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About the Author

MaryTherese Grabowski

MaryTherese Grabowski is an award winning former TV journalist. Her years of covering the military, government and politics helped keep civics top of mind for this admitted Air Force brat. Her love of patriotism and talent as an emcee afforded her the opportunity to entertain our troops overseas for 15 years in the Operation Seasons Greetings morale tours. "MT" was the 2009 Spirit of Bob Hope Award nominee for the United States Air Force Reserve.

 

Patriotism is deep rooted in her soul. The notion to write the "Spirit of America" patriotic children's book series came about when she asked her young niece, "Can you tell me who makes up The President's Cabinet?" The response was "Why do I care who makes his furniture?" So, although humorous Grabowski realized we are missing kids at an earlier age teaching them the basics of civics which they are usually taught in tenth grade and that is two years before these students are eligible to vote.


Grabowski and her illustrator Michelle Graham-Fricks are making this a "movement" to educate students earlier on the basics. "If you can take historical events and information and present them through creative story telling you just might hook these kids."

 

Grabowski's main character America Johnson takes young readers on patriotic adventures that are fun and educational. Each book has a quiz at the end helping young patriots to not only be more prepared for that civics class down the road, it gives new birth to patriotic pride that seems to have been lost lately.

Grabowski is available for books signings, readings, speaking engagements and as an emcee.

 

MaryTherese lives in the Washington D.C. area with her husband Bob.

 

Contact "MT" at: soabookseries@gmail.com

Check out her Author's Page on Amazon

About the Illustrator

Michelle Graham-Fricks

Michelle Graham-Fricks is an eccentric, passionate, magical thinker, and artist that has a diverse background. Another unique quality she possesses is that she remembers distinctly what it is like to be a kid. She was a military kid, but not a typical one. She was taught patriotism and serving others early in life by her father, who is a Vietnam Veteran and further served through the Air National Guard and her mother who was, and still is, a talented homemaker. 

 

She is the oldest of three sisters, so there was always a lot going on in their house. This did not stop Michelle from finding time to sit in her favorite persimmon tree so she could imagine and draw. Then in Kindergarten she heard many, many stories and listened to fairy tales on small records with the turn-along books. She admired the lovely art in those books so much, and loved when the teacher would turn the book to show the illustrations to the class. Then, the teacher had the students write and illustrate their own books, and the drawings would no longer be called drawings but no illustrations! 

 

Years later, in high school, she would do art for many competitions, in every medium, her favorite being bombastic color drawings, however. Then it happened!  Her art mentor told her something very prophetic. He said, "One day, you will be illustrating for children, because your heart is so young. If you don’t, it would be a shame." What a wise sage.

 

Michelle lives in Bayside, Texas with her husband Trey and their seven children.

 

Michelle is available for speaking engagements, artistic presentations, and career day visits.

You can reach her at: soabookseries2@gmail.com

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