Congratulations to D5 member, Grant Overstake, on the re-release of Maggie Vaults Over the Moon!
Event Date: Tuesday, June 1, 2021 - 6:00pm
Event Date: Tuesday, June 1, 2021 - 6:00pm
Watermark Books & Café invites you to attend a virtual event with local author Grant Overstake! Grant and his co-contributor, Dr. Melissa White will joining us for a virtual discussion of their book Maggie Vaults Over the Moon—Republished as a classroom reader on June 1, 2021, with an inspiring new foreword by reigning Olympic Pole Vault Champion Katerina Stefanidi and discussion questions for middle schoolers
About the Book
When tragedy strikes the Steele Family Farm at harvest time, tearful Maggie finds herself grinding the gears of the giant grain truck, trying her best to replace her big brother, Alex, who died in a fiery car crash. If Maggie is going to escape her worst nightmare (being stuck on the farm forever), she'll need to ignore small-town critics, brave painful setbacks, and defy the heavy pull of gravity itself. As the pole-vault crossbar is raised dangerously higher, her future is quite literally up in the air. Taking cues from the voice within, Maggie bravely launches herself skyward. When the bar is raised to a record-setting height at the state championship meet, can she find the courage it takes to soar into a brighter future of her own making?
About the Author
Author and teaching artist Grant Overstake writes compelling novels on important themes for young people. His premier novel, Maggie Vaults Over the Moon (2012), was hailed as a "Fine YA novel about perseverance in sports and in life" by KIRKUS REVIEWS. Grant's second novel, The Real Education of TJ Crowley (2018), a story about thorny race relations during the Civil Rights Era, was a National Book of the Month selection by Bookclubz and named "Book of the Year" by the Kansas Authors' Club. His independent publishing firm, Grain Valley Publishing Company, produces award-winning novels with the help of fine editors and designers from around the nation. Learn more at www.grantoverstake.com.
The discussion questions for Maggie Vaults Over the Moon were created by Dr. Melissa I. White. She is a Language Arts (ELA) Teacher and Mental Performance Consultant with a Doctorate in Sport Psychology who uses Maggie Vaults Over the Moon to inspire her own athletes at Hempfield Area High School in Western Pennsylvania. Dr. White earned a master's degree in Exercise Science: Sport Psychology from California University of Pennsylvania, and a doctorate in Sport and Performance Psychology from the University of Western States. While earning her bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from Bethany College (West Virginia) she competed in the pole vault and javelin events. Like the hero Maggie Steele, Melissa was the only girl pole-vaulter at her high school, where she set a school record that lasted for over a decade. Her counseling practice, Performance Edge Consulting, helps athletes across the nation gain the mental edge to perform their best. In her spare time, Melissa enjoys spending time with her family, watching sporting events, listening to music, and most of all, training her Australian Shepherd, Wendy Lou, who also works with her clients as a sport therapy dog. To learn more about Dr. White's sport counseling service and download a free goal-setting worksheet, visit performanceedgeconsulting.org.
When tragedy strikes the Steele Family Farm at harvest time, tearful Maggie finds herself grinding the gears of the giant grain truck, trying her best to replace her big brother, Alex, who died in a fiery car crash. If Maggie is going to escape her worst nightmare (being stuck on the farm forever), she'll need to ignore small-town critics, brave painful setbacks, and defy the heavy pull of gravity itself. As the pole-vault crossbar is raised dangerously higher, her future is quite literally up in the air. Taking cues from the voice within, Maggie bravely launches herself skyward. When the bar is raised to a record-setting height at the state championship meet, can she find the courage it takes to soar into a brighter future of her own making?
About the Author
Author and teaching artist Grant Overstake writes compelling novels on important themes for young people. His premier novel, Maggie Vaults Over the Moon (2012), was hailed as a "Fine YA novel about perseverance in sports and in life" by KIRKUS REVIEWS. Grant's second novel, The Real Education of TJ Crowley (2018), a story about thorny race relations during the Civil Rights Era, was a National Book of the Month selection by Bookclubz and named "Book of the Year" by the Kansas Authors' Club. His independent publishing firm, Grain Valley Publishing Company, produces award-winning novels with the help of fine editors and designers from around the nation. Learn more at www.grantoverstake.com.
The discussion questions for Maggie Vaults Over the Moon were created by Dr. Melissa I. White. She is a Language Arts (ELA) Teacher and Mental Performance Consultant with a Doctorate in Sport Psychology who uses Maggie Vaults Over the Moon to inspire her own athletes at Hempfield Area High School in Western Pennsylvania. Dr. White earned a master's degree in Exercise Science: Sport Psychology from California University of Pennsylvania, and a doctorate in Sport and Performance Psychology from the University of Western States. While earning her bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from Bethany College (West Virginia) she competed in the pole vault and javelin events. Like the hero Maggie Steele, Melissa was the only girl pole-vaulter at her high school, where she set a school record that lasted for over a decade. Her counseling practice, Performance Edge Consulting, helps athletes across the nation gain the mental edge to perform their best. In her spare time, Melissa enjoys spending time with her family, watching sporting events, listening to music, and most of all, training her Australian Shepherd, Wendy Lou, who also works with her clients as a sport therapy dog. To learn more about Dr. White's sport counseling service and download a free goal-setting worksheet, visit performanceedgeconsulting.org.
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