fifth grade and the desire for her students to write to their hearts content. Her greatest pleasure was reading to her students her book-one, which has earned great reviews!
It was during this time, she discovered one of the most beautiful places on earth...the Galena Territory. Asked to revive the old stone Belden School House in the hills for a Master's class, she had no idea where it would lead. P.j. hartenaus listened to numerous stories, read countless ledger pages, and acquired artifacts of the area. Committees were formed, presentations made and the restoration of the old school began. She met wonderful people along the way and created Peter McDugal, a young boy who lived in the Galena Territory in the 1800s. His adventures have helped to keep Belden School alive...it is truly a treasure in the hills. Proceeds from the sale of Belden Boy help with the Belden School restoration project.
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