Vivian Owens
Educator and Author

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May

Vivian Owens writes books that make you feel. "Sometimes you laugh and sometimes you cry," said one reviewer, after reading the award-winning Nadanda, The Wordmaker. Other readers speak of Owens' books as inspirational and motivational -- books that take you to a new level in you own personal growth.

Writing Youth Literature and educational books, Vivian is the author of  nine books. A former high school Chemistry Teacher, Vivian taught older students and simultaneously developed Parenting For Education Workshops because of her concern for younger children. She grew up in Central Florida where people knew her best for reciting "The Creation" and other Classic Black Poetry.

Vivian is a graduate of Tuskegee (B.S.) and James Madison University (M.S.). She is the recipient of several awards or recognition's, including a Who's Who Among America's Teachers and an Outstanding Educator Award from the Governor's School. Her magazine articles have appeared in Upscale Magazine, The Virginia Science Journal, and the Gifted Press Newsletter. For a number of  years, she wrote a Parenting For Education newspaper column. She is a former Chair of Cultural Diversity for the Virginia Association of Independent Schools. Married and  the Mother of  three adult children. Vivian lives between Virginia and  Florida.

Through her children and husband, Vivian cultivated respect for music and sports, but her great love is art. Her hobbies include: sketching, pleasure walking,  and experimental cooking.

"... When talking with Owens, whose voice conveys a luminous, confident presence and gracious humor, one tends to linger in a front-porch, general store, dusty small-town kind of way. One suspects that whether it is a classroom, the book-crammed study in which she writes or the fiction she creates, any place infused with Owens' spirit will be secure and inviting. You may find yourself asking for a story." From the Montpelier Magazine (James Madison University)

Published Books

Oswa.jpg (6947 bytes)How Oswa Came To Own All Music  by Vivian Owens, John D. Owens (Illustrator) Reading Level: For ages 8 and Up, Edition: Hardcover, Publisher: Eschar Publications

ISBN: 0-9623839-9-6  order.gif (1197 bytes) 94X32-W-LOGO.GIF (1338 bytes)

Oswa, a handsome giant with a loving heart, lived long ago when the earth was still young. Legend says that he healed wounded animals and made friends with all of nature's creatures-small and great. On one of his journeys across the universe, he listened rapturously to magnificent lyrics and luminous tunes and was seized with a powerful urge to live forever with music.

Unfortunately, Mother Cloatee, Queen of Land and Sea, owned all music.

When Oswa requested permission to own all music, Mother Cloatee sent him on several dangerous missions to prove his worthiness. She wondered if he would return.

 

 

0962383953.01.LZZZZZZZ (163448 bytes)I Met a Great Lady  

by Vivian W. Owens, Richard J. Watson (Illustrator). Reading level: Ages 7 and up Edition: Paperback: 80 pages Publisher: Eschar Pubns;  (June 1998)

ISBN: 0962383953 order.gif (1197 bytes) 94X32-W-LOGO.GIF (1338 bytes)

What do you say when your big sister thinks you have a problem? Ivy Ingram is not quite sure, since she adores her big sister, Margie. It is 1952 and fourteen year-old Ivy feels out of place in her large family. Then, unexpectedly, she receives special recognition from the National Council of Negro Women, NCNW, and Margie takes her under-wing in a warm, sisterly friendship. Through a gift from the NCNW, Ivy wins the privilege of meeting one of the most important women of the day, Mary McLeod Bethune.

Editorial Review
From Today's School Media Specialist "...Ivy comes to understand the power of just one dedicated soul to make a difference in the world. Ivy is a sympathetic character who learns it is wonderful to have big dreams-as long as one is willing to work for them. .."

 


0962383961.01.LZZZZZZZ (49941 bytes)I Met a Great Man by Vivian W. Owens, Richard J. Watson (Illustrator), Reading level: Ages 7 and up, Edition: Paperback  64 pages  Publisher: Eschar Pubns; (June 1998)

ISBN: 0962383961order.gif (1197 bytes) 94X32-W-LOGO.GIF (1338 bytes)

For John Senegal, 1936 would forever be referred to as "the year my family fell apart." Like most fourteen year-old boys, John wants his family, friends, and school to be there for him. Instead, his mother puts him on a train for Alabama, headed away from Detroit, to live with Grandma and Grandpa Moss. Fortunately, on the train, he meets Dr. George Washington Carver, who points him in a new direction, although new problems await him on Moss Farm.

 

 

 

 

0962383937.01.LZZZZZZZ (58482 bytes)Nadanda, the Wordmaker by Vivian W. Owens, Richard J. Watson (Illustrator), Reading level: Ages 7 and up Edition: Hardcover: 243 pages  Publisher: Eschar Pubns;  (September 1994)

ISBN: 0962383937 order.gif (1197 bytes) 94X32-W-LOGO.GIF (1338 bytes)

At fourteen, Nadanda found a way to acceptance into almost any clique in her school. She creates words no one has ever heard. Unfortunately, she has not found a way to be accepted by her mother. Then, one day her art dealer mother brings home an ancient African doll, which leads them on a hectic trail of suspense and adventure, for it seems that Nadanda's made-up words do have meaning after all.

Editorial Reviews
   "...By contrast, in Owens' (2 books) Nadanda, The Wordmaker and The Rosebush Witch, both of her protagonists are African American girls who are self empowered so that they will be able to solve their problems.

". .. Although Owens' fiction celebrates African American culture, especially the oral tradition of Southern black storytelling, she believes her books transcend a strictly African American readership. Both books, after all, deal with the fears and anxieties that children of all races share. In this regard, she insists her books are multicultural because they let children of other races visit an African American child, and say, `Oh, so this is what you are like.'

Award: Writer's Digest Best Book Award

0962383945.01.LZZZZZZZ (39480 bytes)The Rosebush Witch  by Vivian W. Owens, John D. Owens (Illustrator), Richard J. Watson (Illustrator), Reading level: Ages 7 and up   Edition: Paperback: 107 pages  Publisher: Eschar Pubns; (June 1996)

ISBN: 0962383945 order.gif (1197 bytes) 94X32-W-LOGO.GIF (1338 bytes)

Lona Davis struggles to convince her parents that a witch rides by her window every night. A visit from her story-telling grandmother complicates matters.

A multicultural story of family relationships, seen through a child's fears of things that go bump in the night. Do parents and other adults listen earnestly to their children's concerns? What is the reality of things that you see?

 

 

 

 

The Mount Dorans by Vivian W. Owens, Hardcover: 248 pages Publisher: Eschar Pubns (October 2000) 0962383988.01.LZZZZZZZ (40638 bytes)

ISBN: 0962383988 order.gif (1197 bytes) 94X32-W-LOGO.GIF (1338 bytes)

Meet people who journeyed far beyond the stereotypical barriers of racism, even poverty and under-education, to make zenith contributions to small town living and the masses of humanity.

Editorial Review:

From The Florida Historical Quarterly, Fall 2001, Volume 80, No. 2 "Vivian Williams Owens's new book about Mount Dora helps fill the blank pages. With verve and determination, she chronicles life stories and human events that official historians have long overlooked or at best relegated to footnotes...

THE MOUNT DORANS is a treasure trove of information for future students and scholars. . ."

 

 

Create a Math Environment: Arithmetic Made Touchable

 by Vivian Owens Paperback: 184 pages Publisher: Eschar Pubns; (October 1992)

ISBN: 0962383910 order.gif (1197 bytes) 94X32-W-LOGO.GIF (1338 bytes)

CREATE A MATH ENVIRONMENT is a Parent Helper for those who want Arithmetic Made Touchable. It is a supportive tool, intended to introduce mathematical concepts in the home and to produce familiarity before it is studied in depth in a formal school environment; it may also serve as a reinforcement tool after a concept has already been taught. Age specifics for each concept are given and instructions clearly tell parents or teachers what they need to know in presenting ideas to the learner. A busy parent or teacher can turn to a page and find an activity that teaches a concept within a manageable time period. The parent gains a quick understanding of the objective using the materials suggested. Sometimes a diagram illustrates the procedure.

Editorial Reviews
From The Challenger Newspaper "This book is for math what Mr. Wizard was for science. It shows how to understand math principles in a fun way."

From The News-Virginian  "...Each activity is labeled for age appropriateness and features a list of materials needed the procedures used and a discussion of how a particular math concept applies to the activity..."

From HOMECOMING: The Historically Black College Alumni and Campus Newspaper
"Inviting children to learn is the focus of Owens' work..."

                              Award or Recognition: Selected as a Resource in Education

b00358c.jpg (7183 bytes)Chemistry Quickies Fun Questions to Rouse Your Chemistry Instincts

by Vivian W.Owens Paperback: 164 pages  Publisher: Eschar Pubns; (June 1998)
ISBN: 096238397X order.gif (1197 bytes) 94X32-W-LOGO.GIF (1338 bytes)

Fun-Learning in 5 minutes. You will use CHEMISTRY QUICKIES to reach these goals: Self teach through questioning techniques

Refresh your memory; Reinforce ideas already introduced; Jumpstart discussions; Study for quizzes or tests; Play games with family or friends; Enjoy learning new facts. Over 300 questions show you how delightful chemistry can be. A tool for teachers, home-schooling parents, tutors, academic team coaches, students, and anyone who loves games or answering trivia questions.

Recognition: Selected as a Resource in Education.

Parenting for Education

   by Vivian W. Owens Paperback: 112 pages Publisher: Eschar Pubns; (August 1989)

ISBN: 0962383902 order.gif (1197 bytes) 94X32-W-LOGO.GIF (1338 bytes)

PARENTING FOR EDUCATION (PFE) is an educational how-to book written in simple, easy-to-understand language. Seventy-seven concepts are presented as separate articles. Through these articles parents learn how to recognize a disorganized child, but they also learn how to organize the disorganized child. Practical guidelines for starting learners on the right track are offered: Writing foundations, reading rights, reasoning logically, training the memory, and lots more. Motivational by nature, the purpose of PFE is to influence parents to play an important role in their children's education.

Editorial Reviews
From an Elementary School Principal in Roanoke, Virginia
"...Publications by Mrs. Owens (Parenting For Education and Create A Math Environment) have been helpful to me, my staff, and our parents..."

From The News-Virginian  "...This is one book whose cover really does belie what awaits inside. Inside is a veritable gold mine of information, a busy and thorough compilation of wit and wisdom. . ."

Recognition: Selected as a Resource in Education

Presentations

A Vivian Visit invites schools or other organizations to choose from the following
presentations:

Parenting For Education (PFE) Workshops: Customized workshops for parents that address needs children have outside of a formal school structure—needs which affect their learning. PFE motivates and encourages parents to be aware of the varied conditions influencing academic growth. Parents gain a positive sense of the lead role they can play in nurturing their children's education.

Analytical Minds: Based on the central principle that you can raise your level of performance by engaging in deliberate thinking and reasoning processes, "Analytical Minds" works with students to activate habits of learning. Using a focused approach to acquiring information, students leam how to see math, science, and other subjects from a keen perspective.


An Author's Potion: For elementary and middle school learners, Vivian will lead students through several activities that will show them how she transitioned from a career as a chemist to a career as a teacher and writer.


Writer's Workshop: For students of any grade level, Vivian will customize a workshop to create a product that will leave students with a sense of accomplishment.


Storytellers Trunk: With her trunk, Vivian will pull ideas that tumble students into a world of fun and stories. This activity involves oral and written communication.


Vivian's Books: In this slide presentation, Vivian talks about her books and reads from them. Students learn how the author approaches her work, and how she develops the book. As she explores the challenges of creating fiction against the challenges of researching nonfiction, Vivian shows students how to combine imagination with other intellectual disciplines.


Create a Math Environment Workshop: with some hope of erasing fears and frustrations that people experience with math, this workshop develops a hands-on plus minds-on approach to learning and achieving.  Using simple items found in the home, parents grasp how to help their children leam basic math concepts; and it also refreshes weak skills parents may have in math usage. This workshop can also be used to help floundering students.

Number of Sessions for Students:

Professional Fees:		 Up to four sessions per day

Honorarium $800 per day
 
All expenses to be paid, including: hotels, transportation, meals, and workshop materials.

Prior to Owens' visit, thc author would appreciate a "Get a acquainted" endeavor to introduce students to books by Vivian Owcns. A special discount for books purchased directly from Eschar Publications, LLC.

For more about Vivian Owens presentations visit http://escharpublications.com/hmtl/wkshp.html