Sophie & The Magic of Dance

A feel-good story for middle readers about an aspiring ballerina who finds finds inspiration in nature and dreams of attending Canada's National Ballet School.

January 2021 New Release!

2nd Edition & E-Version

“SOPHIE IS FULL OF LIFE, HOPE, WISDOM & LOVE… A JEWEL for the YOUNG in these tired times!” Georgi Danevski, Master Artist, Canada.

Sophie Cover 2nd Edition

E-version now available

Sophie & the Magic of Dance is a fear-free, feel-good story for middle readers, providing a safe, peaceful playground for young imaginations. The main character is a passionate 8-year-old girl and talented dancer who finds inspiration and music to fuel her dream everywhere she goes – on her trips to the big city for ballet classes and on walks in the beautiful, mystical forest beside her home. There she spends time with Papa, an artist who carries his sketchbook everywhere he goes, and her forest friends including Winnie Wind, the Sunbeams, the Beaver family, Pavlova the Monarch butterfly and wise Pechanga, the oldest tree in all the woodlands. Sophie works hard in her ballet classes with Mme. Ziss preparing for a successful audition with Canada’s National Ballet School where she envisions her dream of being a professional dancer coming true. She learns her technique very well in class but ultimately, discovers the true “magic of dance” - that spark which is the mark of any great dancer - in a story told by the ancient oak about a First Nation’s girl from long ago who found her inspiration to dance in the elements of nature: the air, water, earth and fire. Sophie & the Magic of Dance, written and illustrated by Shelley Richardson, M.Ed, college English professor and AMI Elementary Montessori Educator, provides a bridge over the troubled waters of contemporary fear-based storytelling. There are no villains, scary characters or violent scenes. Key messages about daring to dream, the power of positive thinking, loving nature and living passionately from the heart are modelled through the main character’s dedication to dance and her friendship with delightful characters in the natural world. Sophie is a remedy for our times, inspiring young readers to seek and be in love with the beauty of life and all its wonderful possibilities.

Praise From Our Readers

“SOPHIE IS FULL OF LIFE, HOPE, WISDOM & LOVE… A JEWEL for the YOUNG in these tired times!” Georgi Danevski, Internationally Renowned Master Artist, Canada.

“SOPHIE is an inspiration for the young to 100 years young! An enchanting tale sure to evoke a rainbow of beautiful emotions in the reader… Your heart will take flight and sing!” Eleana Yip, Artist, Vancouver, BC, Canada.

“FANTASTIC! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!”Judith Davies, Director, Ottawa Dance Centre Schools, Ottawa, ON, Canada.

“FABULOUS! IT’S JUST GREAT…A WONDERFUL BOOK FOR CHILDREN!”Karen Zissoff, Director, Dancers INC, Memphis, TN. USA.

“I LOVE SOPHIE! THIS BOOK IS PERFECT FOR ME!” Emma, 9 yrs. ON, Canada.

“PLEASE WRITE MORE!!!” Jacob, 13. BC, Canada.

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Star Wisdom

Message from the Star of Bethlehem

Awakening into the New Dream Earth on Christmas morning. The “Trumpet” tarot card (#22) appears in my mind. It is sounding and humanity is awakening to the Gift of Ascension.

The Star of Bethlehem rises over each of us, beaming and awakening the ‘inner child’ of radiant gold residing in the haven of protection deep within our hearts. The haven has outworn its purpose.

“Like a little child, ye shall enter the Golden Gates of Heaven.”

We are all the babe of Christ – as innocent and as pure. Time to unlock the door to the cavern of protection where the golden babe resides, sleeping in the manger, humbly, lovingly and full of peace in knowing the Truth of Mother and Father God’s Creation, why we are here and our purpose as co-creators toward the further perfection of the Universe.

So the ‘inner child’ is our true self – balanced and whole – not meant to hide away but to be our true crystalline form, growing to perfection and standing tall in our streams of scintillating Divine golden energy, unique for each of us in rhythm and song. The “inner child” was not meant to bring out only once in a while to briefly cajole and uplift the Light warrior. The babe was not meant to be a fragmented part like an ornament we hang on a Christmas tree for a short time and then put away. The golden child when reinstated to its rightful place offers us the Christed eyes to see and renders us whole, bringing the I AM to the forefront of our consciousness.

Embodied in the golden babe is Truth and Wisdom of the Ages. For where there is Truth, there is knowing and purity of thought – immaculate conception - that is free to create wholly and with pure Love, to the Glory of the Creator, to the Glory of All.

Release the golden child and allow it to rise and take its rightful place in the forefront of your being. Know you are the Christed Love-Light for this is your Cosmic heritage and this is the gift the golden child within offers you this Christmas day. Let her adorn your heart, your entire being from this moment forward. You are the Christ child. And that is the gift of Truth and realization I bring to you on this the Holiest Christmas since the First Noel.

Merriest Christmas. The Golden Gates of Heaven on Earth are now sprung open for you. Enter in.

With Love & Blessings, The Star of Bethlehem.

Messenger: Shelley Richardson on December 25th, 2020.

Artwork: Star of Bethlehem photo from www.icr.org/article/what-was-star-bethlehem

PS. Posting the message as it flowed through originally. Holding back the editor within. Too much editing and polishing seems to zap the beautiful energy so I have left it as is.:)

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Oswald Is Here!

Oswald Inside A Rainbow by Deborah Herriot-Howes & Illustrated by Georgi Danevski www.insidearainbow.com

Oswald Inside A Rainbow by Deborah Herriot-Howes & Illustrated by Georgi Danevski www.insidearainbow.com

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Lost Prophets of the Agora: Plato & Scripture

Lost Prophets of the Agora: Plato & Scripture by Adam Alfsen

Lost Prophets of the Agora: Plato & Scripture by Adam Alfsen

FALL RELEASE 2017

Fascinating exploration of biblical concepts, correlations & near direct quotations in Plato's works.    A transformational read by new author Adam Alfsen, proprietor of Alfsen House Books, Main Street, Markham, ON. Canada www.alfsenhouse-art.com

"What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?"  ~ Bible

"O tell me, what do possessions profit a man, if he have neither sense nor wisdom?"  ~ Plato

ISBN: 978 -0-9950332-0-7

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Granny’s Cottage – A Microcosm of Peace

Granny's Fall Birches

Granny's Fall Birches

The autumn leaves stir such happy childhood memories. Luminous arrays of colour, fanning across crisp sunny skies swiftly carry me back in time to a tiny, overfilled cottage and the joyful clamour of Thanksgiving meals shared elbow to elbow alongside grandparents, parents, sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles and family dogs. Memories of  a cosiness warmed by a potbelly fire became touchstones over the years of happy communions with people and nature. Afternoon walks in a golden world with breathtaking ornamental sprays of oranges and reds, crisp Mackintosh in hand (the kind you eat, not tap), the sweet smell of white birches, slim, graceful trunks rising from a blanket of canary yellow leaves, overlooking the cool, gray fall lake…I remember it like yesterday.

Was it here in this little alcove of northern Canadian paradise that the seeds of hope for a peaceful world first sewed themselves in my soul?

Certainly in the years going forward the memories of Granny’s cottage became a measuring stick against harsher, less forgiving encounters in the world. At the very least, these early experiences were my formative lessons in gratitude and appreciation.

Ultimately for me, the memories of a cozy cedar cottage cocooned in autumn bliss embody the essence of a world worth dreaming into being – a peaceful world, where every thought and action emerges in celebration of life.

I wonder what powers lay dormant in the reservoirs of our long forgotten joys that might help carry us forward into a new era of peace? The memories of Thanksgiving at Granny’s cottage certainly give me courage and hope.

I have known paradise.

I know in my heart we can find our way there again.

If only one microcosm of peace at a time, we shall find our way.

For the children's sake,

Shelley Richardson, M.Ed.  ©2016

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Canadian Thanksgiving

Red Autumn Lake

Canadian Thanksgiving

When the northern skies grow gray and cool fall winds lull the vibrant summer fields to sleep, we count our blessings from Mother who sustains us. The autumn splendour, a gift from Father in kind for our remembrance of her, for our Thanksgiving – our celebration of Life.

Infinite Blessings to all on this very special holiday,

Shelley Richardson, M.Ed.  ©2016

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The Universal Garden

Earth & Universe: One Garden, One Story

Earth & Universe:
One Garden, One Story

The universal voice of Light, Love and Peace sings octaves above the pounding sea of chaos raging in the world today. Mis-creation has shallow roots in the Garden and therefore, no everlasting quality. This realization alone can give us hope.

Light, that which birthed the Universe into being and Love its weaver, is wisely visited in the sacred silence of our inner temple. There we attune our expression to the rhythm of the Cosmic song from our innermost core to the outermost reaches of our being. 

We become that which we are: Love. Peace blooms effortlessly as an authentic, inherent quality of our being.

We remember our eternalness for our roots reach infinitely into the Universal Garden – the Garden of Light and Love that is Cosmos and human simultaneously.

We are One Garden, One Story. 

 

Infinite Blessings,

Shelley Richardson     ©2015

 

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Second Glance

 

Spring Garden

Spring Garden

First spring tea today in my garden!

Admittedly, a little chilly in the crisp sunny breeze and the view so brown and withered but determined I was to be in Nature's presence for so long and icy was  the winter. And soon I caught a glimpse....perhaps a gift in kind for my perseverance in the chilly wind. There among the lifeless branches, a tiny sprig of green so sweet, smiled at me.  My beautiful Sage! She triumphed and will live to see another season!

The humble sight sparked such a ray of hope in my soul for a world of all good things. How is it such a tiny sprig  ignites a fire of faith in me - not only for my Sage but for all humanity?

Like the appearances of this world that might tempt us into believing hope is lost, perhaps a second glance is warranted... a deeper, more thoughtful look at the reflections in the each other's eyes.  There we will find her residing in a powerful grace, fortifying our spirits with courage and confidence - lighting our passage out of the labyrinth into a world in love with life and all Creation.

Infinite Blessings,

Shelley Richardson        ©2014

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Women Writing Letters: Season 2

Women Writing LettersWomen Writing Letters presents...

"A Letter to My 16-Year Old Self"
Sunday April 13, 2014
2:30-4:00 pm
in the OISE Nexus Lounge,
at the Ontario Institute of Studies in Education (OISE) in Toronto.
Admission is $10.00.

After the letter reading, Gailey Road Productions will be launching Women Writing Letters: Season 2, a compilation of letters from last year's season of Women Writing Letters that includes Shelley Richardson's "Dear Eden.": "A Letter to My Best Present Ever."

 

 

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Organic Time

Organic Time - Time, what is your pleasure?  To be measured out in dollops round a dial  or a humble river flowing…  igniting cycles of transformation everywhere?  Time, a friend eternal and no foe at all  but a faithful companion to infinity.   © Shelley Richardson, 2012 -  Photo credit with appreciation: Lohengrin - www.eddypress.com

Time, what is your pleasure?

To be measured out in dollops round a dial or a humble river flowing... igniting cycles of transformation everywhere?

Time, a friend eternal and no foe at all but a faithful companion to infinity.

 

Infinite Blessings,  

Shelley Richardson          ©2012

Photo Credit with Appreciation: Lohengrin 

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