For Educators & Schools 

Explore these character education  and military-themed books, specially selected for classroom use.
My Military Books help children understand and appreciate military families and service, while my Character Education Books & Life Skills Books
provide engaging stories that teach important life lessons and social-emotional skills. All books are available for bulk-ordering 
and make excellent additions to school libraries, classroom reading programs, and character education curricula.

Why Teachers Choose These Books

*Age-appropriate language and themes  *Discussion-ready topics for classroom conversation *Supports SEL standards  

Character Education & Life Skills 

Engaging stories that teach essential values like kindness, perseverance, helpfulness, cooperation, and respect.
Ideal for morning meetings, social-emotional learning (SEL) programs, and building positive classroom culture.
This book is a fun, imaginative guide for helping children grow by being happy, confident, and kind. Through 30 playful, animal-themed games, kids learn important traits like generosity, patience, courage, and empathy. Each game invites children to smile like a dolphin, stretch like a giraffe, and much more.
A group of enthusiastic fisher folks sets out to fill their big vat for a tasty fish dish. But when not a single fish is caught, they must find a creative way to succeed. Told in tongue-twisting rhyme with charming illustrations, this story celebrates teamwork, problem-solving, and the power of cooperation.
Biting can be good and biting can be bad; it all depends on what you bite on. Oh, the delight when biting into an apple or a peach! But it is not so lovely if you bite on an ice cube or a nut in its shell. And never, never bite another child; biting must be reserved for something that will bring a smile. 
For Multicultural
Jenny’s breakfast becomes an adventure when she starts to wonder what’s inside her green omelet. From the fields and cows to the hens and farmers, she discovers the magic and gratitude behind every bite. A charming rhyming tale that turns a delicious eating journey into appreciation — and fun!
Yes, Tyler had a hat, but so did his sister Genevieve have a hat, and also a cat had a hat. The problem was that none could see because of how they wore their hats. It took a rat to solve the problem and lift their hats. Seeing is believing, they all learned. A delightfully silly tale about learning to see and think for yourself.
Mothers gnomes tell this story to
their little ones: A gang of mischievous gnomes — all named James — turns a simple game into a tongue-twisting tangle of blame, fame, and shame! When their fierce competition ends in chaos, they learn that fighting never wins the game. A rollicking rhyming story full of laughter and lessons.
A jungle full of quarrelsome monkeys discovers the cure for chaos — kindness! When they begin sharing, caring, and helping each other, health and happiness return. Harmony resides again in their group. A delightful rhyming fable showing that kindness isn’t just monkey business — it’s everyone’s business!
A clever mouse named Mr. Consequences appears just in time to help young Billy make smart choices. With gentle wisdom, he explains how smoking, drinking, and drugs can block the path to one’s best self. Billy learns that true happiness and health go hand in hand.
For Multicultural
Julia adores dolls — big dolls, small dolls, dolls that fill her halls! Her house is bursting with doll friends of every kind until she makes a heartwarming choice — to share her joy with others. With playful rhymes and cheerful illustrations, Julia Loves Dolls celebrates generosity, friendship, and the happiness that comes from giving. 
When a new student joins the class with diabetes, the teacher invites him to explain what that means. His openness helps classmates understand how difficult diabetes is and how he stays healthy and safe, which inspires empathy and acceptance from his classmates. A warm, educational story about inclusion and care.
Josiah is afraid of everything, especially being alone, until a TV program gives him an idea: swallow brave thoughts instead of fearful ones! With each “good thought,” his courage grows. A clever, confidence-building tale showing children that bravery begins in the mind and how to use self-talk.
Meet Pete, a boy who finds something perfect in every moment — even when things go wrong! With his cheerful outlook, he shows that every day holds something good. A joyful story that helps children see the bright side of life and feel grateful for what they have.
For Multicultural   For Spanish
A very stubborn and bored cow refuses to try something new. Finally, she learns that trying new things can be exciting and interesting. With encouragement from friends, she discovers courage, perseverance, and the joy of adventure — even leaping over the moon!
For Spanish
Everybody has a body — and everybody can move! Let’s Play is a lively rhyming celebration of exercise, games, and joyful motion. From jumping and dancing to sports and play, this book encourages children to stay active, try new things, and have fun doing it. With its upbeat tone, it inspires kids to embrace fitness.
Sandy believes she can do anything she tries — and she’s right! Her secret? A simple mantra:  "You may wonder why I can do anything I try and the only answer can be -- All these things are inside me!” A joyful reminder for children that confidence grows from believing in themselves and giving every dream a try.
Billy is excited about growing taller — until he learns he’s moving on to kindergarten! With his mother’s gentle guidance, he discovers that real growth comes from learning new things, making new friends, and being kind. A reassuring story that helps children embrace change. 
For Multicultural    For Bilingual 
Being nice is simple — and it
makes everyone happier! Kindness matters. This story shows that through cheerful rhyme, children  learn to share, help, use kind words, and be fair when playing group games. A perfect read-aloud for teaching manners, empathy, and the joy of making good choices.
A student with food allergies teaches classmates how he must stay safe and aware — from reading labels to using an EpiPen if needed. Through understanding and kindness, everyone learns how to help friends with allergies feel included and protected. A thoughtful story that builds compassion and awareness.
A little girl keeps finding a princess in the most surprising places — even in her teacup! Each visit brings lessons of kindness, goodness, and grace. Within every child, it seems, there is a measure of nobility. In the end, she discovers the sweetest secret of all: the princess was always within her.
For Multicultural 
Henry begins each day with a smile and the words, “I’m here to help!” Whether at home, school, or play, he looks for ways to make things better. When faced with a bully, Henry’s kindness turns things around, proving that helping others can change hearts and make
the world brighter. Hurrah for Henry!
Maggie the mermaid dreams of being great — but what does that mean? With help from The Official Mermaid Handbook, she learns ten ways to grow in kindness, courage, and positivity. A sparkling story about self-improvement, goodness, and the making of greatness.
For Multicultural
Jim Duncan learns that fathers often know best! Through a string of very funny mishaps with kids, pets, and farm animals everywhere, Jim discovers that his father’s simple advice brings order to chaos. A warm, wise tale about having a positive attitude, patience, trust, and the special wisdom of dads.
With charming rhymes and adorable drawings, this book highlights the importance of hands -- all the things they can do and all the reasons they need to be appreciated. From painting, planting, and baking pies to waving hello or waving goodbye,they always do their part, including expressing love from the heart.

Books for Military Children & Families

These stories help all children understand military life, deployment, and the sacrifices of service families.
Perfect for schools near military bases, units studying  American Heroes, or any classroom wanting to build empathy and awareness.
When their father leaves for work far away, James and Lisa feel sad — until he gives them a special mission: keep smiling! Their smiles will travel wherever he goes, just as his will reach them too. A tender story of love, connection, and the comfort of family bonds. An uplifting book for any young child in a military family. 
A boy misses his father, who’s far from home. His dad gives him a special shirt to wear whenever he feels lonely — one filled with love and courage. A wonderful book to help young children cope and grow during separations. A tender story about comfort, connection, and family love.
For Multicultural 
Before leaving on duty, a mother gives her daughter her pearls — each one symbolizing the areas in which she is proud of her daughter: kindness, helpfulness, thoughtfulness, and love. My Mother’s Pearls celebrates the unbreakable bond between mother and child.
For Multicultural
A pilot mother pins her wings on her son before flying away on military duty. This gesture is to remind him that they are never truly apart. Inspired, the boy spreads kindness to another child  who is also missing her parent. A heartwarming story of love, courage, and connection.
For Multicultural

The Happy Healthy Children's Book Series

With the current emphasis on childhood fitness, I have created a series of books to address many aspects of fitness.
 The Happy Healthy Children's Series touches on exercise, body care, food, making good choices, kindness and helping others, and food allergies.
Click here to learn more about this series.
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Upon moving to Colorado in 2018, I met with the director of the Head Start program in Denver. She reviewed my books then asked me to create a specific book for her use. She wanted a book to help children transition from preschool/Head Start programs to kindergarten. She had definite points that she wanted addressed. Thus, I created a charming book titled Welcome to Kindergarten. It is offered now in four versions (Caucasian, Multicultural, Spanish, Bilingual)  to cover the diversity of children attending many early education programs.
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Recently, the same director asked me to create a very simple book to encourage children to be "nice." The book is titled: It's Easy to be Nice. It is a multicultural book that touches on being helpful, sharing, playing fair, keeping feet and hands to oneself, saying 'thank you,' speaking kindly, following rules, and making friends. It is all in rhyme, like many of my books, and has been a great addition to many classrooms.
I have worked with the majority of the Head Start programs in the San Diego area to provide books for their classrooms and libraries. I have  also worked on other non-profit projects to provide specific books for the underprivileged children in Central California. If you or your organization/foundation are working to improve the lives of young children and would like to make use of these books, please contact me directly.
             Sally talks art, illustrations, and books with Mindy Hall's classroom in Escondido, Ca.

    To Contact Sally
In 2017 I met with Mayor Tate of Anaheim, who created a culture of kindness in that city, including the entire business community and the school system. From that meeting, I wrote and illustrated this book, The Monkeys Who Tried Kindness, to honor the elementary school children of Anaheim who had completed over 1 million acts of kindness in one year.
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     Visiting with the children of Oak Creek Elementary School
     in Colorado Springs, I shared my books and picked up
     some good ideas for books in the future. Fun for everyone.
     The school has a motto of "Attitude is Everything", which
     opened the door to chat about my book Positive Pete.
     His motto is: "I'm as perfect as I can can be. Nothing can
      upset me. No. No, not me!"


Harper Kids!

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    I oftentimes work with Tim and Peanut Harper of Harper Kids. The   Harper Kids program  is based on John Wooden's Pyramid of Success. This program encourages children to be their personal best and is added to a classroom curriculum with the help of teachers and principals.
    Even with on-line teaching, children are able to participate in various interviews with successful people whom the Harpers brings to the events. With me, an on-line class is able to see and hear me read from one of my children's books, ask questions about creating books, and join in a drawing session that I offer. It's all fun... and it's all free to the kids, teachers, and schools. For more information, contact: harperkids.com.
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