Elizabeth Silance Ballard
"Three Letters From Teddy" is a fictional story about a little boy whose mother has died and his father shows no interest in. He gives a gift to his teacher as a repayment for her kindness and the friendship that follows impacts the rest of his life.
ISBN 978-0-9706023-0-7
Paperback-172 pages-$13.99
This book can be bought through www.righterpublications.com.
About the author: (no picture)
Elizabeth Silance Ballard-Ungar’s short stories and articles have appeared in many magazines since 1974 including Our State, The Australian Women’s Weekly, Home Life, Mature Living, Mature Years, The Organist, The Church Musician, The Organ Portfolio, The Music Leader, The Gospel Choir, The Lutheran Woman, The Lutheran Scope, The Mennonite, Quaker Life and many others. Her articles have also appeared in The News and Observer (Raleigh, NC) and the Jacksonville Daily News (NC) and her devotionals have appeared on Open Windows and The Church Musician.
Several anthologies have included her work including A Second Helping of Chicken Soup for the Soul (credit was omitted in the 1st printing but corrected in the 2nd printing), Stories for a Woman’s Heart, More Stories for a Woman’s Heart, Stories for a Teacher’s Heart, Stories for a Teen’s Heart, School Bells and Ink Wells, Kisses of Sunshine, and others. Her work has also been included in other works such as Divergent Views on the Control of Schools: An Iowa Dialogue, Discipline for Life and others.
Her short story, "Three Letters from Teddy," first appeared in 1974 and has been almost continuously in print every year since that time in various publications. Marian Wright Edelman selected it to appear in her 1994 Annual Report of the National Children’s Defense Fund. Congressman Dan Burton, Indiana, requested permission to have the story reprinted and distributed to every educator in his district. It has also been selected for the course packs of the schools of education in several universities including the University of South Florida, UNC-Greensboro, University of Northern Iowa and others.
She has also co-authored a book, Whoopin’ and Hollerin,’ a collection of humorous,
nostalgic pieces by Elizabeth and her sister, Hilda Silance Corey, and their mother, Estel Stanley Silance about growing up in the south and spans a time from the early 1900s through the Sixties.
Elizabeth is a retired social worker, a church organist, a pianist, and is the mother of two and grandmother of three. She has traveled extensively in the U.S. and abroad and enjoys reading, writing, needlework and line dancing. She is active in her church and the Order of the Eastern Star.
Reviews:
Three Letters From Teddy is a very satisfying collection of short stories. Elizabeth Silance Ballard consistently displays just the right touch of empathy whether she writes a warm and fuzzy story or one that deals with deepest despair.
This collection can be read solely as entertainment, but it is worthy of so much more. This book could easily be classified as an excellent teaching aid. Each account has strong moral principles and reminders that one never knows for sure just who your words and actions are going to affect. Ballard has not been afraid to tackle such tough issues as child beating, incest, and suicide. She points out that people who do not fit in may not be socially challenged; they just might be struggling with problems too big for them to handle. The author handles all of this with straight-forwardness, compassion and without sermonizing.
Three Letters From Teddy is an excellent example of how the human spirit triumphs over obstacles, and how one caring person can make the difference between success and failure.
Judy Jacobs
November 10, 2006
"The stories are…timeless. They touch the heart and make one think. The stories are beautifully written. It seems to me, that there is too much truth in some of the stories for her not to have experienced the pain described. Heart wrenchingly beautiful. You feel pain and sadness but at the same time you understand forgiveness and truth and are left with a feeling of peace when you come to the end. Everyone who reads the book will be able to identify with it, each differently based on what they’ve experienced. It’s a book you can read again and again. I loved the book and will recommend it to my friends!!!!"
Lona Lockhart