In the Elephant's Path (WIP)

Picture Book for Ages 8-11/Historical Fiction

A retelling of the true story of Bui Tuong Huan, South Vietnam’s last Minister of Defense, and his family during the fall of Saigon in 1975

As North Vietnamese troops advance on Saigon during the Vietnam War, Bui Tuong Huan arranges for his family to leave the country while he stays to complete negotiations for a temporary ceasefire. His nine-year-old son, Quan, expects his father to join them. But Saigon falls two days later and Bui Tuong Huan goes missing in action. Based on a true account, In the Elephant’s Path is a story of hope, renewal, and the lasting bond between a father and son.

Photo: "Elephant Sunset Silhouette" (Photo Credit: Karen Arnold-Public Domain)

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The Centipede’s Bite (WIP)

Picture Book for ages 7-10/Historical Fiction

For over a century people came to Hawaii for work on its sugar and pineapple plantations. Those plantations are gone today, but stories of their workers and families live on.

Nine-year-old Carmela hadn’t realized how scary change could be…until she moves from the Philippines to a pineapple plantation in Hawaii. She’d studied English back home and thought making friends would be easy. But Hawaiian Pidgin, the language they speak on the plantation, is beyond her understanding. As children keep their distance and Carmela’s grades tumble, she loses heart. That is, until a new teacher convinces her to compete in the school’s spelling bee—even though Carmela is sure she can’t win.

Photo: Kunia Elementary School on Del Monte Pineapple Plantation-Oahu, 1975