Agota Gabor had her dreams of being a professional ballerina crushed when she became paralyzed by polio, fled Russians from the bloody streets of the Hungarian Revolution as a child, has reinvented her career multiple times (including a TV producer and publicist), and today lives life to the fullest despite having post-polio syndrome (a progressive illness) during the COVID-19 pandemic. She details her story in her forthcoming memoir, Forever On Pointe: A True Story to inspire others that they can be resilient in hard times. She began writing the book to pass along lessons to her 16-year-old granddaughter.
Solita and the Purple Moon by Miriam Isabel Elliott. Like many children of military parents, young Solita does not understand where her mother has gone or when she will return. Sitting by her bedroom window, she seeks solace in the starry night sky. One night, a glowing purple moon greets her. “I will come to you at bedtime every night—Tun, Tun niñita, soy tu amiga, vendré a ti por las noches, mírame bien,” Purple Moon promises, swiftly becoming Solita’s nightly companion. Purple Moon whisks her away from loneliness into an imaginary dreamscape of glittering white stars, friendly clouds and celestial adventure. Rendered in English and Spanish, the story of Solita and the Purple Moon illustrates for young readers that there is friendship to be found everywhere—you simply have to search for it! Finding Friendship in the Sky.
About the Author
Born in Cuba, Miriam Isabel Elliott immigrated to the U.S. in 1970, along with her mother and brother, escaping the Communist regime of Fidel Castro. She found inspiration for this story in her daughter, Melissa, a U.S. Marine, who was forced to leave her one-year-old daughter behind while on active deployment in Iraq. Solita and the Purple Moon is her first children’s book and a tribute to the children of military parents. Through Solita’s story, Miriam hopes that she will bring awareness and solace to other young children who are missing their parents.
The Adventures of Hillary The Little Ladybug by Mary Cohen – Hillary the little ladybug is the smallest ladybug, in the family of many brothers and sisters. Her dream is to be Queen of Ladybug Land. Since Hillary was the smallest she had to work hard to accomplish what others accomplish with less effort. Then one day, Hillary is attacked by a praying mantis. Then sadly the praying mantis eats one of her classmates and continues to try to eat all the ladybugs. it was Hillary’s perseverance and determination and ability that won the day. This is the first book, in the series of Hillary the Little Ladybug adventures.
A Heart’s Landscape: An Invitation to the Garden of Moments by Susan Lax shares entries and photographs from her “Morning Inspiration” emails to provide readers with the insight, comfort and healing needed to open their minds and live each day with an attentive heart. Morning Inspiration has evolved over time. What began as a message for women diagnosed with health issues became a crafted moment of inspiration for all types of people, The email list grew to include men as well as women traveling through their individual challenging journeys. Along the way, Lax began incorporating photography with her transformative messages. Through these shared moments, she continues to showcase the importance of finding time for joy. We may never be able to overcome grief, but we can learn to set it aside for periods of time and allow ourselves to e experience life’s wonders throughout a positive frame of mind.
About the author: Susan Lax earned a teaching degree in creative drama from the Kibbutzim College of Education, Technology, and Arts in Israel..She taught creative drama at a local elementary school and continued her studies at the Chochmat Halec, where she focused on meditation and Jewish spirituality. Lax is the author Morning Inspiration, an email newsletter released three times a week. In addition, she is the co-owner of Naot Footwear, a company that ethically manufactures handmade comfort shoes in Israel.
Gathering Around The Table by Kari Warberg Block published by Conscious Capitalism Press, a story of purpose-driven change through business, illustrates the importance of value-based decision making as the foundation of conscious leadership. It demonstrates how navigating obstacles from a place of personal beliefs and strong morals can lead to businesses and lives filled with prosperous financial growth, greater social impact, and deep personal fulfillment.
She gives this as advice – Identify your purpose and always stick to it. Don’t be afraid to disrupt that status quo and be BOLD. Find your customer and make sure you have enough of them, or it will never be a variable business. Finally, become an expert in your field.
