Welcome to Skyegg! A site full of free stories and projects for children of all ages. Each month a new story will be featured along with fun projects. An archive will contain past monthly updates so you never have to worry about missing out on a story or project. Teachers, please see special section on using the stories in the classroom.
October 2007 Update
The Guardians of Skylark novel is pending publication. Watch the home page for further details!
It’s the first gloomy, soggy day of Autumn. Making it the perfect day to seriously think about my favorite holiday, Halloween. As a treat for you, I have updated the Celebrations section with some decoration and craft ideas.
Book Reviews—Self-Published Titles
All titles reviewed will be donated to a library. Click on the link to the right of the review to go directly to the Amazon book store.
- The Second Sphere, by Melody Orr
- Four teenagers become lost in a mystical realm known as Panaji where they face grave dangers, venture into dark territories full of undiscovered creatures, and discover new peoples as fascinating as they are foreign. Together they must meet each new challenge as well as find a way to return home. An engaging read!
- 265 pages
- Young adult to adult fiction
- www.melodyorr.net
Late Summer 2007 Update
Upcoming Publication Announcement!
The Guardians of Skylark novelette is going to be in book form and available for purchase on this site and on www.amazon.com
The novelette and its companion guide, The Skylark Directory, will continue to be available for a free PDF download on this site. The guide will be updated just like a regular neighborhood association directory would be to keep up with the series. Teachers, I suggest obtaining a book version for reading aloud to the students; you can print out as many copies of the PDF (chapter by chapter might be the best way) for your students to follow along with the story as well as to use in the enrichment activities. I am creating additional free PDF download guides for some of the Virginia SOL components related to the story.
Book Reviews—Self-Published Titles
All titles reviewed will be donated to a library. Click on the link to the right of the review to go directly to the Amazon book store.
- The Hourglass Tales: Treasures of the Shadows, by C.A. Harmon
- Set in rural Pennsylvania during the North American Great Depression, Harmon’s novel about an orphaned girl in search of her past translates heart-wrenching tragedy into soul-bracing adventure. A forgotten mansion in the woods transports the reader to a sanctuary of dreams. Harmon’s story-weaving magic invokes the longing in all of us to find a significant portion of ourselves in the world-at-large.
- 236 pages
- Ages 12 to Adult; Advanced Reading Proficiency (English)
- www.caharmon.com
- The Good Witch’s Book of Myths & Legends, by Hanyokrowati and illustrated by Don Berry and Krisnadi Poedjosoedarmo
- Hanyokrowati’s book has a charming conversational tone as if the author shared it with many children before committing it to paper. A good-albeit confused-witch named Tchiw meets seven children hailing from the same family and entertains them with tales adapted from Chinese and Javanese myths. The myths range from explanations of natural phenomena to interpersonal relationships in the human experience. A great “read aloud” story with many colorful illustrations throughout. Background information on the myths is included at the back of the book.
- 40 pages
- Ages 5 to Adult; Advanced Reading Proficiency (English)
New Site Content
Celebrations update: Back To School Ideas! Things to make the transition from lazy Summer days to working in the classroom easier for you and your family!
The Source Can Not Be Found is now available for download. It contains sophistated subject matter and images and is not intended for the truly young. It contains experiences which had a dramatic impact upon my inner child and subsequently my art.
Check out the free transfer image downloads in the Celebrations section. I will be adding more images in the future. You can use the images to make things to sell for charity events or as gifts. My copyrighted images are not to be used for commercial purposes.
Don’t forget to play this Summer! Swing at the playground. Swim at the pool. Run on the beach. Whatever makes you happy! Enjoy it!
Contact me with any questions or comments you may have regarding the Sky Egg project and stories: heather@skyegg.com
Please note that I do not accept unsolicited submissions. If you have a completed work, send it to a publisher (Check the latest version of Writer’s Market for listings of publishers and agents) or copyright it via Creative Commons and start your own website. If you do publish a book, let me know. I’ll get a copy! If you start your own site, Great! Let me know about it. Most of all, if you have stories, especially ones that are specific to your corner of the world, I urge you to share them with everyone in some way.
Heath and the Dragon is the first in a series of Celtic tale adaptations. The original tale is called Fraoch and the Water Dragon and is a traditional West Highland myth. Fraoch (Gaelic for Heather/Heath—the land and that which grows upon it) is a half mortal Celtic hero whose mother was Be Find and whose aunt was Boann, the river. In the original tale, he swims to an island at the request of Queen Medb who promised him her daughter, Findebair, in marriage if he brings the queen some berries. A water dragon slays Fraoch before he can reach the island, but the fairies of the Sidhe take his body to his mother who revives him. He brings the berries to the queen and does marry Findebair in the end. Some versions of the tale simply feature his death in the battle with the dragon. Check out this wonderful resource at www.ambaile.org.uk which contains quite a few interactive stories including a more traditional version of Fraoch and can be enjoyed in both Gaelic and English. Cool!