Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1487796
Got something for Lit From Within — a book , blog, album, video series, podcast or something else? Tell us at editor@cta.org with "Lit From Within" in the subject line. We lean toward new(ish) work that can be used in the classroom. Family Love Victoria Smith, a CTA/NEA Retired mem- ber, has written Tuxedo Baby, the story of a lonely Magellanic penguin from Chile adopted by cherry-head conure parrots. The loving parents welcome him into their home, and he tries hard to please them. More than anything, Tuxedo Baby wants to fly like they and his conure friends at school do, but he is the only bird who can't fly. Then — a surprise.... A story of unconditional love and acceptance for grades K-3. On Amazon. Star of the Sea Take a walk at the beach and learn — with a book, that is. During the pandemic, Janet Raiche wrote Marstella, a Day in the Life of a Sea Star. The CTA/NEA Retired member has one side of the book tell the tale of Marstella, a talking sea star. On the opposite side are fun facts about sea stars, including photographs of the echinoderms from the tidepools at Dillon Beach in Marin County, where Raiche lives. It is geared towards K-3. On Amazon. Intergalactic Hero The second installment in a science fiction/ space opera series by Lance Novak finds teen Sophia Sanchez, the hero who saved Centauri Station from disaster, about to leave for a prestigious starfighter pilot train- ing program on Mars. Meanwhile, Tristan Crawford and his comrades are tracking down the masterminds behind the battle that nearly destroyed Sophia's home. It turns out Centauri Station — as well as the planet it orbits — may be in trouble again. Can Sophia help stop an invasion of her solar system? Miss Sophia Sanchez: Leezhahi Conqueror (Book Two in the Kabookian Chronicles) is the fourth young adult novel by Novak, a high school English teacher and member of Las Virgenes Educators Association. On Amazon and Barnes & Noble. 60 cta.org CTA & You From Within Often educators' creativity spills over into a book, blog, app or other work. We're happy to showcase members' talents.