Press Releases: January, 2002 - Story Bible Features Phonics, Whimsical Artwork January, 2002 - Advance Praise for The Growing Reader Phonics Bible Author Biographies: Joy MacKenzie: Born the daughter and the oldest child of a preacher-father and teacher-mother, Joy MacKenzie had the advantage of growing up in a loving home environment where four children were served scripture memory verses, Shakespeare, grammar and punctuation with their supper. It was during those early years in the parsonage that she learned to know God and to develop what was to become a life-long love affair with words and a strong commitment to meaningful, life-related educational experiences for children. She regards her teaching gift as born of God, but inspired, broadened and energized by her mother. College and graduate school experiences included encounters with several mentors who modeled an extraordinary energy and commitment only to subject matter that had relevance for real living; their tutelage proved to be an irrevocable influence on her future personal and professional life. Another collegiate encounter-an irresistible human dynamo named MacKenzie-challenged her to complement his skills as a musician-teacher-communicator-catalyst, and in 1961, they covenanted to seize the opportunity to tackle the world together. In the thirty-plus years since that time, Joy's professional activity has included teaching every elementary and high school grade level (working with both gifted and academically challenged students), six years of teaching at the college level, nationwide tours as an educational consultant, ten years as the vice-president of Incentive Publications, Inc, a growing educational publishing company, and authoring more than forty books. Her published works include many popular resource books for classroom teachers and dozens of religious books and recordings for children and their families. Recently, she collaborated with "best friends" Gloria Gaither, Peggy Benson and Sue Buchanan to create Friends Through Thick and Thin, a collection of wonderfully wacky and beautifully meaningful stories about the shared heartaches and laughter of their thirty-year friendship. This summer, her new Growing Reader Phonics Bible will release as the first product in an entirely new product line for young readers. Currently, as Chairman of the English Department at Christ Presbyterian Academy in Nashville, her time is divided between her roles as teacher, working writer, speaker and consultant for both secular and religious education concerns and as a mother of two grown daughters. Illustrator: Jill Newton: Jill Newton was born in Newcastle, England (in the northeast part of the country). She grew up in Lincoln, where she learned to ride and fall off bicycles and horses and did a lot of other fun stuff when she was at school. Jill studied art at Lincoln Art College and illustration at Cambridge College of Art. She explains that Cambridge was very cold, so when she finished her studies she moved to London (Hackney), where she stayed for fourteen years. She claims that this is quite an achievement by most peoples' standards. A nature lover and friend of animals, Jill now lives in a small village in Somerset with her good horse, Samuel, who has been with her since he gave up racing a number of years ago. Jill says her horse tells her he has no intention of returning. (Jill has told Sam not to worry. She doesn't think he is going to be asked back.) Benjamin, the sheep puppy, has come to stay too. He and Jill go out exploring together. Jill has been illustrating children's books since she left college. She has also worked in advertising, design, and TV. In addition to that, she had a brief escapade as a bicycle courier, delivering a variety of packages to their destination.