At Lincoln Elementary, Ms. Normale rewards a group of science students with a field trip to the coast. Ajwad, Rachel and the others might have thought twice about accepting the honor if they’d known what was to come! From the author:The seed for “This Day” began with concern for bullying of religious minorities. Out of that desire to honor diversity, I discovered a deep vein of similarity running through disparate beliefs and practices, including those flowing outside any religious stream. How did I come upon the likenesses? A group of science students ~ you might call them geeks ~ showed up in my mind and basically told me their story of a field trip gone haywire, and how, at their intersection with disaster, the most unlikely stepped into hero’s shoes. Oddly ... the kids’ affinity to science expanded into a way to honor “separation of church and state” in schools, yet allow for dialoguing amongst all persuasions. (Elemental for a multicultural society, n’est pas?) And how is this effected? Well ... you’d better read the book. Ajwad, Rachel, Li Hua, and Lon don’t want me to say more, though if I stay to write another sentence, homeschooling Zanaeda and Ms. Normale surely will! "This Day" honors religious diversity and provides a model for classrooms to talk about families' beliefs and practices while respecting the separation of church and state. Middle elementary students who've ever been bullied for being different will find "This Day" a good and comforting read. I am so blessed to have had Alena Raspopova arrive via cyber space from some 5726 miles away and "out of the blue" as a match to my desire to collaborate with an artist. And what a gift, what a dear soul! Alena (aka Elena) and I have worked together on two books, and hope for more to come. To view more artwork by Елена Распопова aka Elena Raspopova, collaborator extraordinaire: iscusstvo.jimdo.com/картины-artworks/ Я так благословил имели Алена Распопова приехать через кибер-пространстве от некоторых 5726 километров и "из голубой", как спички в моем желании для художественного сотрудничества. И то, что подарок, какой дорогой душой! Алена (ака Елена) и я работали вместе над двумя книгами, и надеемся на еще не все. Для просмотра дополнительной Елена Распопова, художник экстраординарного: iscusstvo.jimdo.com/картины-artworks/ "This Day" marks E. Sandy Powell's debut into children's novels. Her ninth book in print, "This Day" follows other books on tough topics including "Daisy" on abuse, chosen by the National Council for the Social Studies and the Children's Book Council. Powell loved her years living and working with kids. She continues her love of life, writing and playing on the Oregon coast.