PB: Maggie the Military Rat - A patriotic rat finds her own way to serve.
I’ve loved stories for as long as I can remember. As a child growing up in Romania, my favorite activity was illustrating stories while listening to them on the record player. When I turned 8 and my family emigrated to the US, I routinely maxed out the local library’s 25-book limit because reading picture books was the best way to learn English.
As an adult, my love for stories led to a B.A. in History from UCLA followed by a law degree from U.C. Berkeley. I published scholarly articles at both institutions, and continued honing my writing skills while working at a San Francisco law firm from 2010-2015. I also wrote as a hobby, both for a public blog (Weddingbee.com) from 2009-2011, and on my personal blog that I shared with family and friends.
Currently, I am a stay-at-home mother to two young children and an active-duty US military spouse. We are stationed in Madrid, Spain but will be returning to California in August 2020.
I love children’s picture books with strong female leads, lyrical writing, cozy settings, and historical themes.
My favorite picture books are:
“The Maggie B.” – Irene Haas
“I Like to be Little” –
“Imogene’s Last Stand” –
I don’t enjoy: violence, Sci-Fi, dystopian themes, aliens, zombies
Maggie P. Worthington is a military rat – well, she wants to be. She tries to enlist, but that doesn’t go as planned. She tries to support the troops, but that doesn’t quite work, either. Finally, Maggie’s realization that a young military girl needs a friend allows Maggie to find her own way to serve.
(3)
Maggie P. Worthington was no ordinary rat.
Maggie was a patriotic rat.
A salute-the-flag rat.
A military rat.
Well, she wanted to be.
(4-5)
Every day,
Maggie woke up with the bugle call.
She kept her quarters spick-and-span.
She even practiced marching.
(6-7)
Maggie longed for adventure.
She held her breath listening to stories of dangerous missions.
She exhaled when the missions went as planned.
(8-9)
At night, Maggie dreamed of visiting far-away places.
“One day!” she sighed, surveying her postcard collection.
Maggie had never even left the military base.
It was time for a change…
(10-11)
“Today’s the day!” Maggie declared.
She put on her uniform, tucked in her tail, and marched to the recruiter’s office.
“My name is Maggie P. Worthington and I’m no ordinary rat.
I’m a ready-for-duty rat.
A serve-my-country rat.
A military rat.”
(12-13)
“Aren’t you a bit too small to enlist?” the recruiter laughed.
Maggie retreated to her hole. “Maybe there’s no place for a little rat like me in the military,” she thought.
I am on the board of directors of the International Newcomers Club of Madrid, an international, English-speaking organization. In my board position as e-News Editor, I write an informative and engaging newsletter that is distributed to our entire 200+ person membership on a weekly basis.
Maggie the Military Rat is the only picture book I am working on at the moment.
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