Illustrated Children's Book Series
Meet Anna's Friends, a group of seven kiddos, ages 7 to 9, that are connected by the motivational gifts they have been given by God. There is Anna (the gift of facilitation), Hiro (the gift of exhortation), Maria (the gift of giving), Cayden (the gift of mercy), Jesse (the gift of service), Daniel (the gift of prophecy), and Sarah (the gift of teaching). These delightfully energetic children will help your own understand why they do what they do! Book #1 begins the last day of 2nd grade. The children grow through consecutive books until they end at the beginning of 4th grade. For parents or guardians :) Discover Your Child's Motivational Gifts was written with you in mind. You can learn with your children what their unique motivation in life is based on their own God-given gifts. You might even discover your own gifts in the process! (See Romans 12:6-8)
Books for Children
The Assignment
Meet All of Anna's Friends in Book #1
The Assignment introduces all seven of the kiddos in Anna's circle of friends. The story begins on the last day of second grade and ends at the end of an enjoyable and eventful summer vacation.
The chapters in this book are written from the perspective of each of the friends and how they respond to one another based on their own motivational gift. For example: In chapter 7, Jesse’s gift of service is evident as his family moves to a farm in the country where there is plenty for him to do to help his parents, such as taking care of the many animals. There’s Irma the cow and Buster, her calf, who is only a week old, lots of chickens, Queenie the goose, who loves swimming on the lake and laying eggs, and the newest additions, Mimi and Dodi, two white goats. And we can't forget about Gino the frog.
In each of the 8 action-filled chapters, the reader will get an overview of one of the gifts in a fun story. The most common comment I've received from parents is that their children are able to identify with the character(s) in the story that most ressemble themselves and their gift as they read The Assignment.
AF's Save the Animal Shelter
Most all children love animals, especially dogs
At the end of second grade, Mr. Henderson, Anna's teacher, gives his students an assignment to do over summer vacation, buth e promises it will be fun! However, Anna is not pleased having to do homework when she should be having fun! When she learns about the plight of the local animal shelter and that it may have to close down for lack of funds, and that some of the animals might have to be put down, her mind begins to spin with ideas about how to help save the shelter.
When the children return from summer vacation, Anna is eager with excitement to turn in her assignment to Mr. Henderson. He reviews each one of them and decides that Anna’s project to save the Praston Animal Shelter is the best. He uses her project to enable the students to use their own God-given gifts to help Anna.
Along with Miss Stella, the owner of the shelter, Anna uses her leadership skills to plan a beauty contest for animals to raise money to save the shelter and, most importantly, the dogs. Since facilitation (leadership) is Anna’s gift, we will discover how a child with this gift is motivated when they read, Anna's Friends Save the Animal Shelter.
The Hayride
Maria gets a surprise on the annual holiday hayride
On the way to Sunday school, Maria (who has the gift of giving) notices a little girl playing hopscotch on the sidewalk. Though the little girl seems happy, she's only wearing flip-flops, shorts, and a t-shirt. When the little girl notices Maria looking at her, she runs away.
Just as Maria's momma pulls up to the curb in front of the church, she notices Anna so quickly gets out of the car and follows after her friend to class. The bible lesson that morning is about giving to the least of these. Maria’s gift of giving kicks in causing her to learn the meaning of the Sunday school lesson in an unusual way.
In The Hayride, there are a lot of activities going on such as the Fall Festiva, an annual event that gets the town buzzing, a pumpkin carving contest, the annual Hayride, and more. Maria and Anna go to the Fall Festival together with the expectations of winning the pumpkin carving contes and eating lots of cotton candy.
When Thanksgiving Day arrives, Maria's momma hosts a large get together for the family. To her surprise, the doorbell rings and an unexpected guest joins them.
Hiro Plays Tiny Tim
Hiro loves practicing his lines for the play
Hiro is a text book example of a child with the gift of exhortation. You will cheer for him at his dedication to his role as Tiny Tim Cratchit in the classic play, A Christmas Carol. Not long before opening night, the grumpy school nurse, Mrs. Weaver, gives Hiro a real scare when she tells him he can’t perform in the play, but that doesn’t keep this little boy from his need to be the center of attention.
Hiro brought his wooden crutch to school every day for the few weeks before the play so he could practice limping like Tiny Tim, the boy in the Christmas play. Hiro swung his overly full backpack across his narrow shoulders and put the small wooden crutch under his arm. “God bless us everyone!” he shouted spreading good cheer to his friends by practicing the most important line of the play.
His care free and comical character keeps Hiro's friends laughing and in stitches, but one of his pranks nearly backfires—Hiro is taught a lesson he’ll never forget. Even exhorters experience times when they too need encouraging. Sadness happens in Hiro’s family and Anna’s friends rally to encourage him as he works through the sad and trying ordeal.
Sarah Learns a Lesson
Sarah loves to learn and reads lots of books
In Sarah Learns a Lesson, the reader will discover the attributes of the motivational gift of teaching! Some of the traits are similar to those who have the gift of exhortation, however they are quite different.
This is a delightful story about how Sarah uses her gift by creating a three week book-a-thon for her class to encourage them to read more. She inspires the owner of the Green Tree Bookstore to create a Kid’s Corner so they'll have a fun place to read.
However, on her journey to help establish the Kid’s Corner, Sarah leaves out her family and friends during some times when lasting memories could be made. As Anna tells us, "Sarah likes to read and do research so much that she doesn’t take a lot of time playing with us. When we can’t find her at home, we can always find her at the library. It’s like her second home."
A record breaking snow storm forces the rambunctious girl to consider her priorities when her younger brother becomes very ill. She learns her lesson well: that time with family is important.
Jesse Can't Say No
Meet Mimi and Dodi are Jesse's pet goats
The Delaney family desides that moving to the country would be good for them, especially Jesse. He as anxious because his mother was expecting twins in six weeks. He even helped her name them: Logan and Lilly Mae.
When move in day finally comes, Anna and her friends help them settle in to their new farm house. And because Jesse had been so helpful through it all, there is a huge, gigantic, wonderful surprise waiting for him. Jesse discovers that his pet goats, Mimi and Dodi, are also going to be parents. He welcomes Skiddle Bee and Sirius to his family of pets.
Farm life affords Jesse the wonders of interacting with and caring for animals like Mimi and Dodi and their twin goats born just after they move; Gino the frog; and a calf named Buster. The little family begins to unexpectedly grow with the addition of some geese and chickens and Jesse's responsibilities grow as well. This heart-warming story is sure to touch your soul, and your children will thoroughly enjoy it, especially those with the gift of service who most always are animal lovers.
Cayden and Mrs. Jules
Cayden's new best friend is not who she thinks
Cayden had roller skated by her neighbor's house, Mrs. Jules, for almost a year, but had no idea who the little Indian lady was, until one day when she fell on the sidewalk and skinned her knees in front of her house.
Mrs. Jules is a very old lady, 85 (quite cantankerous) that never wears shoes, and she doesn’t like any of the kids in the neighborhood, except Cayden. She’s the only one that Mrs. Jules lets come up on her porch or into her house. Cayden has a magical way of helping old people.
Even the thick cobwebs and a spider named Spike that filled the corners on Mrs. Jules porch, a spooky room with a light on, and a creaky rocking chair that looked to be falling apart, was no enough to keep Cayden from wanting to know more about her mysterious neighbor.
Cayden is the only one of Anna’s Friends that can unlock a half-century secret that Mrs. Jules has been hiding. Her persistence to make the little lady happy pays off when she gets her friends to help fix and clean ther house. In the process, Cayden learns the reason for Mrs. Jules broken heart. Her gift of mercy ignites her desire to heal her friend.
Daniel Moves Away
Anna experiences a real trial when her friend leaves
When Daniel's mother becomes ill with a life-threatening sickness, she sends him and his younger brother to Florida to live with their father for the rest of the school year until she is finished with her medical treatments. But Anna is not happy about losing her friend, even for just a summer. She has been Daniel’s next door neighbor as long as they have been alive and just doesn’t know what to do without him.
It's hard for Daniel to adjust at the new school. One day he heras someone behind him saying, “Hey, Blondie.” Daniel stood at Miss Wallabys’ desk waiting for her to turn around so he could give her his new student papers. “Blondie, hey you, new kid!” the voice said again. Turned out that the voice was that of a girl, one of the most known bullies.
Finally the year ends and Daniel moves back home during the summer just before 4th grade starts, but things aren't the same. Anna notices how much her friend has changed. Conflicts arise and Daniel really makes Anna mad! Some strong emotion and fun surprises that only Anna can bring to a trying relationship make this story one that will touch the heart of not only kids, but moms and dads too. In this book we learn that even children have to learn to handle life's adversities.
For Parents and Guardians
Discover Your Child's Motivational Gifts
A Workbook for Parents and Guardians
I've often heard parents wonder, Why does my child get along with some children really well, and others not so well, and why do others barely speak ten sentences in a day while others are boisterous or flamboyant? Moreover, why is this really important? Here’s a good example: Sally tends to be rebellious and head strong. This is a common trait of a child that has a motivational gift of facilitation (leadership support). They are not rebelling, they are simply created to lead.
In Discover Your Child's Motivational Gifts, you will learn why your children respond to life the way they do; why they get along with some children quite well and others not so well; why some barely speak 10 sentences in a day and others are boisterous or flamboyant. This guide will help you understand why your children gravitate toward certain vocations. And, you will discover that just because they came from their parent’s egg and sperm they may not necessarily be a carbon copy of the two.
Get the entire collection of eight (8) books
in the Anna's Friend's illustrated children's book series
Anna’s Friend’s Children's Book Series $87.60
Complete set of 8 Anna’s Friends Illustrated Books help parent’s and children understand their God-given Motivational Gifts. The whole family will have fun with these stories and the adventures of Anna and her friends while gaining valuable insights into what motivates you all.
Book # 1 The Assignment -
Introduces all 7 of the Friends:
The Motivational Gift of Facilitation
The Motivational Gift of Giving
The The Motivational Gift of Teaching
The Motivational Gift of Exhortation
The Motivational Gift of Mercy
The Motivational Gift of Service
The Motivational Gift of Prophecy
NOTE: This Collection is currently not available on Amazon. You are purchasing directly from the Author.
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Book # 1 The Assignment Introduces all 7 of the Friends
This book helps children discover their moivational gifts
The fun and adventurous stories in The Assignment are written from the perspective of each of the 7 friends and shows the reader how they respond to one another based on their own motivational gifts through creative storytelling.
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