Sammy Blizzard and the Haunted Valley of the Ice Creatures

By Brooke Becker

Sammy and Sylvie journey across the cloud, into the Haunted Valley of the Ice Creatures where they meet Frostbite, a physically challenged snowflake since birth due to the effects of global warming. He turns out to be quite charming and escorts them through the scary valley and accompanies them to the grounds of the Hidden Crystalline Monastery where they will learn from the Great and Wise Snowflake elders the location of Weather. Along the way, they encounter many dangers and challenges which evoke their compassion, kindness, friendship and courage. In discovering themselves, they learn about global warming and other dangers to their delicate flake lives. The book ends with powerful and exciting revelations.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brooke Becker
• Release date: Oct 10, 2016
• ISBN: 9780989928748

Brooke Becker

Brooke Becker currently lives in East Aurora, NY. The inspiration for the Sammy Blizzard series came to her when she was in Jackson Hole, Wyoming watching the snow gently fall. She wondered what the life of a snowflake was like. That question led her to writing about it, interweaving spiritual tenets from various traditions throughout the stories. The major themes of the books are accepting life changes; global warming and other environmental issues; social topics, such as accepting difference and not pre judging others; reinforcing the positive qualities of courage, compassion,curiosity, and kindness; and addressing universal spiritual topics without being dogmatic or disposed to any particular tradition. The reading level is 7 years and up. Along with writing the Sammy Blizzard series, she is a therapist in the healing arts, incorporating many different customs and modalities in the bodywork that she does. She also teaches mindful meditation, Yang style tai chi chuan and many different kinds of qi gong.

Book preview

what the critics are saying

about the

Sammy Blizzard books

"This story is as delicately written as a snowflake itself. It awakens the reader’s imagination with simultaneous innocence and wisdom, all the while addressing timeless concerns that permeate humanity: destiny, courage, looking beneath the surface, environmentalism, friendship, and more.

–This book is a delightful and nutritious morsel!" R.E.

The story...involves warning about the dangers of global warming and the overcoming of unwarranted prejudices. I recommend it as supplementary reading material for late elementary school children.

–Charles Ashbacher, book reviewer, Vine Voice.

  The best part of the book is what the young reader learns about climate warming and the devastation mankind is causing the environment, hence threatening the life of Sammy and all snowflakes.

–Bonnie Neely, book reviewer,

American Society of Journalist and Authors.

It’s fantastic! … As an adult, I really enjoyed this book.It facilitates good conversation between parents and kids. Brooke did a great job of taking huge issues and making them into bite-sized pieces.

–Adam Olen, Courtyard Publishing, Miami, Fl.

Sammy Blizzard

and

The Haunted Valley

of The Ice Creatures

Brooke Becker

Illustrations by T. Kyle Gentry

Chi Workz Publishing

Milford, CT.

Copyright 2007 by Brooke Becker

Chi Workz Publishing

Milford, CT.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by information storage and retrieval systems, without the written permission of the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.

Printed in the United States of America

ISBN 978-09899287-0-0

Visit Sammy at www.sammyblizzard.com

Contents

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1: The Secret Plan

Chapter 2: Auntie Pearl’s Wisdom

Chapter 3: Big Questions

Chapter 4: Trees, Cars, Planes, and People

Chapter 5: Descent into Darkness

Chapter 6: An Unexpected Friend

Chapter 7: The Destined Trio

Chapter 8: The Turning Point

Sylvie’s Winter Flake Melts

Sammy’s Hot Mulled Cider

Save The Snowflakes!

For the child in all of us

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

My sincere gratitude goes to my beloved family, my dear friends, my amazing colleagues, and the extraordinary teachers, healers, and guides who have encouraged and supported me along my way.

Most of all, thank you, Sammy, for coming into my life.

Nature is full of genius

Full of the divinity;

So that not a snowflake escapes

Its fashioning hand.

—Henry David Thoreau

Chapter 1

The Secret Plan

Sammy was a normal snowflake. He liked his life so far in the clouds—going to snowflake school, having snowflake friends. He was an only snowflake, no brothers or sisters in his family. His parents were normal snowflake parents. His father, Nigel, worked as a college professor, and his mother, Betty, worked part-time teaching ice sculpture. His best friend, Sylvie, loved adventure and they were always getting into some kind of mischief.

One day, Sammy came home from playing and heard his parents’ voices in the next room. Obviously, they hadn’t heard him.

Well, I truly feel that he is getting to the age to be told of the snowflake facts of life, Betty, said his father.

I know, dear, replied his mother, but he’s so young and so enjoying his life. Couldn’t we wait just a little bit longer? There’s such innocence, such freedom, in not knowing about the true life of a snowflake and what we go through. Do you really think he’s old enough to handle all of the information?

Betty, I was younger than he is now when I was told, his father responded. And thank goodness my parents chose that time, because it wasn’t long afterward that I Fell with them into the Unknown. It’s time, Betty. It’s time.

Betty nodded in agreement. Her only child was growing up, and he needed to know what life had in store for him.

Sammy was on the stairs listening to his parents, his head reeling with questions. What