CAROLINA DAY SCHOOL PRESS
1345 Hendersonville Road, Asheville, NC. 28803
1-828-210-9164
www.cdschool.org/cdspress

Review by Linda K. Foster

In 2005, Carolina Day School in Asheville, Carolina became one of the few schools in the nation to host a professional academic press designed to publish or co-publish books by current and former faculty and staff. The Carolina Day School press also offers guidance to staff members and friends of the Carolina Day School community who desire to publish their works independently.

A Portrait of Ollie is but one of
the many titles available from
Carolina Day School Press

The Carolina Day School Press offers an impressive array of inspiring tomes including A Portrait of Ollie by Margaret Harvey. In 1959, Harvey began teaching art to young students at Carolina Day School, later opening a studio in her home to develop an after-school program in creative arts for young children. A Portrait of Ollie is a compilation of art created by young students who studied at her North Carolina studio.  Harvey’s longstanding belief that a child’s creativity is nearly endless when properly nurtured,  clearly shines through in this beautiful book. In addition to showcasing student art, A Portrait of Ollie offers many suggestions for providing creative environments and inspiration for all children. Harvey provides practical tips and principles that go beyond traditional teaching methods, offering both broad and detailed suggestions to encourage and guide young artists. Anyone who wants to foster their child’s confidence in their natural creativity would be well advised to pick up a copy of A Portrait of Ollie book today.

Who’s Ms. Sand Dollar? familiarizes children with the important role of the school counselor. Who’s Ms. Sand Dollar? is a delightful story that advocates taking responsibility for your feelings and promotes personal and social grown. It is clearly written, fun and easy to understand with characters that are easy for children to relate to.
This excellent book was written by Barb King, a school counselor of 18 years and a current counselor at Carolina Day School, and Laurie Wilcox-Meyer, a parent educator and co-facilitator of the Parent-Child Communication Program at Carolina Day School. It is beautifully illustrated by Steve Barr, author and illustrator of the popular 1-2-3 Draw series of art instruction books for children

Tom Marberger, upper school college counselor and history teacher, was one of the first to have the Carolina Day School Press co-publish his work. Marberger is the author of The Trial of Harry S. Truman, a fictional drama written for high school American history teachers for use in their classrooms. In this fictional account, President Truman is put on trial for the bombing of Hiroshima. Throughout the play, characters including veterans, military officials and the crew of the Enola Gay offer their views on Truman’s decision and its repercussions. Eyewitness accounts from survivors add poignancy to the drama.  The play is suitable for reading or enacting and, either way, offers an opportunity for a thought-provoking analysis of one of the most important moments in history.

Also available from Carolina Day School Press are several books by Mark Levin, a Certified Journalism Educator who has taught middle school, upper elementary school, and served as a K-8 specialist. Levin also created the National Elementary Schools Press Association (NESPA), a national clearinghouse to assist elementary and middle schools in starting or refining school newspapers. He shares the benefit of his background in his books Team Building Made Easy, Kids in Print, and The Reporter’s Notebook .

In Team Building Made Easy, Levin provides tried-and-true games and activities that make working together as a team an enjoyable experience. Levin’s methods are simple and have proven effective with groups of any age from day care children to Fortune 500 executives. Each activity is carefully designed to help group members find out new things about themselves and their teammates with a minimum of stress. Try the activities at school, at work or at home. In every setting, groups will learn to solve problems and leaders will be “born”.

Kids In Print is a handbook that contains virtually everything needed to know to start a student or club newspaper. The book begins with a hands-on practical approach to choosing a staff and moves into hints on organizing, teaching journalism skills, layout, and publication. Also included are a variety of reproducible pages and a handy glossary to help motivate real-life writing experiences. Written primarily for grades 3 – 9, this remarkable handbook would also be useful for any start-up or established paper.

Also geared towards grades 3-9, The Reporter’s Notebook provides young journalists with everything they need to complete a year’s worth of writing in one compact package. Included are organizational forms, pre-interview checklists, note taking pages, story ideas, and a multitude of motivational tips from top professional writers and journalists.

The Carolina Day School Press seeks to publish works that will showcase authors who inspire students and bring enlightenment into their lives, goals that will definitely appeal to homeschoolers or anyone seeking more than a mainstream education.

For additional information regarding published works, please visit www.cdschool.org/cdspress.  L.K.F.