ROSEWOOD SECRETS

ROSEWOOD SECRETS begins on the morning of Mary Elizabeth Baker's 9th birthday. The date is March 24, 1880. It ends one year later, on the evening of her 10th birthday. March 24 is also Queen Victoria's birthday, and that connection is special for a farmer's daughter.

Mary Elizabeth is a thinker and a talker who likes to ask questions and find answers. She enjoys new experiences, especially if they are extraordinary, her favorite new word.

From the cottage where she lives, Mary Elizabeth can see Rosewood Manor, high on a hill overlooking Hailey's Village. She would try to imagine what it might be like to be inside the manor. This was difficult, even for a practiced thinker like Mary Elizabeth, who had had no experience with manors.

Through a set of unexpected events, Mary Elizabeth finds herself inside Rosewood Manor. It would be a year of extraordinary experiences ranging from new friends named Sam and Sarah, a governess, and a dress-up tea party to an omnibus ride and a mud puddle in London.

Being inside Rosewood Manor brings new questions that need answers and secrets that need to be revealed. Would Mary Elizabeth, Sam and Sarah be able to complete the task? Would the results be happy or sad? There are mysteries to be solved but also a bit of romance and the sadness of a family tragedy. 

Enjoy unlocking Rosewood Secrets!

As the editor of "Rosewood Secrets" and a former reading teacher, I would like to highly recommend this book to you.  It's beginning came as Dr. Joyce Hardin's grandchildren would ask her to tell them stories. (She is an excellent storyteller.) Each time they asked for more stories the saga of Mary Elizabeth Baker of Hailey's Village was born. As those grandchildren are now grown with children of their own, she was finally asked: "Grandma when are you going to write the Mary Elizabeth stories down so we can read them to our children?" And, that was how "Rosewood Secrets" was born. And now. that story is being shared with everyone. Here are just a few of the reasons you should read the book.

• Who should read this book?  The 9-13 age group is recommended. Parents, grandparents, just everyone, read it. I enjoyed the book as I read it and am definitely not in that age category. I found myself giggling as well as crying at various points.
• Is it just for girls? Definitely not! You will enjoy Sam, Sarah's brother, a typical boy and his antics. What could he not get into?
• Parents, grandparents, read it to your children and grandchildren, they will love you so much for doing that. There is no better way to bond with children than to read to them or with them.
• Teachers, use it in your classrooms as a group read. It could be used to learn about the social classes of Victorian England, the schooling of boys vs girls, how they dressed and what they ate. Your children might even learn about manners and may even want to have a tea party.

Dr. Joyce Hardin is a woman of many roles: mission, public school teacher, college professor, university dean, writer, speaker, wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She grew up in Texas and New Mexico but life has made her international.

She earned degrees from Abilene Christian University and Eastern New Mexico University, with a doctorate from Oklahoma State University in Curriculum and Instruction. She spent 17 years in South Korea as a missionary. This phase of her life led to her book; Three Steps Behind (1987). As a missions teacher and trainer, she used her book Sojourners: Women with a Mission (1971), as her curriculum.

As a teacher and a teacher educator, she has received recognition for excellence in teaching and leadership in teacher preparation. Dr. Hardin, an effective communicator, presents training, workshops, and motivational programs across the nation and around the globe.

In addition to the two books already mentioned, Dr. Hardin has contributed chapters to other publications in the United States and in Korea. She has also written four Bible school curriculum series that emphasize cross-culture understanding and higher thinking skills. Other writings include a monthly newspaper column in Korea, magazine articles in both Korea and the United States, and contributions to a daily devotional publication.

An avid reader, Dr. Hardin especially enjoyed reading along with her three daughters as they read books that were new to her. As a middle school reading teacher, she implemented an individualized reading program designed to 'hook' kids on books and reading. When grandchildren began to arrive (eleven in all), Grandma Hardin became a storyteller, creating stories on demand. It was here that Mary Elizabeth entered the picture. The request was almost always, "Tell us another Mary Elizabeth story." The grandchildren grew up and moved in different directions. As great-grandchildren were added, time for storytelling was not often possible. The request changed to, "When are you going to write about Mary Elizabeth?" Everyone knows that grandmothers have difficulty saying 'no' to grandchildren. The result is ROSEWOOD SECRETS, A MARY ELIZABETH ADVENTURE.