Family life stories: the tree hugger and the

THE TREE HUGGERWhen new girl, Shalmalah, comes to Debbie?s school, she soon becomes a target for the school bullies, Susan and Leonie.Everyone in the school is scared of this gruesome twosome. These horrible bullies decide who?s ?in? or ?out.? If you are ?in? you have friends, are cool, popular, and don?t get picked on by the other girls. But if you are ?out,? you have no friends, are not cool or popular and sadly, you get attacked by these vicious bullies every chance they get.Debbie is just as scared of Susan and Leonie as everyone else but Debbie is lucky because she is ?in.? Nobody bullies Debbie and that?s the way she wants it to stay.THE FREE SPIRITNew girl, Shalmalah, is definitely ?out.? She doesn?t do her hair in a cool style and she definitely doesn?t wear cool clothes. Shalmalah is different. She wears whatever she wants to wear. The other girls think she?s a hippy and that?s not cool to them. But, Shalmalah is a brave girl with a free spirit. She doesn?t care what the bullies think.Susan and Leonie want to make her care and they do their best to make her life hell.WHAT?S WORSE - BEING A BULLY? OR WATCHING SOMEONE ELSE BEING BULLIED AND DOING NOTHING TO HELP?Debbie hates the way Shalmalah is being treated but at the same time she thinks that if Shalmalah tried harder to be the same as everyone else then Susan and Leonie would leave her alone. Debbie doesn?t understand that Shalmalah doesn?t want to be like everybody else. Shalmalah wants to be accepted for who she is.Debbie doesn?t think there is anything she can do to help Shalmalah. She knows that as far as Susan and Leonie are concerned you?re either with them or against them. To go against them would cause big problems for Debbie.But avoiding the problem doesn?t make it go away and when Debbie?s mother becomes friends with Shalmalah?s mother, Debbie has to make a very difficult choice.THE RUNAWAY GRANNYNatasha?s Granny wants to go out and about, play darts and have lots and lots of fun. Natasha?s mother thinks Granny should sit by the fire, be quiet and knit lots and lots of socks. One day, Granny has such fun playing darts she forgets to come home for dinner. When dinner is ruined Natasha?s mother and Granny have a full screaming row. They both say the sort of things that should never be said and Granny leaves the house with stream pouring out of her ears.Natasha and her mother call around to Grannys little house only to find she has left - taking all her belongings with her. Nobody knows where Granny has gone and poor Natasha is left with a broken heart.After a while some strange purple letters being to arrive - from Granny and although Natasha is very glad to read that Granny is having the fun and adventure she always dreamed about she still desperately wants her mum and her granny to get together and sort out their differences like grownups should. The problem is they are both too stubborn, as well as too alike. The letters begin to arrive regularly now but Natasha still worries - if her Granny is having so much fun will she ever see her again?AUTHORS NOTEI live near the ocean in Galway Bay, Ireland, along with my husband, two friendly dogs, ten happy hens and two cranky ducks. I write for both adults and children and really enjoy what I do.From personal experience I have learned that stories can be a fantastic way to examine family conflict as well as being a wonderful way for parents and children to share an understanding of issues that cause sadness. Stories can also provide a safe way to discuss a subject that is comfortable for both child and parent.I hope you enjoy these stories and if you would like to learn more about these stories and issues you can visit my website on www.wildatlanticstories.comIf you have a question or query dont hesitate to ask - it might take me a little while but I love to hear from readers and I always answer.Best wishesGrace