“Finally, a vocabulary method that involves usage, not memorization.The Tales of Fort Word, Texas exposes students to SAT words
at an early age. This book makes learning new words effortless.
The result is permanent vocabulary growth through reading.”
-Mary Jane McKinney, President, Grammardog.com L.L.C.
“As we all know, children learn from repetition and from
observing role models. Ms. Mac has done a masterful job
of presenting important values in a language children can
understand. If we would all take time and give serious thought
about our actions and words in the presence of young folks
this would be a much better place and continue to flower for
future generations.”
-Red Steagall, 2006 Poet Laureate of Texas,
2003 Inductee into Hall of Great Westerners
“ The Tales of Fort Word, Texas is an exceptional story with an
ambitious goal: that of increasing a child’s ability to express
himself. By coupling charming characters with SAT vocabulary.
this intriguing story helps young students gain mastery over
higher level communication.”
-Celeste Seay, Editor and Author,
Rock-a-bye Heart , The Healing of Christian George
“Congratulations! You picked a winner with illustrator, Dan Foote.
Foote’s colorful illustrations truly capture the spirit and personality
of these quirky but delightful characters in The Tales of Fort Word,
Texas. The result is an educational tool that will entertain children of all ages and have a significant impact on advancing their reading skills. You did good. Very, good.”
-Mike Scovel, Renowned Cowboy Cartoonist and
Westerner Artist
“In The Tales of Fort Word, Texas Ms. Mac has provided
in a fictional setting old-west characters who model my
MegaSkills R components of caring, effort, responsibility
initiative, perseverance, teamwork, problem solving and common
sense. Ms. Mac presents a special opportunity for all readers
to find success with retention of high vocabulary words often
found on standardized tests. Parents and children will enjoy
this book together as they build their memory skills, learn new
vocabulary words and share a laugh or two.”
-Dr. Dorothy Rich, Author
MegaSkills, Building Children’s Achievement For The Information Age
“Well-known educator and popular children’s author, Ms. Mac, has
written another uniquely charming, educational and ”attention-
grabbing” fun, picture book for all students from gifted readers to
those with special reading needs. The delightful book titled
The Tales of Fort Word, Texas offers vocabulary development, makes
use of alliteration and rhyme, and includes the exciting challenge of
finding definitions hidden in pictures. Making use of a western setting
at old FORT WORD and including colorful characters such as
Vacillating Vernon, the rattlesnake, Furtive Fernando, the buzzard,
and additional town folks and animals, an intriguing story attracts
“page-turning” interest as the excited reader follows along and
becomes involved in the many intriguing adventures of its characters.The Tales of Fort Word, Texas is an educational and interesting book.
Its unique approach to learning, and its delightful cartoon-like
illustrations, make it a “must read” for children, parents, educators,
and librarians.”
-Evelyn Horan, Educator and Author,
Jeannie, A Texas Frontier Girl
“Congratulations! Wow! Wow! Wow! I love, love, love what Ms. Mac has done.
I fell in love with Vacillating Vernon! Ms. Mac has artfully given any
type learner the opportunity to learn new vocabulary. I love that
the adjective describing each character-their first name-is chosen by
their behavioral description, and then shown by their actions--brilliant.
Ms. Mac, this is really, really good. You have one amazing mind.
Between alliteration, humor, context learning, and a fabulous plot, it’s
easy for any type of learner to improve his/her vocabulary and have
one great time doing it!”
-Jackie Waldman, Author,
The Courage to Give Series
“Young readers who like the West will find pleasure in this
fanciful story of a Western town, its comical human characters
with funny names, and its talking animals, birds, and snakes,
who face problems just like the rest of us.”
-Elmer Kelton, Award-winning Western Novelist and Cowboy.
“Ms. Mac would have made a fine schoolmarm in a one-room old west
schoolhouse. Her The Tales of Fort Word, Texas captures the feel of
a long gone but not forgotten era and not only interests a new
generation of readers to the west, but painlessly impacts their
vocabulary in the process. Both are very important to those of us
in the western writer’s community.”
-Terry W. Burns, Western Author of
The Mysterious Ways Series
“It is very important to present children with books that hold their
attention while increasing their vocabulary and reading skills and their
love for reading. Ms. Mac has written such a book. The Tales of
Fort Word, Texas is entertaining and engaging and conveys important
life lessons, all while strengthening reading and learning abilities.
Ms. Mac’s book will enrich the lives of many children.”
-Dr. Robert Brooks, Faculty Harvard Medical School, Author of
Handbook of Resilience in Children and The Self-Esteem Teacher
“I love Vacillating Vernon and never thought I could ever feel
sorry for a rattlesnake!”
-Beulah Chick, Long-time West Texas Rancher Woman
“The Tales of Fort Word, Texas is a winning combination of
captivating characters and a cleverly developed story which will
lure young gifted children by engaging them in the mystery
and piquing their interest in the provocative vocabulary ”furtively”
inserted into the engaging prose. This book should be in every
classroom.”
-Mary Seay, Ph.D., Gifted Education Consultant, Graduate
Studies, Schreiner University
“Ms. Mac tells a tale with a delightful cast of characters right off the Texas frontier. Intermediate level kids will have a great time expanding their reading vocabulary.
When I opened it up, the illustrations grabbed my attention. Immediately, I knew the story’s dramatis, personae and setting. The art work, font style, and layout receive a Prime A rating from me.
Ms. Mac did an amazing job to create humorous and identifiable characters with a set of vocabulary words.”
-Jerry Young, The Texas Tale Rattler, A Storyteller Extraordinaire
“Let me say that I enjoyed The Tales of Fort Word, Texas. I loved
the play on words and the sneaky way that Ms. Mac incorporated those
higher level vocabulary words into the text. I think the students in
Texas will enjoy the characters and the plot.”
-Janie D. Lombardi, President, Texas Reading Association
“Ms. Mac’s The Tales of Fort Word, Texas is a rare combination of an engaging story, appealing illustrations and skill-building text. Her careful attention to presentation (larger font, fun illustrations, placement of text on the page) adds to students’ potential for success without being clinical, stilted or monotonous. Children will eagerly follow the tales of Vacillating Vernon as he slithers in and out of tight spots.
At first glance, the variety of vocabulary in this delightful book
might seem overwhelming for a struggling reader or even an
average one. However, the illustrated glossary and the clever use
of context make this book engaging and manageable for challenged
as well as accelerated readers in middle to upper elementary school. The book uses many elements to draw children in and grab
their attention, and embeds innovative techniques such as:
highlighted vocabulary, a “poor man’s pronunciation guide” and the use
of alliteration and rhyme to help children become stronger readers.”
-Cathy P Miller, The Literacy Ambassador
“Dan Foote is an excellent choice for illustrator! The colorful
humorous drawings complement the well-written text to increase
the interest and therefore the involvement of the reader. Makes
learning fun, even competition to the TV or Nintendo,”
-Zella Strickland, 2001 Cowboy Cartoonist of the Year
Academy of Western Art
“From an African perspective, the book encompasses everything that a teacher would want in his/her reading books. It tackles many fields in which learners might be struggling but above all, the book makes reading fun and memorable for every kind of reader from language-disordered to visual to puzzle-minded. A valuable addition to any classroom.”
-Janet Condy, Reading Association of South Africa
“The Tales of Fort Word, Texas offers challenge and support for every kind of young reader.....{the} use of long words makes readers feel a sense of achievement, while repetition and picture-support minimizes the potential difficulty of these words.”
-Dr. Pat Pinsent,
Senior Research Fellow, National Centre for Research in Children’s Literature, Roehampton University, London, England