A Day On the Squirrel Highway

The second in the Series, The Backyard Fables, is a day in the life of a family of squirrels. Advanced reading skills are developed in a poetic story with playful characters. They stick together and keep us entertained. With playful graphics and colorful scenes, this book also gives the reader a 'Coloring Book' section in the back. Story by J. Michael Smith and illustrations by Michelle A Smith. https://www.amazon.com/Day-Squirrel-Highway-Backyard-Fables/dp/1728803853/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=books+A+Day+On+the+Squirrel+Highway&qid=1605074492&sr=8-1

Expanded Children's Vocabulary

Current Children's Expanded Vocabulary Teaching a child to read is one of the most wonderful and challenging things to do. Learning the alphabet is the important first step. Pronunciation of groups of letters is a close second. Everything from phonetics to classic 'repeat after me' techniques have been used. Research shows that children have heard thousands of words by the time they begin learning the alphabet. Recognizing the sound of letters, combinations of letters and being able to combine syllables are all important steps to learning to read. In the 1950's, it was believed that a child's vocabulary is very small. Books for children mainly included the 'Dick and Jane' series. This style used a very limited number of words, none more than two syllables long. The books used the same words over and over expecting the repetition to implant the words in their brains. According to Wikipedia, "In May 1954, Life magazine published a report on illiteracy among school children which concluded that children were not learning to read because their books were boring. William Ellsworth Spaulding was the director of the education division at Houghton Mifflin (he later became its chairman), and he compiled a list of 348 words that he felt were important for first-graders to recognize. He asked a man named Geisel to cut the list to 250 words and to write a book using only those words.[47] Theodor Seuss Geisel was a German-American author, political cartoonist, poet, animator, book publisher, and artist, best known for authoring children's books. Spaulding challenged Geisel to "bring back a book children can't put down".[48] Nine months later, Geisel completed The Cat in the Hat, using 236 of the words given to him. It retained the drawing style, verse rhythms, and all the imaginative power of Geisel's earlier works but, because of its simplified vocabulary, it could be read by beginning readers. " Later, Geisel would publish more than 60 children's books under the pen name Dr. Seuss. Unfortunately, this has not changed much in the last 60 years, even though the education and learning pace of children today is far exceeding these general rules. With children using computers , laptops, tablets and phones, they have a much greater knowledge of words by the time they get to first grade. It is time we updated our children's book vocabularies. We see grammar and punctuation falling apart, or should we say, being 'redesigned,' through social media channels. Spelling is taking a major hit. But the fact is, this younger generation of children is exposed to so much text that they have an understanding of words far exceeding their equals from 40, 30 or even 20 years ago. They seem to know the words, have an idea of the definitions and can associate the sounds with the spelling in their text messages, which may not be correct but still is recognizable. Even abbreviations can be understood without spelling out the full words. It is a new world for children learning to read a language in transition. OMG! Therefore, I have started a movement to upgrade our children's vocabulary. I believe we need to challenge their intellect with more words, more syllables and watch how they advance beyond our expectations. It is time to stop limiting an early reader's vocabulary and see how much they can absorb. I believe we will all be surprised, as I was the other day. I was sitting in a restaurant next to a family with a boy no more than 4 years old. Over my shoulder I heard him say, "Mom, I saw that man leaving with headphones in his ears. Was he listening to his mp4 player or just internet stuff?." As clear as day, this 4 year old knew enough about technology to recognize and pronounce headphones, mp4 and internet. We need to get out of the way and observe how much they can pick up through reading, texting and listening to 21st century vocabulary!

NEW RELEASE - "The Lonely Hawk"

Excellent NEW Children's Picture Book! "The Lonely Hawk"

Join the adventures of a young hawk as he grows and conquers his fears. Empowered by a friend, the hawk realizes his own potential and becomes the hawk he should be. Fabulous drawings enhance the self-achievement message in this whimsical, poetic story of nature. This 1st book in the ‘Backyard Fables' series teaches self-acceptance, individuality, friendship and discovering your purpose. The current children’s expanded vocabulary (CCEV) challenges the readers’ abilities and EMPOWERS them with knowledge. The Lonely Hawk … Great for Ages 6 to 14. https://www.amazon.com/dp/1979973865/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1513312371&sr=1-1&keywords=lonely+hawk

New Novel by J E Free, 'Island Vignettes: The Bloody Marsh Chronicles'

Murder, suicide, cover-ups, suspense. Short stories based on real events that boggle the imagination. “Island Vignettes: The Bloody Marsh Chronicles” This is a book of twenty-eight short stories loosely based on events that took place in the Golden Isles of Georgia. Brunswick, Jekyll Island, St. Simons and Sea Island provide a beautiful backdrop to some horrific events, most leading to the death of notable citizens. Dark humor is not always prized by those involved but telling the stories helps others avoid similar mistakes. Some of the names have been changed while others are direct from news reports and police records. Truth is certainly strange and fiction pales in comparison, but take a stab at it. See if you can tell where the truth ends and the fiction begins.

2nd Novel - "Sunbury"

My second novel is a more humorous story about a fictional person, Bongo Bucky, and a life of bizarre events and misdirected paths leading to fame and fortune.  He grew up in Millville, NJ and moved in late adulthood to Sunbury, Ga.  He angered, no, pissed people off along the way and then he made good efforts to restore bridges with friends and relatives he previously chased away.  Check it out on Amazon, Kindle Store or at JMichaelSmithBooks.com

Best purchase prices are Kindle for ebooks and https://www.createspace.com/3944524 for paperbacks.

"Norah's Oak" - 1st Novel

Here is an excerpt from Chapter 14 of my novel, "Norah's Oak" available at JMichaelSmithbooks.com and Amazon.com So the first word out of Rev. Tim’s mouth was loud. “GREED,” he yelled and then he paused long enough to let it sink in. He went on to say what a sin it was and how God disliked it. He preached about the wheel of progress and how if powerful people were not greedy, than there would be enough to go around for everyone in the whole world: enough jobs, enough food, enough wealth, etc. He pointed out how poverty and starvation could be conquered by attacking greed inside our own souls. ‘Equanomics’ was a term Rev. Tim coined to describe his belief that all levels of workers should be paid close to equal amounts of wages. It was a design of equal profit sharing throughout the many levels of a company. The success of the company depends on everyone, so everyone should share the risks and the benefits. Trash collectors should get the same bonuses as vice-presidents and managers, but obviously, people would prefer the easier job if they qualified. Teachers should make the same as administrators in municipal governments, after all, they were just as important, if not more so, for the success of the programs. Equanomics was a new and untested arrangement but one that Rev. Tim thought pointed out the fact that all parts of a business are necessary for the overall integrity and thus the bottom line. Some businesses had tried a form of it like Ben & Jerry’s, or other employee-owned factories, true profit sharing by some small corporations, but none of these had gone all the way. Unions were formed to negotiate reasonable wages and benefits for employees and guarantee that certain positions made certain amounts, but they had great differences in pay scales and they did not include management or other salaried employees, the most serious abusers. The result was that some workers were free to pursue greed or to be lazy and steal from the business and union workers were under watchful eyes at all times. Most attempts eventually failed to maintain the equality it took to work successfully and the unions became corrupted and abusive themselves. Another idea surfaced in this theory of Equanomics, CEO Licensing. Rev. Tim suggested that upper management had a great duty to the health of the populous, the rights of individuals and the strength of our country. As in other fields, those who have responsibilities to the citizens, CEOs should be held to certain standards. All those in medicine, nursing, law, electricians, plumbers, massage therapists, even hair stylists must be tested and licensed and most need continuing education in classes approved by licensing boards to protect the citizens. He believed it would help to license CEOs, since they had trouble maintaining ethical, moral and societal standards to strengthen the economy. Instead they cared only for the bottom line, their stockholders and their own severance packages. But Rev. Tim explained that the world could benefit by such a policy. It still leaves room for wealth, but wealth without greed. “Wealth achieved by better businesses and from working harder than the other guy. Wealth accumulated by loyalty to the company, the employees and the public, something fading from our society. It is not socialism as some would claim because people could earn more by working harder, having two or more jobs, working for a more profitable business, having better management and lower overhead, and still investing and creating wealth from entrepreneurial initiatives. It just takes out the huge gap between the hard working blue-collar employees and the over paid management levels. It could make the team work together and it would develop unity, loyalty and integrity through equality.” He never preached about attacking others with violence or force to accomplish equality and integrity, but he taught about the inner war. To Rev. Tim, the Muslim belief of a “jihad” was correct because we all had a war between good and evil taking place, but it is within our own souls, not with others. It is an internal jihad between love and hate, the holy and the infidel, and we must attack and conquer the sinner inside of ourselves, we must win out over the urge for greed and thievery if we want to reach God’s heaven, nirvana, the holy land. “But it is greed that is winning that war in powerful people and those wanting to obtain power. Greed is putting a cog in the spokes of business and industry and not just in the industrialized nations. It is occurring in third world countries as well because militant leaders are hoarding food and supplies meant for starving populations in order to gain power. But then, these are people who are fighting for survival and in some cases you can hardly blame them. They have no good role models. They are starving and need food and, evil or not, joining an army or militant group means they will provide you with food, among other things. “But not so in the industrialized nations. The greedy are not hungry, in fact, they have everything they need and more and yet they cannot nor will not stop stealing from those who have little. And they rationalize that they are just smarter and use their brains instead of brawn. But it is this kind of rationalizing of greed that makes them blind to the effects of their actions. They do not realize that they are destroying the machine of commerce by abusing the workers and stealing from the very ones who do their work for them. “It is not a new problem. In every society where wealth is limited to a higher class than the working class, greed meant power and control until the scales tipped so much that revolution and mutiny prevailed. It happened to the Greeks, the Romans, the French, the Russians, the British Monarchy that once ruled the world, and now it is happening in the United States, except that there is no revolting...yet. The educated middle and lower classes in this country are not starving or slaves, as was the case in previous cultures. These are peaceful people who are being stolen from and lied to about their own government and their own corporations, their own employers. But God is not blind. “God will intervene and level the playing field once again. He may have to destroy the very foundation of our society just to equalize the yin and yang of commerce. He may have to alter the very geography of the planet just to close the gap between classes and bring the world back to a peaceful, loving order, where men and women honor each other and are considerate and, yes, where love of God, love of fellow man, love of father and mother, love of brother and sister, love of neighbors and ultimately, love of one’s self conquers all evil and wins the inner jihad of our souls.”

HOMICIDAL/SUICIDAL Pharmacology

How blind! Calling killings the scurge of guns when the mind altering anti-depressant drugs are known to cause HOMICIDAL and SUICIDAL tendencies. And most every mass killing involves someone with disorders treated with these drugs. But Big Pharma is totally protected by HIPPA privacy laws. Murderers' should not have their rights protected. Get wise America, prescription drugs are the scurge! Don't get fooled by how you feel taking them, they are addicting. But then you learn what withdraw entails...MURDER and SUICIDE, or other such feelings of helplessness and defeat. I just had a patient who has been on mind altering drugs since he was 8. He never could 'find himself.' At 30, he just jumped in front of a train. Don't put your children, or yourself, on drugs for depression. It is a failing, ludicrous, violent experiment. Check the evidence (http://www.rumormillnews.com/cgi-bin/archive.cgi?read=92563 ; http://www.naturalnews.com/019342.html ; http://www.cchrint.org/2012/12/11/antidepressantsantipsychoticsharmingkids/ ; etc. ) Wikipedia tells us: Whenever changes in antidepressant dosage occur, whether up or down, a doubling of the risk of suicide is seen.[159] A study of 159,810 users of either amytriptyline, fluoxetine, paroxetine or dothiepin found that the risk of suicidal behavior is increased in the first month after starting antidepressants, especially during the first 1 to 9 days.[160] The Food and Drug Administration requires Black Box warnings on all SSRIs, which state that they double suicidal rates (from 2 in 1,000 to 4 in 1,000) in children and adolescents.[124][161] although it's controversial whether this is due to the medication or as part of the depression itself (i.e. efficacious antidepressant effect can cause those that are severely depressed, to the point of severe psychomotor inhibition, are rendered more alert and thus have increased capacity to carry out suicide even though they are relatively improved in state[124][162]). The increased risk for suicidality and suicidal behaviour among adults under 25 approaches that seen in children and adolescents.[163] Young patients should be closely monitored for signs of suicidal ideation or behaviors, especially in the first eight weeks of therapy. People under the age of 24 who suffer from depression are warned that the use of antidepressants could increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviour.[124] Federal health officials unveiled proposed changes to the labels on antidepressant drugs in December 2006 to warn people of this danger. The FDA warns against the use of Paxil for children and teens depression in favor of Prozac.[164] SSRI prescriptions for children and adolescents decreased after U.S. and European regulatory agencies issued warnings about a possible suicide risk with antidepressant use in pediatric patients, and these decreases were associated with increases in suicide rates in children and adolescents in both the United States with a 14% increase, and 50% increase in the Netherlands.[165] I'm not saying every mass killing is from drugs, but it is obvious that the coincidence would lead any sane detective to suspect the cause of these murders to be the effects of medication, newly prescribed, recently increased or recently stopped or decreased. We need to hold the makers and sellers responsible for depraved indifference (I learned that from Law and Order!).