A Boy's Beowulf
This was the book for Austin's third birthday. It is an abridged version of the first English epic in ballad stanza. Copyright 2008, paperback, illustrated, 31 pages.
For a variety of reasons I have not published all my works for the world-wide public. A few books, such as the Panther Poetasters series that I have edited, have been made available exclusively to the authors involved. Others, such as those I have written for our children, are their special gifts. I once asked our son if he would like for me to make his books available to anyone, and he said no. He liked the idea that some books were only for him. This page simply records such works. They are not at this time available for purchase.
Alphabetica Latina Austini
The book for Austin's first birthday was an illustrated, rhyming, Latin alphabet book. Beginning with "A est pro Adamo, primo viro" and containing illustrative pictures from some of the great painting masters, the book presents the alphabet in an engaging, and distinctly Latin, way. Copyright 2001, cream laminated cover, spiral bound, illustrated, 53 pages.
I Went to the Park With My Daddy Today
On the first day of my summer vacation in 2002, Austin and I played in the park and took a trip to the library. I was struck on the way home by the rhythm of the sentence, "I went to the park with my daddy today." After arriving home, I wrote this rhyming story using the rhythm of that sentence. Copyright 2002, cream laminated cover, spiral bound, illustrated, 19 pages.
Austin Ray Plays Golf
In June of 2003, Austin played on a regulation golf course for the first time. The game involved Grandpa, Grandma, Mommy, and Daddy. This rhyming story tells the tale of how Austin began playing golf in the back yard before heading out to the links. Copyright 2003, green laminated cover, spiral bound, illustrated, 21 pages.
The Adventures of Austinus Radius
One Saturday I was proctoring an S.A.T. test and had nothing else to do, so I wrote a story. It involves a boy named Austin Ray who loves to dress up and play at being a Roman soldier. One day his daddy, a high school Latin teacher, brings home a plastic Roman sword, and Austin is in heaven. His backyard adventure transports him to ancient Rome, where the story kicks into high gear. Copyright 2004, paperback, 15 pages.
Cowboy Austin
Austin received this as a Christmas gift. He was participating in pre-school rodeo at the time and was a great cowboy. The story is about a young cowboy who finds a town being threatened by a fierce, black bear. The battle rages throughout the town and into the prairie beyond, but ultimately Cowboy Austin wins the day. This rhyming story features the rhythm of Macaulay's Horatius. Copyright 2005, hardback, illustrated, 24 pages.
The Ballade of Sir Alfred
Austin's sixth birthday was all about knights, and so his book for this year was a ballad-stanza poem about a king, a usurper to the throne, and a trusty knight who, being faithful to God and king, saved the day. Copyright 2006, hardback, illustrated, 29 pages.
Carmina Latina Oliviae
For her second birthday Olivia received a book of favorite children's songs in Latin. It includes such favorites as "Jesus Loves Me," "The Itsy, Bitsy Spider," and "Row, Row, Row Your Boat." Her brother, Austin, requested that "We Three Kings" be included because he had recently sung it at a Christmas play. Copyright 2007, paperback, illustrated, 25 pages.
Phidippides Allen Long
For his seventh birthday, Austin received his first chapter book from me. Phidippides tells the story of a boy who shares his name with the famous runner who reported the Greek victory at the Battle of Marathon in 490 B.C. He accompanies his family on a trip to Greece where his dad, a Greek professor, works with to discover the secret of the ancient Phidippides' speed. Unfortunately, such academic work is ruined when another professor steals the secret and goes back in time in an attempt to change history. Young Phidippides follows him back to the ancient world and saves the day with super speed of his own. Copyright 2007, paperback, 106 pages.
Frederick Finds the Cheese
I saw a red, yellow, and blue rolling mouse at a toy store and thought it would make a good "stocking stuffer" for the children at Christmas. And then I thought a book would be nice to go with it. Frederick tells the story of a mouse who risks life and fur in pursuit of cheese, only to come home and find that some has been provided for him. Copyright 2007, paperback, 22 pages.
Mary and the Angel
This was the book for Olivia's third birthday. It is a rhyming, illustrated version of the Annunciation. Copyright 2008, paperback, illustrated, 8 pages.
I had not planned to write another book for Austin in 2008 after the one for his birthday, but he had gotten so interested in the DC Comics character The Flash, and it brought back so many memories from my childhood, that I wrote a collection of four Flash stories for him. I indulged Flash's and my own enjoyment of puns with titles such as "Echoes of Narcissus" and "Around the Day in 80 Worlds." Copyright 2008, paperback, illustrated, 55 pages.
Olivia's Tea Party
For Olivia's fourth birthday she received a rhyming, counting book. The story tells about a girl named Olivia who decides that a tea party is much more fun when all of your friends are there. As her friends arrive one by one, the numbers, and the fun, keep building. Copyright 2008, paperback, illustrated, XX pages.
Panther Poetasters
In 2005, math teacher Paul Brown sent me a rhyming email. At the time my A.P. Latin students were reading Catullus' poem about the day he spent with his friend Licinius experimenting with different meters. The result was that a group of teachers, dubbing themselves Panther Poetasters after our school's mascot and an appropriately humble estimation of our abilities, began to play with a variety of poetic compostions. The project continued through 2008, and each year we published for our own enjoyment a collection of our efforts. Copyrights 2006, 2007, 2008, paperback.
The Libri Juliani Project
The Libri Juliani Project is a student-author endeavor sponsored by the North Central High School Junior Classical League. Our students write and illustrate books based on Greco-Roman mythology which will then be read and distributed to children who are victims of domestic violence in Indianpolis. For more information, visit our website. To purchase a copy, please click on the cover below. Copyright 2008, paperback, illustrated, 40 pages.
