A West Lothian children’s author returns with George the Boxer and Mildred the Yorkie in the fourth instalment of a popular series of adventures based on her four-legged best friends and dreams of reaching for the stars.
‘George and Mildred: Limitless’, written by author Linda Erskine, will launch on August 25 at Spark’s Craigshill location in Almondbank and will see Mildred the Yorkie have her confidence shaken when she’s told she should give up on her dream of becoming an astronaut.
The latest in the delightfully dog-centric book series, ‘George and Mildred: Limitless’, launches this month at the Craigshill Storytelling Festival, organised through Spark and the Craigshill Good Neighbour Network (CGNN) in Livingston, a community charity that provides social and volunteering opportunities with the aim to reduce social isolation and loneliness in the community.
Losing confidence when one’s ability is questioned is a subject close to Linda’s as it’s a message she heard from a teacher when she shared her writing goals.
She said: “I know what it’s like to have someone tell you that you can’t or shouldn’t try something – whatever that may be – writing, science, a sport or any activity that captures your imagination.
“The message we receive is that it’s better not to try at all than to fail, that our dreams are limited. They’re not – in fact, it’s the complete opposite.
“If I had listened to that teacher, I wouldn’t be here now, with four books in a children’s series or a career as a former journalist who now helps other authors to share their story. And I wouldn’t be sharing my stories with Spark.”
Limitless is the fourth book in the George and Mildred series of children’s adventures that follows the antics of George the Boxer and Mildred the Yorkie.
The series started in 2020 after a conversation over a backyard fence between the author’s then 12-year-old boxer, his three-year-old Yorkie friend, and the bullies next door.
“The first book started as a cute story to share with friends. The response to the books has been overwhelming, with kids seeing themselves in the characters,” Linda explains.
“I realised the characters may help kids because writing the stories helped me to overcome my issues and insecurities.”
‘The Attack of the Meanie Girls’, ‘Life’s a Beach’, ‘Let’s Tango’ and now ‘Limitless’, all centre around topics relevant to today’s kids – from bullying and overcoming fear, to self-acceptance and self-belief.
Linda said: “I was the characters – George when he was afraid and Mildred when she lost confidence because of someone else’s opinion of her. I used my own experiences to shape how George and Mildred would overcome their obstacles. Kids see themselves reflected in the characters, just as I did when writing the book.”
Opening lines of communication is key, she says.
“I believe these books are one way to introduce the topic and gets kids talking, and who doesn’t love a heroic tale with our four-legged friends?”
Linda partnered with Spark during its summer Storytelling Festival with presentations of her first two books, ‘The Attack of the Meanie Girls’, and ‘A Beach Day’, complete with a reading of ‘Life’s a Beach’, and beach-themed activities like beach limbo, a fisherman’s challenge, beach day music, and colouring.
‘George and Mildred: Limitless’ is available on Amazon.
Published by Oxygen Publishing Agency, ‘Limitless’ is now available to pre-order at www.lindaerskine.com or go along to Spark on August 25 for the official launch, as part of the Spark’s Craigshill Storytelling Festival.
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