Dr. Ellen K. Rudolph's Book Blog

A Map of Willi’s Journey

Dr. Ellen K. Rudolph — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 20:30:48 +0000

Willi’s long journey took her from Jamestown to Yorktown. She followed the Colonial Parkway that also took her through Williamsburg.

Click map

With the map open, see if you can find:

JAMESTOWN
WILLIAMSBURG
YORKTOWN
THE MIGHTY JAMES RIVER
THE MIGHTY YORK RIVER

Filed under: A Map of Willi's Journey

Strategic Book Club Interview with Dr. Ellen

Dr. Ellen K. Rudolph — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 23:08:42 +0000

Strategic Book Club recently interviewed Dr. Ellen about her children’s book, and the thinking that went into its construction. The name of her book is WILLI GETS A HISTORY LESSON in Virginia’s Historic Triangle.

Question: Dr. Ellen, can you talk about your reasons for writing WILLI GETS A HISTORY LESSON in Virginia’s Historic Triangle?

I lived in Virginia’s Historic Triangle region for 35 years, and also photographed it professionally for many of those years.

I wanted children to have a way to experience the region even if they were not able to visit it in person.

Elementary school-aged children (for which the book is geared) study Virginia’s role in the birth of our nation, but rarely with photo-driven books like the WILLI book which uses more than 70 photo illustrations, each of which is worth more than a thousand words as the saying goes.

I selected photos that would resonate with children while building a heart-warming story of friendship around them.

But, photo illustrated books are expensive to publish, which is why you don’t see too many of them. But I wanted to do this kind of book anyway because I know the power of images to evoke learning.

I did the illustrations myself using my graphics skills to import the dog, WILLI, into my professional photographs of the region. That forced me to THINK LIKE A CHILD – which I found important in actually writing the book!

Question: So your book is a history book, then?

No, it is actually classified as juvenile fiction because it is about a small dog that gets lost in the Historic Triangle region and embarks on a search to find her owner. Along the way the dog, Willi, encounters many Virginia animals and historic figures who come to her assistance, and help direct her eventually to the Yorktown Battlefields where she reunites with her owner – but not before many exciting adventures occur, some of which lead the reader to worry that she will never find her owner!

Because the story is set in a very historic region, the photographic plates have considerable educational value in exposing the reader to many historically significant sites in Virginia’s history.

The dog’s journey starts in Jamestown, VA and continues through Williamsburg and Colonial Williamsburg properties, as well as the College of William and Mary campus, and ends in Yorktown where the war for Independence was won. A very historic Byway – the Colonial Parkway – connects all three areas. The dog, Willi, learns in passing about the wildlife that inhabit the parkway and the two major river systems that embrace it (the mighty James and York Rivers).

In addition, the book includes a 23-page appendix of reference material to help parents and teachers answer all those questions that children love to ask! Many adults, including local residents, have told me that they learned things by reading the appendix that they had not known before.

Older children can conduct their own historical research using the appendix.

BTW, the book’s heroine, Willi, is owned by a friend of mine who also happens to be Willi’s owner in the story, Mr. V. David Hazzard of Williamsburg is a Virginia archaeologist and Director of Virginia’s Threatened Sites Program. This fact gave me liberal access to the dog for photographic purposes, which was important because I had to posture the dog in so many different ways to make the story believable to kids. That alone was great fun!

Not long ago I brought Mr. V and Willi with me to the Rawls Byrd Elementary School in Williamsburg to talk with the kids about the book and their reactions to it – two other characters from the book also joined us there; Colonial Williamsburg’s Thomas Jefferson and also the leader of CW’s famous Fifes and Drum Corps, Mr. Lance Pedigo. They came in their colonial-era clothing which totally thrilled the kids.

Also, the opportunity to touch and talk with major characters in the book helped bring the story home to the children who were also equally thrilled to be able to meet the dog, WILLI, in real life.

That visit was videoed for the school and also for my use as a book promotional tool and is now available for viewing on YouTube.

Question: Can you elaborate a bit on the significance of Virginia’s Historic Triangle for our listeners?

Yes! For starters:
(1) The Historic Triangle gave birth to the United States, how’s that for significance?!

(2) Ideas of REVOLUTION were fanned at Williamsburg.

(3) Our independence was won in the final victory at Yorktown.

(4) Our Representative form of government has its origins in the Historic Triangle – Virginia colonists convened at Jamestown in 1619 in the first representative assembly ever held in the New World (a long, long time before, according to historian Martha McCartney, Williamsburg was even a twinkle in anyone’s eye!)

(5) Had the revolutionaries in Williamsburg been less intent – or if the French had won at Yorktown – what kind of nation might we have become instead?

These are engaging questions for eager young minds – 400 years later we are still trying to deal with the struggles between Europeans, American Indians, and Africans as they played out in the Historic Triangle.

When the early English settlers landed at Jamestown in 1607 they were expecting to easily subdue “this land of plenty” and found, instead, rugged harrowing conditions that nearly did them in.

These things raise even more questions for inquiring young minds: how did that first representative assembly at Jamestown work? How does it compare to what we have today?

The seeds of representative government spring from events that happened in Virginia’s Historic Triangle – so it is not just a pretty place to visit – it is history that is critical to our current day experience as Americans.

I worry that children are not getting a sufficient grounding in early American history. In thinking back to my own school days, about all I can (really) remember about history are all the names and dates that I had to memorize, along with those preamble statements to various Liberty documents. You know, things like…"Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal."

While memorizing that preamble may be important, it is still an approach to history that fails to cultivate a sense of excitement and interest in our early American origins. It doesn't transport us there emotionally, I want to be part of any movement that highlights interest in the lessons of Virginia’s Historic Triangle.

For example, we are still learning a lot about those days at Jamestown through the work of Dr. Bill Kelso and his archeological colleagues in the Jamestown Rediscovery project. Willi learns a bit about this project in my book but there is so much more to learn!

The lesson for all of us at every age is that we cannot make good political decisions without knowing what came before us in history. A collective ignorance about the past allows patterns to repeat without our even questioning them, which is something that is happening more and more in our society.

I have asked whole auditoriums full of young kids what subjects they like best in school…and least…and history is clearly in the 'least liked' category. We need to fix that.

I, personally, wasn't too keen about history until I took a freshman class at the University of Minnesota from a professor who really made history come alive for me! You would have thought those historic figures were right there in that classroom with us. I loved that class.

Question: I guess you a fan of history in your own adult life?

I am, indeed. And I find that it is ever more important for me to know what actually happened in our Republic’s past as I read about challenge after challenge to our most precious form of self-government of the people, by the people and for the people.

We currently face some horrific challenges to our most basic freedoms and sense of self-reliance as citizens.

Our founding fathers promoted the notion that less government is the ideal in a free society, not more government. I want young children today to learn about that, and about why it is such an important concept in our evolution as a Republic and political force in the world.

What I have found in my own research – and I suspect this plays out in the very textbooks that our children read – is that textbook writers themselves are often seriously biased in their approach. They often leave out important things that don’t ‘fit’ well with the particular political case they are making in their textbooks or, if not that, they seriously distort history by virtue of focusing on some things more than other things. Sometimes this is a deliberate process, sometimes it is a mindless thing that goes unscrutinized…

The current issues confronting the Texas State Board of Education is a case in point. There are major discussions going on there about what to include (or not) in their social studies curriculums. It bears your close attention, for what our children learn in school is at stake here.

We need to know our true history, warts and all. Indeed, I think it is rather shocking that some Board of Education somewhere can scratch this or that fact from a major textbook, just for political reasons!

Question: This leads me to your notion of ‘character education’ that you speak of on your blog and elsewhere. Can you tell us more about that?

One of the most important things we can do for our children is to give them experiences in character building. There is no doubt about it, people with good character are the best models we have in our world.

I am an expert in Bowen Family Theory and Therapy. In that regard, an over-riding preoccupation of mine as a writer of children’s books is to evoke awareness in my child readers of the natural history of the Historic Triangle region, right along with the regional and people history.

This is the STUFF of character building! Character building promotes an upbeat attitude about life. It fosters good will between people. It fosters a nurturing environment where – as in my Willi book – getting lost is not necessarily the end of the world. Character building fosters a reverence for all living things.

So the Willi story is not just about an endearing little dog, or even just about exposure to good early American history. It is about the evolution of thinking in children that encourages discovery and interactivity with others in a respectful way.

Character education, however, is sorely lacking in this era of SOL’s (Standards of Learning) and NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND legislation. Such curriculum mandates do not leave much time for character building or for the analysis of what constitutes character building, or why it is even important to think about it.

A child’s wider-community necessarily models many things, some of them good like character building experiences, and some of them not so good; like disconnectedness and cutoffness, family and marital discord, fraudulent and violent behavior – to name but a few problematic things.

Adults who model strong character to their children in turn raise children who grow up to have strong character themselves. Things do intervene to change this but for the most part this is how familial dynamics work.

Question: So what are the core ethical values that make up character building, Dr. Ellen?

Core ethical values of caring, honesty, fairness, a sense of self-responsibility, and a respect for others – these are the fruits of true character building experiences. They form the basis of good character development and affirm our human dignity and promote the development of (and the welfare of) the individual.

Individual self-directedness and self-fullness, if you will – these are the things that keep us from being engulfed by the forces of anxious fuision that are so prevalent around us. [You can read more about this in my Essay Blog at www.drellenr.wordpress.com.]

Children with solid character-building experiences go out into the world with potent tools at their disposal. With these tools they can fight off the hapless forces that only want to drag them down, if possible, or lead them astray. A self-directed child who has learned how to evaluate the world around them in these terms knows clearly who possesses self-respect and who does not – who harbors good-will towards others and who does not. And that alone is vital, self-preserving information!

Children grow to understand core values by studying them and through an ongoing discussion of such values, and also by observing good models and successfully resolving problems involving these values.

Willi’s experience of being lost and then found helps promote this kind of understanding.

It’s all about empathy and a sense of community, and about forming caring relationships that do not degrade SELF in the process. Many relationships in life unfortunately do serve to degrade self.

Everything that goes on in the life of a child affects his or her character. But it always interests me that schools have (a) academic curriculums and also (b) extra-curricular activities – yet there is also a more hidden curriculum that affects character development which schools routinely ignore:

-the existence of natural consequences (good and bad) for ones behavior
-repercussions for anti-social behavior
-ostracism, rejection, or banishment from a group’s activities
-unfairness in dealings with others
-political correctness (whatever that is)
-bias
-power-mongering
-corruption and its insidious effects

We need to be spending more time on such things and on open and frank analysis of what goes wrong in our Society that allows such things to occur. This effort, though, takes time, thoughtfulness, introspection, thinking out loud – things that fast-paced curriculums simply do not allow for.

Children have strong needs for safety, belonging, and the experience of contributing to society. [Willi’s friends all come to her aid, even some historical figures]. We also know that children learn by doing. And by so doing they see how cooperating with others works and why that might be important in the grand scheme of things.

But the experience of character building (like any good childrens book) has to be inherently interesting and meaningful to children. Boring stories do not work…boring, endless strings of unintelligible paragraphs do not work…nor do boring lectures work…dictatorial, coercive teaching methods do not work…even government dictums do not work.

Character building evolves over time as opportunities for dialogue and character analysis arise in a child’s life with adults who are important to them.

Question: How can all of this be applied to reading your WILLI book?

Well, parents and teachers interested in character development will surely discuss Willi’s lost and found experiences in this regard, and they will reflect on the dog’s owner, Mr. V, who initially leaves the dog in a parked car on a hot summer day while visiting a living museum in Jamestown. They will also discuss, though, how Mr. V. redeemed himself later on by doing everything in his power to find his dog, no matter what it took.

‘Character’ is often described as doing the right thing when no one is looking.

For example, a person with character will not run a red light because it is the right thing to do to stop at the red light, not only out of self-preservation but in respect for others around them. A person with character will not pocket the $100 bill found on the street, but will first try to find its owner if possible – they may even turn the $100 bill into the local police department with information about where it was found, etc.

A person with character will pocket his or her trash rather than dumping it indiscriminately on the ground. They will vote in political elections because they see it as their civic responsibility to do so. They will take classes in school and study for them in a way that will help them learn the material, not just to get a passing grade on a test.

There are many examples of what constitutes ‘character’ – but in all of them you see a self-responsible person acting on their own accord after thinking through a dilemma and then responding appropriately to it.

You can see some of this as our heroine, Willi, walks along the Colonial Parkway expressing lonely feelings and abandonment and moments of self-doubt. It is not that self-doubt is problematic, but one of strong character can ultimately rise above such feelings and go on.

These kinds of moments occur in everyone’s life and they offer invaluable opportunities for children to evaluate and analyze how they might respond under similar circumstances.

Using the dog, WILLI, to evoke such discussions in very helpful. It is not so anxiety-provoking as using examples from a child’s own life until they, themselves, are ready to do so.

Question: In other words, children benefit from adult reflections on moral matters, even in books like yours.

Exactly! Parents and teachers should be asking what children can gain from Willi’s historic adventures in the way of character development. They should be thinking out loud with the children, wondering along with them what is going on and why…as Willi travels through history.

Does Willi respond appropriately? What other things might have happened to her in her lost state? How do they feel about Willi's animal friends?

Whether we are mindful of it or not, a child’s wider-community experiences offer up countless experiences that are potentially character-building if only we know to draw the child’s attention to them.

We all know that some communities – and some families – make us feel more a part of the community than others. Some don’t allow for community building in any sense of the word; in fact, they work against community-building efforts. We also know that those communities and families that do not promote character development end up creating unhappy and often unhealthy children who grow up to be unhappy and endlessly unhealthy adults.

About the best we can do is point the child in the direction of good models and be there for them when they have questions.

Question: Can you offer some kind of summary statement about all of this, Dr. Ellen?

Most importantly, I would say without question that helping kids learn HOW TO THINK – rather than teaching them WHAT TO THINK – builds character and gives them experience in analyzing the things that go on in their world and then – hopefully – deciding how to properly respond to them.

I would rather we dispense with rote memorization in our schools and focus, instead, on giving our children expansive opportunities to learn from doing, and to learn by talking out loud with each other about the puzzles we sometimes face.

Additionally, I want to encourage other authors to combine history learning with character development experiences in their children's books, so that their young readers will walk away with a renewed sense of who they are. THAT is a story that will stick with them!

See what your child thinks about WILLI’s adventures – they may just floor you with their insights!

Filed under: Synopsis

The Crim Dell

Dr. Ellen K. Rudolph — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 01:25:16 +0000

The Crim Dell is a small but beautiful lily pond on the William and Mary campus. It is located on a section of road that connects Landrum Drive and Blair Road, between the old and new campus. It is considered one of the College’s most scenic areas.

A Fall View of the Crim Dell and Bridge

The Crim Dell bridge was built over the lily pond in 1965, a gift of to William and Mary from the Class of 1964.

It was dedicated on May 7, 1966 and was named for John W. H. Crim of the class of 1901, and a distinguished alumnus of the College.

It is, by now, fabled to be one of the most romantic places on Earth (you know how tales tend to grow in the telling). Legend has it that if a couple kisses at the center of the bridge, they will marry and be together forever. The only way to avoid marrying that person is to bring them back to the bridge and throw them off, which supposedly breaks the curse.

Also, rumor has it that no one is to walk the Crim Dell alone – for that means they will never be married. Of course, no one know exactly how these rumors got started but it is not a myth that W&M students take lightly. Many couples avoid crossing the bridge together so that they not seal their fate prematurely!

For our purposes, however, it is a dangerously shallow pond so jumping off the bridge into the water is not a very good idea. As our heroine, Willi, says, she is really the only one authorized to do so these days!

This gorgeous spot was once considered to be the grounds for a new library, as it used to be just a gully into which passersby threw their garbage. But once the library project was vetoed it became, over time, one of William and Mary’s enduring treasures.

A Winter View of the Crim Dell and Bridge

A Summer View of the Crim Dell and Bridge

Filed under: Crim Dell

The Christopher Wren Building – A Brief History & Photos

Dr. Ellen K. Rudolph — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 03:16:08 +0000

As she travels along the Colonial Parkway our heroine, Willi, eventually finds her way to the Christopher Wren Building on the College of William and Mary campus. It is there that she meets Lord Botetourt who has graced the Wren courtyard for almost two centuries.

The man, Botetourt, was a popular royal governor of Virginia for two years. And, despite his short tenure in that role, he was a loyal friend and patron of the College. Upon his death he was honored with an elaborate funeral and buried in the crypt under the chapel of the Wren Building.

Other distinguished Virginians are buried in the chapel crypt besides our friend, Lord Botetourt, including Sire John Randolph, his sons John “the Tory” and Peyton, and Bishop James Madison.

Interior View of the Wren Chapel

A View from the Altar

The design of the chapel is similar to that of many collegiate chapels in Great Britain. The paneling is of native pine and walnut. The royal arms of Kings George I and II are displayed on the front of the gallery to serve as a reminder of the close connection between Church and State during the College’s early years.

The arrangement of the pews facing the aisle instead of the altar is called antiphonal seating. It derives from an early Christian tradition in which a congregation was divided into two groups for singing the psalms, each side taking a verse in turn.

The chapel’s circular windows are part of the original Colonial design of the building. This type of window is called a ‘bull’s-eye’ window.

Did you know? The original statue (below) was eventually placed for safekeeping in the Botetourt Gallery of the College’s Swem Library and in 1933 a new statue of Lord Botetourt was created in bronze by W&M alumnus, Gordon Kray.

The Original Lord Botetourt Statue Housed at SWEM Library

The Botetourt Statue by Gordon Kray

The Wren Building has a long and interesting history.

It was constructed between 1695 and 1699, before the City was founded and while the Capital of the Virginia colony was still located at Jamestown. King William III and Queen Mary II of England chartered the College in 1693.

Aerial View of the Christopher Wren Building

Four U.S. Presidents have benefited from educational programs offered by the College: they include George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe and John Tyler.

Fire has gutted the building three times: in 1705, 1859, and 1862. Each time it has been rebuilt, using the original exterior walls. John D. Rockefeller, Jr., restored it to its Colonial appearance in 1928-31.

In 1906, the College of William & Mary became a state institution and in 1918 it admitted women for the first time. As this famous building enters its fourth century, it is still used as an academic building with faculty offices on the third floor and classrooms throughout the building.

A Winter View of the Christopher Wren Building

A Summer View of the Christopher Wren Building

The Stately Portico of the Christopher Wren Building

The Cupola of the Christopher Wren Building

A Backlit Window in the Chapel Galley

Looking down on the Wren Portico from the Chapel Galley

A Longer View of the Portico Side of the Christopher Wren Building

Looking out at Lord Botetourt in the Wren Courtyard

A View of 'Dog' Street from the Cupola of the Christopher Wren Building

Filed under: Christopher Wren Building

Willi Returned to the Rawls Byrd School in January 2010

Dr. Ellen K. Rudolph — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 01:14:19 +0000

The Rawls Byrd Elementary School in Williamsburg brought Dr. Ellen’s book, WILLI GETS A HISTORY LESSON in Virginia’s Historic Triangle, to a select group of 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade students.

These students were all given copies of the book to own and read in advance with their parents; then they were invited to spend a morning with Dr. Ellen and some very special guests of hers that included (a) the dog, WILLI; (b) WILLI’s owner Mr. V.; (c) Lance Pedigo of Colonial Williamsburg’s Fifes and Drum Corp; and (d) Colonial Williamsburg’s beloved character, Thomas Jefferson, played for many years by Bill Barker of Williamsburg.

The gathering was hosted by Mrs. Viky Pedigo of the Rawls Byrd School Media Center. Mrs. Pedigo wears many important hats: she is an inspiring media center director of the best media center in all the world, mother of Lance Pedigo of the Fifes and Drum Corp, long-time friend of CW’s Thomas Jefferson, and one of Dr. Ellen’s dearest friends..not to mention a mentor for many a children’s storywriter world-wide.

Enjoy these photographs from this special day of literary fun and friends!

MEET COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG’S BELOVED CHARACTER, THOMAS JEFFERSON

Do you know? According to History Note #9 in the WILLI book – in reference to Thomas Jefferson at William & Mary – Thomas Jefferson, who became the third President of the United States, first stepped into the Christopher Wren Building at the age of sixteen when he enrolled in the College in 1760. By that age, Jefferson was a scholar and able to read Greek and Latin authors in the original text. He frequently studied fifteen hours a day. William Small, who introduced the young scholar to the writings of Locke, Bacon, and Newton, taught Jefferson. He also awakened in him an interest in science. It was a turbulent time in the history of the College. William & Mary’s students and faculty left the college when the Revolution began, but Jefferson and the College both survived and endured in history.

Mrs. Pedigo (right) welcomes Thomas Jefferson and Dr. Ellen for a morning of fun with the students.

Mr. Jefferson responds to questions from students about his Colonial garb.

Mr. Jefferson fields some great questions, also, about whether we all, like him, can live forever in the minds of others.

There was time for autographs, too.

The pleasure is all mine!

MEET LANCE PEDIGO OF THE FAMOUS CW FIFES AND DRUM CORPS

Dr. Ellen queries the kids about the role of the Fifes and Drums in Colonial combat.

According to History Note #30 in the WILLI book – Does the tricorn hat have a functional purpose? The answer is a resounding yes! One side of the brim was folded up so that when you shouldered your musket you didn’t knock off your hat. It also provided a little aerodynamic support for the militiamen riding horses; in other words, the hat didn’t blow off so easily while riding!

A little big, perhaps...but a fun learning experience!

Lance told the kids all about the different colors of coats used in Colonial militia groups – including the fact that the red color of his coat served to protect the fifes and drummers from enemy combatants. He fielded all kinds of questions, some with rather hilarious stories attached! He was a real hit as you can imagine!

But there is more! Lance is a professional musician in his own right with many, many credits to his name. In fact, as we speak, Lance is on his way to Sydney, Australia for the 60th anniversary performance of the Edinburgh Military Tattoo. He will be Drum Major, leading the Middlesex County Volunteers Fifes and Drums, a group of performers from the Boston area that formed a Fifes and Drums regiment based on the Colonial Williamsburg model.

Finally, I bet you don’t know this: Lance first joined Colonial Williamsburg’s Fifes and Drum corps as a recruit in 1972 at the age of nine!

Mr. Pedigo tells the kids that WILLI is an official 'Dog Major' (instead of a Drum Major).

WILLI HAS GOTTEN OLDER…BUT SHE IS STILL A TROOPER!

Dr. Ellen couldn’t have chosen a more loyal friend for the main character of her first children’s book. Willi loves meeting kids and loves her role as a tour guide through Virginia’s Historic Triangle region. Says Anne Miller, President of the Home Educators Association of Virginia: “Recommended for grades three through five, I think children as young as three and as old as 83 will delight in Willi’s adventures.”

Yes, indeed!

Willi wears a gold star made especially for her by Dr. Ellen.

Here a Rawls Byrd student gets to meet WILLI close up, and talk with Mr. V about her.

Willi’s face is getting white now, which is a sign of age, of course. But not to worry, she still runs and jumps in style and knows her way around the historic area. As some of you know, she has many friends there. You should be so lucky as to have her as your personal tour guide!

TALK ABOUT A FUN HISTORY TEACHER!

WILLI, TOUR GUIDE AND TEACHER PAR EXCELLENCE!

WHAT A DAY IT WAS!

Dr. Ellen autographs books and enjoys the jubilance and enthusiasm of the students.

A special thanks to Lesley R. Collins and also Dave Hazzard for their photography skills. They captured the spirit of the day and helped make WILLI even more famous than before.

Thanks, too, to Wes Eary, Principal of the Rawls Byrd School, and his Assistant Principal Cathy Vazquez, for welcoming Dr. Ellen and her entourage to their very special school.

Do you know? Dr. Ellen designed and managed a Federal Grant Program in the school from 1970 to 1975 that served as the prototype for Virginia’s Elementary Guidance Counselor program. Dr. Ellen functioned as the school’s ‘Diaganostic Prescriptive Specialist’ during those grant years and assisted teachers and administrators in the behavioral management of problem and crisis situations. At the end of this grant period she was hired by the Colonial Community Mental Health Center in Williamsburg where she remained until 1990 as a well-known family therapist and public speaker. From there she opened a limited private practice and soon thereafter started traveling the world as an international photojournalist.

Find out more about Dr. Ellen here.

Posted in Willi's Fan Club

Treat Training Dog Willi

Dr. Ellen K. Rudolph — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 23:10:21 +0000

It is no easy thing to get a dog to do what our heroine, WILLi, does for Dr. Ellen’s camera. It takes patience and treats when she does the right thing at the right time – oh, and a great many hugs!

Her owner, Dave Hazzard of Williamsburg, is expert at working with Willi (whose name in real life is Chelsea.)

He is patient with her and always rewards her with a small treat when she does what she is asked to do. THIS IS THE SECRET TO SUCCESSFUL DOG TRAINING. Dave always carries treats in his pockets for her and she knows where they are, too! After she does a twirl on her hind feet or a loop-da-loop in the air she gets a treat. When she rolls over she gets a treat…second roll, second treat…third roll, third treat.

What kinds of treats does Dave use? He mainly uses a tasty dry dog food and also a bit of cheese sometimes, but nothing too caloric. Remember, no fried foods for dogs, ever! No chocolate, either.

Try it. Put some small, tasty treats in your pocket:

*When you want your dog to sit, hold a treat a bit above her head and say “sit.”
*Give her the treat and praise her for a “good sit!”
*Repeat three or four times, then try again tomorrow (dogs get tired, too).

Rewarding your dog for good behavior sounds pretty simple, and it is pretty simple! But to practice the technique effectively you should follow some basic guidelines such as these from the Humane Society of the United States.

A good rule of thumb is this: never give a treat without a trick. Meaning, there should be no free rides for dogs when it comes to treats. Always make your dog obey some kind of command before rewarding her with a treat. This way she will always respond to the use of treats in training and she will know to look for them.

Good dog, Willi…good show!

Posted in Kids' Corner

The Colonial Parkway

Dr. Ellen K. Rudolph — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 22:16:37 +0000

The Colonial Parkway is one of those special places in Virginia. The 23-mile (37 km) route connects the historic sites of Jamestown, Williamsburg and Yorktown, and it is the route that WILLI took in her quest to find her owner.

The Parkway is a National Scenic Byway and an All-American road (one of only 27 in the United States!). It is free of trucks and it has numerous pull-offs where you can stop to see either the James or the York Rivers (depending on where you are), and feed bread to the seagulls. Many people also fish along the banks of the mighty York River, and many more ride bikes along the whole 23-mile stretch!

The Parkway is beautiful year round but spring and fall are especially popular times when visitors from hundreds of miles away come to view its natural splender. Don’t forget to bring a picnic lunch with you! And maybe some binoculars. Here Willi enjoys a siesta along the Parkway.

The Parkway has mile markers that show you the kilometers that you have traveled from Jamestown to Yorktown. They can be hard to spot, some of them, while others are out in the open like this one:

The Parkway is home to many animals, among them the Barred owl, raccoons, deer, squirrels, red fox, and birds and ducks of all kinds. Willi made friends with many of them as she traveled the Parkway, which made her journey so much less lonely!

A lovely surprise along the Parkway as you approach Yorktown are the banks of YORKTOWN ONIONS that grow wild only in this one particular spot. In fact, they are native only to York County, VA. And they are protected, so don’t pick them! Just enjoy them.

At the other end of the Parkway, at Jamestown Settlement, you will find re-creations of three ships that brought English colonists to Virginia in 1607. Did you know? This was thirteen years before the Pilgrims landed in Massachusetts! They are one of the main attractions at Jamestown Settlement that tells the story of the people who founded Jamestown.

Oh, yes, Willi has been aboard the Susan Constant!

Enjoy this short video of a drive along the Parkway entitled A Slice of Virginia

Here also is a video of Mike Litterst of the National Park Service giving us a little of the history of the Colonial Parkway.

Posted in Kids' Corner, The Colonial Parkway

Take your Kids on Willi’s Journey!

Dr. Ellen K. Rudolph — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 17:48:03 +0000

With a map in hand and Dr. Ellen’s book, WILLI GET A HISTORY LESSON, you can take your kids on the same trek that Willi took from Jamestown to Yorktown.

Stop wherever Willi stops:

-touch the hand of Pocahontas on Jamestown Island (p.7)

-go aboard the Susan Constant at Jamestown Settlement (p.9)

-find the bench along the Colonial Parkway where Willi and Mr. Gull and Mrs. Robin meet (p.11)

-find the William & Mary sign with all the flowers (p.14) and Lord Botetourt in the Wren Courtyard (p. 15)

-find the circular window in the Wren Chapel (p.17)

-and see if you can find Willi in the CRIM DELL on the William & Mary campus (p.19)

-also, meet Mr. Ticketman at the Williamsburg Train Station (p.23)

AND MORE! Children love tracking Willi’s journey and it helps makes history come alive for them, as well.

Posted in Kids' Corner

Guide Books for Virginia’s Historic Triangle

Dr. Ellen K. Rudolph — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 01:50:07 +0000

This is a list of some of the more popular guide books about Virginia’s Historic Triangle. The links take you to external sites away from this Book Blog:

(1) Insiders’ Guide to Williamsburg and Virginia’s Historic Triangle (Insiders’ Guide Series) (Paperback) 2005

(2) Insiders’ Guide to Williamsburg and Virginia’s Historic Triangle (Insiders’ Guide Series) 2008

(3) Insiders’ Guide to Williamsburg and Virginia’s Historic Triangle, 16th (Insiders’ Guide Series) (Paperback) This title has not yet been released

(4) JAMESTOWN · WILLIAMSBURG · YORKTOWN · The Official Guide to America’s Historic Triangle

(5) The Historic Triangle in Virginia by Bill Snyder

(6) Williamsburg Map by Hammon World Atlas Corp.

Posted in Books about Virginia's Historic Triangle