Tales of the Caribbean a Memoir: Book 1 Our Community

By Isabella Clarke

This memoir, as a nonfi ction book, has been written for the
purpose of encouraging children from six to twelve years
of age and whoever else may read it to assist them in
their reading comprehension. It may also encourage them to
become more aware of the people who live in their community,
the work they do, what goes on in their community, and what
resources they have.
This story took place in the island of Barbados, West Indies,
in the village of Sea View, in the parish of Christ Church. The
author began by telling you about the community of Sea View,
where she was born and where she grew up.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Aug 20, 2013
• ISBN: 9781479782192

Isabella Clarke

Who is Isabella L-Clarke? She is the third living child of Mr. and Mrs. Walter and Rosalie Pollard. She was born in the island of Barbados, West Indies, in the 1940s. She lived in the village of Sea View in the parish of Christ Church with her parents and nine other siblings. Isabella was considered to be a very intelligent, curious, and adventurous child by her neighbors. She attended the St. Bartholomew’s Anglican Church for her spiritual upbringing and the St. Bartholomew’s Girls’ School for her early childhood and elementary education. She started school at the age of three. She had to accompany and protect her oldest sister Albertina, who was born with infantile paralysis. Bertha, who was the oldest girl in the community, took the responsibility of overseeing and protecting all the children in the community on their way to and from school. Isabella immigrated to New York City in June 1961. She worked in Head Start Early Childhood and day care programs while obtaining her formal education. After receiving her bachelor of science degree from the City College of New York, she worked as a paraprofessional in the New York City Department of Education public schools’ system. She worked as a permanent teacher after receiving her master of science degree, her New York State Certification, and her New York City Certification in special education. She taught children with special needs for twenty-two years. Isabella L-Clarke is a seamstress, a mother of three children, a grandmother of five, a great-grandmother of eight, and a great-great-grandmother of one. She is also an international evangelist, an elder, and a contributor to the Ermine Holmes Trust, Children’s Reading, and senior citizens’ arts-and-crafts programs. These programs are located in the St. Jude’s Anglican Church Community Center, located in St. Jude’s, St. George, Barbados, West Indies. She has also been a retired teacher for the past five years.

Book preview

Copyright © 2013 by Isabella Clarke. 116884-LUMS

ISBN: Softcover   978-1-4797-8218-5

       Ebook       978-1-4797-8219-2

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Rev Date 07/11/2013

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

[e-mail]

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to my loving children, Lucille, Walter, and Laurianne.

To Lucille, who went to City College, got the college application, and filled it out for me. She made sure that I returned it to the college in order to be accepted to start classes. She was determined that I get a college education because she saw me struggling. She knew that with a college education, I could get a better job and my life would be less stressful. She departed this life on March 15, 2009.

To my son, Walter, because he monitored and critiqued everything I said and did from his childhood. In his adult life, he often told me how much he admired my determination in pursuing and accomplishing my goals in life. I never knew that he was paying attention to how many times I took the State Board Teachers’ Exam and failed it. He said to me, But, Mommy, you never gave up. I told him, We Pollards never give up. I told him that when I was a child, I was taught by my father and often saw my older brother, while doing his homework, standing in front of the mirror and reciting this poem: Try, try, try, try again. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try, try again. It encouraged him to pursue and accomplish his own educational goals, even when things got rough for him.

To Laurianne, who encouraged me to write. She said that because of my experience in working with children and teaching them, I need to write children’s books. Both she and Walter said that I have a world of information in my head and a history of my upbringing in Barbados, West Indies, so I need to write, write, write. Laurianne often said to me, Mommy, don’t think about the spelling or punctuation, just write whatever comes to you and the correct spelling and punctuation will be done when the story is being edited.

I also dedicate this book to the memory of my late husband, Elder Clyde E. Clarke, who departed this life on March 20, 2008. He has been a mentor and an inspiration in my life. His teaching and the example he set for me in the life that he lived helped me to be the person I am today. Whatever I told him I wanted to do in life, he encouraged me to follow my dreams. I really miss him.

auphoto.tif

Who is Isabella L-Clarke? She is the third living child of Mr. and Mrs. Walter and Rosalie Pollard. She was born in the island of Barbados, West Indies, in the 1940s. She lived in the village of Sea View in the parish of Christ Church with her parents and nine other siblings. Isabella was considered to be a very intelligent, curious, and adventurous child by her neighbors. She attended the St. Bartholomew’s Anglican Church for her spiritual