Zander's Friendship Journey (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781483932149)

Before writing children's fiction, Dorothy E. Hardin was an award-winning Maryland teacher and principal; university college of education lecturer/supervisor; and, national presenter on a variety of education topics. Having written articles for education journals and op-ed pieces for MD and PA newspapers, she now is a consultant and writing coach in Central PA. Also, she volunteers in support of children's education, the local township, and various historical groups, including the National Civil War Museum. When she is not on Twitter or Facebook, she leads an active social life, filled with friends of all ages, baseball (major and minor league), children's sports, and cultural events. She and her husband, Wayne, live near Hershey PA, making chocolate an extraordinarily important part of the Hardin family lifestyle. Her little friends call her Miss Dottie. To them, she is a fun storyteller. Zander's Friendship Journey evolved from a series of "social stories," written for children (ages 3 -7), who struggle with making friends, dealing with change, and building relationships. Miss Dottie loves when a child gains insights through her stories and better understands positive ways to navigate the world around them. In her books, typically there are several short stories that stand alone but complete a larger story by the end. We live in a time of smart phone and tablet communications as dominant forces in society. As a consequence of this amazing technology, children are having more difficulty dealing with face-to-face interactions, which they find confusing and complicated. With more children on the landscape with social anxiety or within the Autism spectrum, they need additional support in figuring out social cues and dealing with adults and peers. By showing that relationships can be built and maintained by boys and girls, Zander's Friendship Journey features caring adults who help children find their way to happiness and contentment with others. Zander's journey is one we all have taken or perhaps are still taking, even in our adult lives.