- Title: The Winners Group
- Author: Vicki Ebeling
- Publisher: Pier Avenue Publishing
- Form: Paperback
- Illustrated: ---
- Number of Pages: 100
- ISBN: 978-0-9779768-0-5
- Price: $7.95 + $4.00 (Shipping) = $11.95
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Review:
“Why Won’t My Child Read Books?”
Mom and Son Have an Answer
Too many parents know the misery of forcing their child to read a book for a school assignment, then trying to help them make sense of the story for a book report.
“There are many kids who are smart in several ways,” explains Dr. Vicki A. Ebeling, board certified educational therapist. “But when it comes to reading, they misunderstand words or have story comprehension problems. Then they often pretend they ‘got it’, or, sadly, give up on reading.”
“Most chapter books for ages 10-13,” Vicki adds, “are written for experienced, skilled readers. My son and I wanted to write a great chapter book that reluctant readers could enjoy and want to read from beginning to end. And, hopefully, we could turn reluctant readers into fans of chapter books.”
So Vicki and her eleven-year-old son, Drew, created the new chapter book, The Winners Group.
Mom, or “Doctor Vicki”, as she is known to many of her students, has a private practice in educational therapy. She has worked with reading problems for over ten years. Her son Drew is a middle school student who enjoys reading but only when the book captures his interest.
Vicki knows from experience with her students that, “The first thing an author has to do for the reluctant reader is to hook him or her into the story from page one. Things like character development and mood have to be cleverly woven into an exciting plot. And it sure helps if the reader can feel like they could be a part of the story. So my son, Drew, made sure the language and behavior were realistic.”
The kids who have read The Winners Group believe Vicki and Drew have succeeded.
Thirteen-year-old Brittany said, “I could not put this book down until I finished it.”
Eleven-year-old Shane told them, “The beginning made me want to read more and more of the book.”
Vicki wrote and Drew edited The Winners Group. This contemporary adventure empowers and inspires as it addresses the loss of loved ones, acceptance of each individual’s unique qualities, and the importance of family and friends. Six very different students from Dunkirk Middle School come together by chance. They form a dynamic rescue team to save a kidnapped teacher… without help from adults.
Of course, the plan doesn’t work out quite the way the six boys and girls intended.
The Winners Group was written for young people to read and understand as easily as they understand the on-screen instructions to a video game or follow an entertaining movie plot. The book is meant for the reading pleasure of all kids ages 10 to 13, including the excellent reader. So the characters had to be authentic and the story had to be exciting.
Young readers of The Winners Group have told Vicki and Drew they want more.
A review from an eighth grader said, “It was refreshing to read a book with new characters than can’t be compared to those of other books. I hope there will be a sequel.”
In fact, Vicki and Drew are researching a second adventure with the same characters that appear in The Winners Group.
Vicki and Drew know about making a good story and how to appeal to readers age 10 to 13.
Before becoming a psychotherapist and an educational therapist, Vicki worked in television production and writing. This included the classic situation comedy series “All in the Family” and an Emmy Award-winning Saturday morning children’s program. Her son Drew was selected by his school as a student mediator, has been a member of championship baseball and basketball teams, and models for national department stores and catalogues.
Dr. Vicki Ebeling is also the author of a very well-received handbook on education, Educating America in the 21st Century. Included in that book is a futuristic adventure story that symbolizes the journey taken by a student with a learning disorder through our educational system.
Chapter Seven
The six of us sat on the benches at the bus station trying to decide what we could do. Then we saw something.
A bunch of kids who were getting together for a field trip on a bus to Los Angeles were crazy with each other because they were so excited to be going.
“I have an idea,” Sammy said. “We’ll try to fit in with this group of kids and pretend we belong on the bus.”
“That’s good,” said Rad. “Okay, act like you belong.”
The six of us slowly moved into the crowd. As the kids going on the field trip entered the bus, the six of us got in, too. The other kids liked sitting in the front, so we sat in the back.
The bus took off. And we were on it.
“I think we did it,” said Sammy.
Mike and Dupar gave a thumbs up.
About five minutes after the bus left the station, the kids at the front of the bus started singing songs. Turns out they were a singing group made up of students from lots of different local schools. They were going to a concert in Los Angeles. Most of them didn’t know each other. The adults didn’t know all the kids. That’s why no one saw that the six of us in the back of the bus didn’t belong with them.
“Let’s act like we know the songs,” Jewel said.
We all tried to sing like we knew the words. You know, like, “La, la, la, school, la, la, la, rule.” If you listened to us, we sounded stupid, but thank goodness nobody else did listen to us. Rad was so bad that even Jewel told him to stop.
By an hour later the kids and adults were falling asleep. Jewel was reading a magazine with pictures of film stars and TV stars and sports stars that she found on a bench in the bus station.
“I can’t believe you’re reading that junk,” Sammy said.
“I like it. It’s fun. It makes me think of my grandfather. He told me I was going to be famous someday,” Jewel said.
“Is that your grandfather who died?”
“Yeah. He was like my father.”
“Where’s your father?” Sammy asked.
“I don’t know. I never met him.”
“Sorry.”
“I didn’t need a father when I had Grandpa,” Jewel told Sammy. “Grandpa used to tell me I was going to be a movie star. When he said it, I felt like it was true.”
Dupar set his head so he could sleep, but his eyes stayed open. Mike leaned over to Dupar.
“Can’t you sleep, Dupar?”
“I’m alright.”
“You’re kinda scared, huh.”
“Nah.”
“It’s okay. I’m scared too. I’m scared of what my mom’s gonna do when I get home.”
They both laughed.
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