Ivan Gets a Dream House

On a cold Christmas night Ivan awakes and discovers his family’s house is on fire! Now homeless, the family eventually finds shelter but they must flee to a nearby church for safety from gang wars and drugs. After living in crowded places for some time, Ivan dreams of a home for himself, his younger brother and his mother; a home where he can have his own stand for his toothbrush. In the next three years Ivan and his family struggle to realize his dream until unexpected events happen that will change their lives forever. But will these changes help or hinder Ivan’s dream?

On a cold Christmas night Ivan awakes and discovers his family’s house is on fire! Now homeless, the family eventually finds shelter but they must flee to a nearby church for safety from gang wars and drugs. After living in crowded places for some time, Ivan dreams of a home for himself, his younger brother and his mother; a home where he can have his own stand for his toothbrush. In the next three years Ivan and his family struggle to realize his dream until unexpected events happen that will change their lives forever. But will these changes help or hinder Ivan’s dream?

Lena McCalla Njee majored in Elementary Education and graduated from Sam Sharpe Teacher Training College in Jamaica West Indies, in 1978. She taught school for two years in Jamaica before migrating to the United States. In 1981, she attended Lehman College in New York and transferred to New Jersey City University where she earned a Bachelors degree in psychology and a Masters Degree in Special Education. She has taught in New Jersey at Chad Elementary, in Newark; Mount Carmel Guild School for children with Disabilities; and currently she teaches children with Autism in the Irvington School District. Lena McCalla Njee was the recipient of the ‘2011-2012 Teacher of the Year’ for Irvington School District in New Jersey. She is also a member of the Autism Society.