A Heartwarming Tale of Military Family Life and Adventure
Author: Sarah Doran Illustrated by: Beth Snider
Sarah lives in Temple, TX with her husband, children, and cat. She grew up as a military brat, with her dad a Chaplain. Later she joined the Army as a Blackhawk mechanic. She deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. She met her husband who was also a Blackhawk mechanic, got married, and became a military spouse. Now she spends her time as a civilian homeschooling her kids and writing military children’s books.
While she was in college to become a teacher she took a class on children’s literature. She focused on military children’s books and realized the lack of representation for military children. That planted a seed in the back of her mind. During COVID she had extra time and wrote “The Peppered Sky” which is about 2 military children siblings, Haleigh and Mason, as they watch a military airborne paratrooper training exercise. This story is inspired by her childhood and watching her dad jump as a paratrooper.
The book isn’t just for military children. She hopes it is universally captivating for all children. Her goals as an author are to encourage military families, help military children find representation in her stories, and give civilians a glimpse of what military family life is like.
Activities & Resources
“The Peppered Sky” is not only an engaging and beautifully illustrated story, but it is also an educational tool! At the end of the book, there will be an Activities and Resources Page. Activities and Resources include:
Discussion Questions- These are perfect for parents, teachers and librarians who wish to further the educational aspect of the story. Questions may be used for class discussions, critical thinking and problem-solving.
Journal Prompts- Encourage your readers to answer one of the journal prompt questions and illustrate their answers!
Create Your Own Paratrooper Activity- “Materials Needed” list and “Step by Step Instructions” are provided for creating your own paratrooper at home or school.
The Peppered Sky is currently on Kickstarter here.
The book is estimated to be released in March 2023 and for those who preorder through Kickstarter in February 2023. You will be able to find “The Peppered Sky” on Amazon and Etsy.
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