Synopsis: In this series of books we depart from our traditional method of dialectic instruction, (premise, facts, argument and conclusion) and turn to an older and more personal style of pe
rsuasion-sharing parenting principles in story-form. Who doesn’t love a good story? Stories are entertaining and provide a unique conduit for dispensing practical wisdom and moral truth that otherwise might be lost in an academic venue. When we read or hear a story we find ourselves feeling for the characters through their speech and thoughts. We often identify and empathize with their fears, hopes, dreams and expec-tations. Most importantly, from their successes and failures we can learn lessons for life. Stories have the power to change us-and indeed they do!
The Let’s Ask Auntie Anne series consist of five stories and five pertinent parenting themes. Each story is embedded with practical advice that will guide the reader to greater understanding of the complexities of child rearing and hopefully serve as a friend to motivate positive change. Finally, the series was designed for individual or group study. The questions at the end of each book both remind and highlight the signif-icant principles of the lessons taught. Whether you read for your own pleasure or share with a community of friends, we know you will benefit from a trip to Auntie Anne’s kitchen and her treasury of parenting know-ledge. Enjoy.
Introduction ~ The Auntie Anne Series by Gary & Anne Marie Ezzo with Diane Wiggins
Five couples crowded together on padded seats of an old wooden carriage harnessed to two brown mules. Two-week-old chicks circled underfoot pecking eagerly at feed sprinkled from the mule’s grain bags. Seconds later, twenty two hundred pounds of muscle lunged forward in response to the driver’s cal, ‘euup’ and the shaking of leather reins. The carriage swayed out of the big red bard to the rhythm of creaking wood and clopping hoofs.
Underway was another tour of historical Charleston, South Carolina. But this tour would be different. Destiny was about to take five couples on a journey far beyond the boundaries of the old city. Today, they would hear of the parenting wisdom of a ninety-year-old sage, a woman of amazing insights and courage. Here name is Auntie Anne and through her influence five carriage couples were about to have their lives change ─ forever.
Join our couples as they seek practical answers to some of the most challenging questions facing a new generation of parents. There are five books, five couples and five unique parenting challenges, each with its own twist and turn that unfolds in Auntie Anne’s kitchen. Listen in as Auntie Anne satisfies each inquiry with relevant and practical “rubber meets the road” answers that so often eludes others.
The backdrop for this book and series is the beautiful, historical city of Charleston, South Carolina. Each of Auntie Anne’s parenting lessons draws upon Charleston’s rich and glorious past, from the Colonial period through the American Revolution, the Civil War, and into the present day. The descriptions of places, people, scenes, and the anecdotal stories are factual. Apart from Auntie Anne, the characters in our stories are fictional but their needs reflect accurately many aspects of parenting concerns and interests. The authors speak through the delightfulness and wit of the real Auntie Anne, to satisfy each of their needs.
In book one, meet Clarke and Mia. They so desire to raise morally responsive children. But what will it take to create a love for moral beauty within the heart? What must Mom and Dad know and do to make virtues and values real in the lives of their children? Auntie Anne provides solid answers in How to Raise a Moral Child.
In book two, feeling unloved and therefore unloving, Mac and Vicki’s children are showing serious signs of strain and discord. Mom and Dad are missing something so basic that even the simple phrase “I love you” falls short of its intended meaning. How well did Auntie Anne help them? You decide after reading How to Raise a Loving Child.
In book three, meet Bill and Elaine Lewis. Who doesn’t know at least one family facing the frustration of irresponsible children? Messy rooms, wet towels on the floor, and unfinished homework are just the beginning. Join Bill and Elaine as they go with Auntie Anne on a journey to the heart of How to Raise a Responsible Child.
In book four, little do Rick and Lela understand that a lack of security in the hearts of their children is the root of their problems. Nervous, irritable children acting out at schools in seemingly uncontrollable ways are a dead giveaway. Auntie Anne’s got a plan for this home. Find out what and who needs to change in How to Raise a Secure Child.
In book five, Geoff and Ginger seek out Auntie Anne’s advice on trusting relationships. For Geoff and Ginger, the pace of today’s family is troubling. How will fathers capture the hearts of their children with so little time? Learn the wisdom they wish they had received fifteen years earlier in How to Raise a Trusting Child.
About the Real Auntie Anne: Eleanor Roosevelt insightfully concluded that “Beautiful young people are accidents of nature, but beautiful old people are works of art.” The main character in this book is, as the former First Lady described, a beautiful work of art, fashioned by the colors of life. She is part of the “Great Generation” in American history. Auntie Anne is not a fictional character. In each story (just as in real life), she is cheerfully spry, physically capable, neither failing in sight nor mind. A philosopher of sorts, and like those of her day, her interest extends into all areas. The mind, she believes, has no limits but those we choose to give it, and hungry minds, whether of children or the elderly, need the food of useful knowledge ─ daily.
The backdrop for these series is the beautiful, historical City of Charleston, South Carolina. Auntie Anne’s draws her parenting lessons from the city’s rich history and the daily life of people living on or near the Carolina saltwater marshes. The descriptions of places, people, scenes, and the anecdotal stories in each of the books are factual. Although the characters in our stories are fictional, their parenting needs are very real and reflective of our times.
