Bully Goat to the Rescue

By Nancy Lee Mervar

Bully Goat comes to live on a ranch in Colorado's Rocky Mountains, and soon exhibits his bullying behaviors. Gradually Bully learns to care more about his goat friends, even defending them against nasty goat visitors. While learning to become a rescue goat, Bully becomes more confident and no longer needs to bully others. He changes his name to Billy Goat after winning first place at the county 4-H fair. When called upon to rescue a young boy involved in a serious hiking accident, Billy demonstrates what a good friend and rescue goat he has become.

Children will understand more about bullying behaviors, safe hiking and rescue techniques, and goats. Appendices about 4-H of America and President Theodore Roosevelt.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing
• Release date: Apr 26, 2012
• ISBN: 9781466929975

Nancy Lee Mervar

Nancy Lee Mervar’s first children’s picture book, Nana’s Silly Goats, is a $16 hard-cover picture book which is a suitable read-aloud for preschool through primary grade children. Readability level is second to third grade. Illustrations are colorful and whimsical, and support young readers’ understanding and humor. True facts about goats are included for discussion. Readers and listeners can try to sort real from imaginary events. The text is easily adapted to reader’s theater enactment, and a free script can be found on her web site, www.indiangappress.com. The setting for the story is the foothills of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. Her second book, Bully Goat to the Rescue, is available for $5.99. This story is best for third through fifth grade readers. Children learn about bullying, hiking and rescue best-practices, as well as 4-H Clubs of America. Dr. Mervar offers free writing workshops to area school children. By involving students in the writing process, students learn the importance of revision and see the Six Traits of Writing curriculum applied to real writing. Nana’s Silly Goats was written with the assistance of students in grades 1-3 of Whittier Elementary International Baccalaureate School in Boulder, CO. Bully Goat to the Rescue was written with the assistance of more than 200 students in grades 3-5. Dr. Mervar is a retired teacher and principal who worked in public and private schools in Colorado for her >30 year career. Dr. Mervar earned her B.S. degree from State University of New York - Geneseo (1972), and completed advanced degrees (M.S. CU-Boulder, 1974; Ph.D. University of Denver, 1985) after moving to Colorado nearly 40 years ago. Her professional life included working with children with special learning needs and their families. She also enjoyed classroom teaching, and administrative roles in both regular and special education. Dr. Mervar currently lives on a small ranch in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains near Lyons, CO, where she and her husband raise goats and golden retrievers. She has always loved books, animals, farm life, and teaching. Her family participated in 4-H activities and she continues to support this opportunity for young people to learn about science, engineering and technology; healthy living; and citizenship. After retiring, Dr. Mervar realized her dream of writing children’s books. She currently is a member of SCBWI (Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators) and CIPA (Colorado Independent Publishers Association) as well as CASE (Colorado Association of School Executives).

Book preview

Copyright 2012 Nancy Lee Mervar.

© Illustrations Copyright 2011 Lori Kiplinger Pandy

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written prior permission of the author.

isbn: 978-1-4669-2997-5 (e)

Trafford rev. 04/25/2001

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Contents

Acknowledgments

About The Author

About The Illustrator

List Of Characters

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

4-H Of America

President Theodore Roosevelt

Glossary

Acknowledgments

This book was written for and with students in grades 3-5. Many thanks are extended to the teachers and students of Whittier Elementary International Baccalaureate School in Boulder, CO, Pioneer Bilingual School in Lafayette, CO, and High Peaks Elementary School in Boulder, CO, for their comments and suggestions. Approximately 200 third through fifth grade students of these schools assisted me with text revision and illustration ideas, gaining greater understanding of the writing process.

Thanks are also extended to Terrie Kirkpatrick of Front Range Rescue Dogs for her input on training commands for rescue animals, to Robin and Joe Braun for sharing their knowledge of goats as pack animals, and to Mike Johnston of Bryan Mountain Nordic Ski Patrol for his assistance creating a realistic rescue scene.

Many thanks go to Susan Brighton and Nancy Hofmeister for their assistance editing this work.

But most of all, I thank my husband for his constant support and guidance. Without him, there would be no goats...and no stories!

About the Author

Nana (a.k.a. Nancy Lee Mervar) lives on a small ranch in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains with her husband, goats, golden retrievers, and cats. She is also the author of Nona’s Silly Goats, a picture book for younger children that includes some of the same characters and setting

Dr. Mervar is a retired teacher and principal. She always loved books, animals, farm life, and teaching. She was raised on a small fruit farm in New York State where she spent her childhood outdoors in the woods and fields. All kinds of animals were an important part of that life-chicken, ducks, dogs, cats, pigs, cows, sheep and even one little black goat. Her family participated in 4-H activities and she continues to support this opportunity for youngsters to learn about science, healthy living, and citizenship.

Dr. Mervar’s professional life included working with children with special learning needs and their families. She also enjoyed classroom teaching, and administrative roles