The Foreign Service Journal, October 2011

44 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / O C T O B E R 2 0 1 1 mentary are raw and direct, unabashedly personal and often insightful. Altogether, the work is an exuberant celebration of artistic talent. With no formal training, Giles took advantage while growing up of every opportunity to paint and show his artwork — from church murals and signage and logos on barber shop windows to participation in local art shows. In his travels around the world, he sought out local artists, explored their individual approaches to the craft and was impressed by the many different styles he found. Timothy Giles is a retired Foreign Service specialist with the Department of State. During a 17-year FS ca- reer, he has served as a facility manager in Ukraine, Haiti, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Angola and Senegal. Even before joining the Foreign Service, he had visited more than 100 countries while on contract to the U.S. gov- ernment as an electronic engineer for seven years. His interest in different cultures was sparked during service in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1979 to 1981. FOR YOUNG PEOPLE Jessie and the Tooth Fairy Linda Socha Jaworski, CreateSpace, 2011, $10, paperback, 32 pages. When you’re 7 years old, los- ing a tooth is a momentous oc- casion. Even though Ava put her tooth safely under her pil- low, things didn’t turn out the way she had expected. And the only one who knows what happened speaks a different language! Jessie and the Tooth Fairy will rekindle fond memo- ries of losing a tooth, whether you’re 8 or 80. C OVER S TORY Tee’s Gift (Vol. 1) Linda Socha Jaworski, CreateSpace, 2010, $10.99, paperback, 50 pages, reading level: ages 4-8. Tee’s Song (Vol. 2) Linda Socha Jaworski, CreateSpace, 2011, $12, paperback, 54 pages, reading level: ages 9-12. Teofila’s Halloween (Vol. 3) Linda Socha Jaworski, CreateSpace, 2010, $11.99, paperback, 48 pages, reading level: ages 9-12. The “Tee Series,” planned as seven volumes, features an endearing group of Laplandian forest animals. Their problems and adventures teach life les- sons in truth, change, growing, caring, clever thinking, taking chances, friendship and trust. The books are richly illustrated by Andrzej Wroblewski. The first, Tee’s Gift , is set way up on the Arctic Circle where Teofila, “Tee,” lives in the Laplandian forest of Finland. Tee is a reindeer who loves snow, the forest, the elves, Santa — and most especially, she loves you! This is an enchanting story about a special Christmas when Tee was able to help Santa in the most wonderful way. In Tee’s Song , the second in the series, Teofila is con- fronted with changes that make her feel very worried. But her best friend, Heddie Hedgehog, helps her to un- derstand that change might be normal. Friendship, badger rescues and mother-daughter chats are the ele- ments that lead Teofila to conclude that good comes from everything. In the third volume, Teofila’s Halloween , walking ghosts, whirling goblins and strange events make Heddie Hedgehog’s spines stand up even straighter than usual. Are they real or not? Heddie thinks so, and Tee is be- ginning to worry that the forest is haunted. Just as fear is sinking in and things seem to have gone completely crazy, Halloween night’s full moon surprises everyone with a memorable treat. This is a Halloween story for every night of the year! Author Linda Socha Jaworski is currently working on the next four volumes of this series.