Workslist

Barb Rumson Works List

PUBLICATIONS (partial list)

Family Tradition, Published by: Island Parent
Getting The Message, Published by: Good Apple
Biography Connection, Published by: Creative Connections
My Favourite Fiction, Published by: Challenge Magazine
You’ve Got A Friend, Published by: Oasis Magazine
You May Be Tomorrow’s Hero, Published by: Oasis Magazine
Puns The Highest Or Lowest Form Of Wit, Published by: Oasis Magazine
Education And The Library, Published by: Canadian Library Association, Toronto.

NOVELS AND NOVELLAS

The Barber and the Hair Clippings (6,000 word novella)

Blind Boy And The Stale Garlic Bread (novel? Incomplete? ca. 1,500 words)

The Brave Cave Boy and His Fight to Live (36,000 word novel)

Children’s Crusade (novel with supplementary material for lesson plans)

[Cleopatra and Qin meetings] (novella in 15,000 words — only a 6,000 word document has been located so far. See below)

Cleopatra Conspiracy [Cleopatra’s Secret Life. Alternate title: Did you Know Cleopatra’s Secret?] (47,000 word novel)

Eight Immortals (Eight is a Lucky Number in China) (novella with outline. 3,300 words)

The Frontier Kid (15,000 word children’s novella)

The Gentle Knight With A Plan (20,000 words)

Ghosts in Grandma’s Trunk (23,000 word novel)

A King and His Fool (or The King’s Fool) (19,000 word historical novel for the young. Several versions exist)
Author’s Description:
There are so many outrageous stories told about Henry VIII which definitely were part of his dark side. Can there be a cheerful side to Henry? What was he really like with his staff? For instance, how did he relate to his fools? The enclosed few pages of my manuscript entitled THE FOOL’S KING tells a side of Henry and his fool, Will Somers, and the fascinating association he had with his King. It is a story of Will's loyalty to the King and the King's loyalty to him.

Absolutely nothing has been written for children about Will Somer who was so loyal to his King. This book THE FOOL’S KING is intended for children 8/12 year olds and is approximately 19,000 words in length.

King Of Knights Or Was It Knight Of Kings? (5,800 words)
Author’s description:
Courage and integrity guided William Marshall as a Knight bringing him respect from kings. What prepared him to become the greatest knight? Follow him as he steers himself from situation to situation learning and developing the skills he will need to become the Knight of Kings.

The Pied Piper of the Children’s Crusade (ca. 14,000 words)

The Piratess Who Danced with the Dragon (15,000 word novella)

SHORT STORIES

A Girl Knight ... You’ve Got To Be Kidding (1,500 words. Incomplete?)

Aldo Uses Merlin’s Magic (1,800 words)

Chicken Soup to the Rescue (1,100 words)

Christmas Cowboy (2,600 words)

Christmas Star (1,500 words)

Forest Orchestra (The Sounds Creatures Make) (100 words)

Four Rules for Grandma and Grandpa (1,700 words)

Funny Fables of the 20th Century (1,200 words)
Sample Fable:

The cherisher

A wealthy old man had purchased stolen paintings. He had them preserved in his vault. Daily he would go down and sit in a comfortable chair and look at these marvellous masterpieces. One day, burglars stole all of his paintings. The wealthy old man cried in despair. His housekeeper seeing his distress asked him what happened and on being told she said “I don’t know why you are so unhappy. Your paintings did not give you or your family the joy and pride you should have had ... buy some prints and hang them up and pretend they are masterpieces. It will serve your purpose just as well.”

HIDDEN TREASURES GIVE PLEASURE ONLY TO ONE …

Genevieve (3,400 words)

Gentle Knight (abridged version – 1,500 words)

Grandma Sings (2,400 Words)

Grandma’s Strange Bags And Boxes (1,500 words)
Sample:

“Grandma, can you come visit us?” asked Claudia. “Mommy and Daddy are going on a trip. We need you.” “G-ma will be reporting in time for their trip. Any other instructions?” Grandma packed a very large suitcase. In her suitcase she packed a salami. She packed a box of whole wheat crackers. She packed special bacon. She packed mozzarella cheese. And she packed special spaghetti sauce made by Grandpa. Then she packed a huge box which she tied with a strong rope.”

Gutsy Griselda – A tale retold from Chaucer‘s Canterbury Tales. Also told by Idries Shah in World Tales and now retold by Barbara Rumson (3,100 words)

Hats for All Seasons (ca. 3,000 words)
Sample:

Mrs. Sweeney owned a hat store in the small town of Stanton. She loved hats. Her store was filled with hats. There were large hats. There were small hats. There were hats trimmed with fruits and flowers and hats trimmed with lace and ribbon. There were hats of every colour. Hats, hats, everywhere!

Mrs. Sweeney's home was filled with hats too. She even had a room called the ‘Hat Room’ in her house. There were hats on the bed. There were hats in the closet. There were hats on the bureau. There were hats in boxes. There were hats all over the house.

Mrs. Sweeney had hats for every day. She had hats for every season. In the spring she wore her flower trimmed bonnet to visit her sister. She wore her large brimmed hat to work in her garden. She wore her feather and ribboned hat to make her look taller when she went to the dentist. She wore hats with the colours of the rainbow on days when she just wanted to celebrate spring.

Hector the Inventor (Various versions. Perhaps incomplete. Include teaching aid materials. See Inventions and Innovations below).

Hector Was Feeling Real Sad (700 words. Incomplete?)

I Can Help (400 words)

Is There Such a Thing as a Heritage Tree? (ca. 2,000 words)
Sample:

The whistling echoed in the early morning, I stood and watched. Each note was clear and sharp. Pa stood by the side of the wide porch and whistled. His large bald head thrown back, waiting for the birds to whistle back. His large head nodded as the birds responded. There was bird talk in the air. The birds trilled back to him from the massive old oak tree in the wild area. Pa’s face muscles expanded and contracted as he whistled.

On one side of our house, there was a large area that we called the wild area. It was filled with tall grass, shrubs, wild flowers a variety of trees and this giant oak tree. None of this was our property, but since the lot was empty all the years we lived there, we sort of thought of this place as ours. The massive oak tree’s huge curled branches hung right onto our wrap around porch. The branches seemed to hug and hold our house in its arms. Our wrap around porch made it easy for us to watch the birds and listen to their symphony.

I was Mad (700 words about children’s outbursts and how to cope)

Kid Watch (4,900 words)
The author’s description:

Children love to have jobs and are proud of what they do. It is this part of growing up.

Having some responsibility gives them an edge...This "easy to read" humorous book uses a pattern of repetition to keep the reader's attention as well as enabling him to easily recall the lines, thus enhancing his confidence in reading. Rosie, Bryan and the large Newfoundland dog find that looking after their street brings them into contact with much more and they have fun doing it.

King Arthur’s Magic Chest (2,300 words)

The Moon Magic and the Children’s Crusade (2,300 words)

The No Boy Becomes a Go Boy (425 words)

Red Light Adventure (800 words with Gordy Gopher as star)

Secret Tower (2,600 words)

Special Karate Boy (short story for the young with information on marital arts)

Squirrels Have Good Days and Bad Days (2,000 words)

The Surprising and Heartbreaking Changes in my Life by Teresa Virag (a 1,300 word short story on the author’s family history)

The Trolls are Back (short story for 7 to 10 year olds. 7,500 words)

Toadlet Survival Games (ca. 700 words)

Who’s to Know (1,000 word short story for teens)

Whose Choice? (1,300 words)
Sample:

“Hurry up, Carla! I’ve got other things to do, you know, beside dropping you off at your piano lesson. I’ve got to do the groceries. Let’s get moving.” Mom rushed to get her sweater and car keys.

“Take it easy, Mom. You don’t have to drive me. I’ve got lots of time. I could take the bus. It’s only a short ride.” I smiled at her. I tried not to sound too annoyed. She was being pushy again.

But she was already heading out the door. She didn’t even hear me. Sweater, car keys and then me. She had everything under control. I picked up my case and walked after her. Darn.

Today was a really important piano lesson. I had to make a choice. I had been practising three pieces and I had to pick one to play for the recital. I didn’t want to talk about it with Mom.

The Wild Area (1,700 word short story for children and teens)

ESSAYS

Autobiography (1,800 words)

The Children I have Known (Reflective essay of a retired teacher. 400 words)

Early Memories (Autobiographical Sketch. 440 words)

How To Help Our Children Become More Responsible (180 words)

Miss Brennan (Recollections of the author’s music lessons in Montreal mid 20th century)

Old Age is Like Being in a Gentle Wind Storm and Feeling Out of Control (Essay in the form of words of advice for the elderly)

Remembrance Day without the poem “In Flanders Fields”? (A short essay on the author of the poem)

POEMS

A Loser is Always Part of the Problem (Encouraging poem for middle teens and even older)

Down Dream Alley I Met My Nursery Rhyme Friends (ca. 700 words)

No Dark Side for Me — I’m a Winner (Prose poem ca. 850 words which may be part of a longer version)

What’s a Comedy (About Dante’s “Divine Comedy.” Prose poem in 375 words)

You Too Can Own a Dream (poem for the young)

TEACHING MATERIALS

25 Ways to Work on Your Emotional Intelligence (Sketch? For further development. 157 words)

202 Ways to Spark Optimism (12,000 words)

499 Classroom Ideas (with Dr. Wanda Boyer)

After School Care Program K-2 (66,000 words)

After School Care Program Grades 3-6 (Version 1: 76,000 words. Version 2: 80,000 words) Written with Dr. Wanda Boyer.

Always Look on the Bright Side (uses of humour in teaching) (2,500 words)

Attitude Questions (1,000 word sketch for activity to promote good attitude)

Beaufort Scale (biographical information, description of and lesson plans around Francis Beaufort and the Beaufort Wind Scale)

Biblical Proverbs (Selected and with lesson plans)

Child Power (Sketch for lesson plans)

Clues from within: Are the Beatitudes Messages of Hope and Success? (Study of and lesson plans for this Biblical passage)

Crafting Virtues (1,600 word sampler)

Creative Science Writing (Science themed lessons plans — 7,000 words)

Creative Writing and research with a Math Flavor (Math Daredevil) (Math focussed lesson plans — 4,500 words)

Critical Thinking (Lesson plans and sketches — 1,800 words)

Dinosaur Workbook (2000 words)

Emotion ... Feeling (Sketch? For further development? 660 words)

Emotional Intelligence Regulation (Lesson plans for grades K to 1. With Dr. Wanda Boyer)

Emotional Intelligence Regulation (Lesson plans for grades 4-6. With Dr. Wanda Boyer)

Fables (Select stories with lesson plan material. Also entitled “Fractured Fables”)

Flamboyant Idioms (3 versions, one abbreviated of classroom working material. Longer version is almost 7,000 words)
Sample:

Introduction

Have you ever listened intently to someone and suddenly there is a phrase that stops you and your mind hangs onto these. We all have had this experience. Many of our students are baffled by some of these fun phrases and possibly they hinder their complete understanding of the topic being discussed. Take the time and introduce the students to these Flamboyant Idioms which will give them a laugh as well as give them an insight into these useful and colourful phrases.

Have fun and laugh out loud as you do these!

Inventions and Innovations (Several files with extensive material and lessons plans. The series is related to the story Hector the Inventor. See above)

Jump Start Self Regulation (Lesson plans for Grades 4-6. With Dr. Wanda Boyer)

Kids With a Cause (Lessons plans for encouraging activism. The MS may be incomplete)

Library Math (Lesson plans for elementary, junior high age children)

Magnetic Virtues (Lesson plans for teaching)

Self-Regulating (Lesson plans for emotional self-awareness. 10,000 words)

Stress Repair (partial)

Summer Mission: Improving Your Kid’s ‘Smarts” (1,500 words suggestive essay with ideas for activities)

This version: December, 2021.

This list here includes some 1/2 of Barb Rumson’s works. This is a preliminary list based on computer documents available at the moment and is thus a work in process. Titles are provisional. Some documents examined so far are incomplete, but it can be assumed that other files and materials will provide the completion for most. It is not always clear if some works are parts of others, selections from others, or earlier/later versions. It is hoped that time and further research will clarify these issues. Eventually a detailed listing will include all relevant information including plot synopsis, date of writing and publisher information. At present it is not possible to provide dates of composition. All word counts are approximate.

Sample short stories by Barb Rumson

External links

Puddles for All Seasons
Illustrations by My Way in Education
Published by MightyBook, Inc. © 2004
Music Lessons from Long Ago
Classical Music Daily