Lennie Roberts Elementary

Back home, and back to work in North Carolina, but I am still feeling the glow, after visiting schools in Matagorda County, Texas,  and helping kick off National Nuclear Science Week by sharing 

Nuclear Power: How a Nuclear Power Plant Really Works!

I am happy to be home, but I am missing the friendly, attentive, and well-behaved students I encountered during my visit to Texas schools.  

Celebrating with some of my "Team" from the left-my husband, Randy, me, my cousin Lora , her husband Dickie Thompson, my sister-in-law, Denise & brother, Michael Solomon, and cousin Brittany, & her husband Cary Orsak. 

I usually work at home and alone, but in Texas, it felt like I had my own personal PR Team. In a way I did, I still have close personal friends and family members that reside in Matagorda County, Texas.  They helped toot my horn, whenever possible came to my events, and let me know how happy and proud they were for me.  

Adrriana Acosta

It wasn't just friends and family that made me feel welcome, but the movers and shakers of Matagorda County's professional community as well.   I had so much fun working with Sheryl Langstrom and the staff at Happy Radio.

I am so  appreciative to Adriana Acosta, of the Matagorda Advocate for covering my school tour. She came out and took photos during my visit at Cherry Elementary and wrote the following article: All about Nuclear Energy.

Cherry Elementary, Bay City, TX 

Everyone from the school superintendent's office to the students themselves made me feel welcome, and told me how proud they were I wrote a children's book about nuclear power plants based on experiences I had while working at the STP Nuclear Plant.

 Nutcracker Publishing is dedicated to the memory of my friend, Laura Bouldin Karlman who died of Leukemia at age 39, October, 2000.  Laura and I met when I lived in Bay City, Texas. Before husbands, children, and as I like to say, respectability.  The only thing that could have made my visit to Texas, more perfect would have been Laura's presence.  However, I did get to do the next best thing! Laura's sister, Cindy Tomek, and I got together for lunch. I enjoyed hearing about Laura's family, especially Laura's children who like my own are all grown up now.

Matagorda Beach Elementary 

This January it has been 18 years since I was given the breast cancer diagnosis that changed my life, inspired me to write Tickles Tabitha's Cancer-tankerous Mommy, and motivated me to establish a career writing children's picture books.  I have been a very lucky woman!

Celebrating National Nuclear Science Week by Nuking Texas

Nuking Texas?  Well not the way one of my children’s book critics implied, but I am nuking them with information.

I am in South Texas, visiting local schools where I’ve been reading Mom's Choice Award Recipient, Nuclear Power: How a Nuclear Power PlantReally Works! to students and giving them a head start on celebrating National Nuclear Science Week. 

National Nuclear Science Week is Monday, January 23 -27, 2012, and is designed to recognize the contributions of the nuclear science industry and those who work in it every day.

I felt honored when Principal Sarah Roper, at Van Vleck Elementary School, Van Vleck, Texas, told me I was helping them kick off their Nuclear Science Week celebration.

Amelia Frahm with students at Van Vleck Elementary School.

After twenty-three years I have come home to South Texas. The warm and welcoming reception I have received has made me wonder how I could ever leave.  Okay, It did not hurt one bit that the cute young man at a local restaurant said, “Mam, whereever you’re going you  shore look nice,”  that the state trooper who pulled me over let me off with a warning and not a ticket, or that my cousin’s ten-year old son actually wanted his classmates to KNOW we’re related.  Yep, I love Texas and Texans.

Van Vleck Elementary School , Van Vleck, TX

Here are a few of the highlights of my visit:

Visiting Van Vleck Elementary School where my Aunt Loretta Cox, taught school back in the days I lived in South Texas.  My aunt is deceased now and visiting her school brought back wonderful memories

At Holy Cross Catholic School where my cousin Brittany Orsak's  step-

son, Joshua  Orsak, is a fifth grader.  I got to see Lesley and Kayley Hoffman,  who attended my December Booksigning Event in Bay City, Texas,  again as well  They're students at Holy Cross.  After my presentation was over the little girls I'm pictured with above came up and gave me hugs!  

Long before Congressman Ron Paul became a Republican presidential candidate I sought out pro-nuclear politicians. His office responded and while in Texas, it was my privilege to meet Tracee Tollett, who works for Congressman Paul, in person. 

I had the honor of presenting Tracee the finished book. FYI: That pic I'm holding is proof to my kids that I don't make these things up. It's a picture of the cattle drive I used to get stuck in when I worked at the STP nuclear plant! 

Blessing Elementary School in Blessing, Texas.  A small community school that looks just as you would picture a Texas Elementary School should look.

The story goes that the founder was so thankful to finally get a train stop so he could ship his cattle he wanted to call the town,  Thank God.  That name was rejected. 

Here I am pictured with students at Blessing Elementary.

 My audience of children at Blessing Elementary.  

I could not go to Blessing without visiting the Blessing Hotel. Back in the day I worked at the nuclear plant we would take our tour groups to the hotel for lunch. Built in 1906 the hotel is still in operation today.

It was past lunch time when I arrived, but I was happy to discover that

Helen Feldhousen is still the proprietor of  the hotel's dining room known today as the Hotel Blessing Coffee Shop.

I'll post more of my Texas author visit later.  Today I'm on my way to 

Matagorda Elementary School at Matagorda Beach.  The very beach I had in mine when I penned the words,"... so hot fish jumped out of the ocean already fried..."

For a list of school’s I’m visiting while in Texas please go to Author Events.

If you would like to talk to me about visiting your school please Contact Us.

Nuclear Power: How a Nuclear Power Plant Really Works  named among Best in Family-friendly Media

Fans Lesley and Kayley Hoffman who came with their parents to get an autographed copy
of Frahm's award-winning, family-friendly book about nuclear power.

Apex, NC, January 5, 2012--Mom's Choice Awards has named Nuclear Power: How a Nuclear Power Plant Really Works! among the best in family-friendly media, products and services in the children’s picture book and science and technology categories.

The book is an educational and entertaining look at the inner workings of a nuclear power plant.  It is told from the perspective of a chubby white rat and a pretty blue bird who blame everything they don’t understand about nuclear energy on a cat named Penelope.

The Mom's Choice Awards (MCA) is an awards program that recognizes authors, inventors, companies, parents and others for their efforts in creating quality family-friendly media, products and service.

“I walked a fencepost between creativity and the technicalities the nuclear industry demanded and it’s great to receive validation from the experts,” said author Amelia Frahm.

Parents, educators, librarians and retailers rely on MCA evaluations when selecting quality materials for children and families. The Mom's Choice Awards seal helps families and educators navigate the vast array of products and services and make informed decisions. An esteemed panel of judges includes education, media and other experts as well as parents, children, librarians, performing artists, producers, medical and business professionals, authors, scientists and others. A sampling of panel members includes: Dr. Twila C. Liggett, ten-time Emmy-winner, professor and founder of PBS's Reading Rainbow; Julie Aigner-Clark, Creator of Baby Einstein and The Safe Side Project; Jodee Blanco, New York Times best-selling author, Priscilla Dunstan, creator of the Dunstan Baby Language; Patricia Rossi, host of NBC's Manners Minute; Dr. Letitia S. Wright, D.C., host of the Wright Place TV Show; and Catherine Witcher, M.Ed., special needs expert and founder of Precision Education, Inc.

MCA judges are bound by a strict code of ethics, which ensures expert and objective analysis free from any manufacturer association. The evaluation process uses a propriety methodology in which entries are scored on a number of elements including production quality, design, educational value, entertainment value, originality, appeal and cost.

To be considered for an award, each entrant submits five identical samples of a product. Entries are matched to judges in the MCA database. Judges perform a thorough analysis and submit a detailed assessment. Results are compiled and submitted to the MCA Executive Committee for final approval. The end result is a list of the best in family-friendly media, products and services that parents and educators can feel confident in using.

For more information on the awards program and the honorees, visit MomsChoiceAwards.com.

Nuclear Power: How a Nuclear Power Plant Really Works! costs $9.95 and is available from the publisher, at bookstores like Barnes & Noble Bookstores, and online at sites like Amazon.com.

About Nutcracker Publishing Company
Nutcracker PublishingCompany was founded in 2001. The company publishes children’s books that educate, entertain, and make it easier to establish a dialogue between children and adults about difficult subjects such as cancer and nuclear power. Nutcracker Publishing Company is based in North Carolina.  Crack Open a Book! Visit: www.nutcrackerpublishing.com.

Media Contact:
Amelia Frahm
Nutcracker Publishing Company
Apex, NC
919-924-2058 
Amelia@NutcrackerPublishing.com

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