Good Morning and Welcome to the final Saturday Spotlight of September 2026,
Fall is finally making an appearance here is SWLA and it is so nice to have those milder mornings. I'll be glad when the days are cool enough for me to open windows and let in the fresh air!
While you're sipping your morning coffee or tea, allow me to introduce today's guest Melanie Solar Theel, a brand new to me and our blog with her award-winning children's book, The Invisible Bag. Thanks for joining us, Melanie! Please tell us why you wrote this book or what makes it special to you...
As grandparents we always want to do something special for our grandchildren. Well, that's how The Invisible Bag was born.
I was wanting to give my four year old daughter, Jennifer, her bedtime. I wanted her to take ownership of that time so that it would not be such a big ordeal. I went to bed that night and God gave me the idea of the invisible bag of choices. I had just started a new job and Jennifer cried everyday because she did not want to go to daycare. The next morning I introduced the invisible bag of choices to Jennifer and she understood. She told me that she would pull playing out of her invisible bag, not crying. This was without any prompting from me. So everyday we would share what we pulled out of our invisible bag of choices for that day. After about 2 weeks, when I asked Jennifer what she pulled out of her invisible bag, she said that she threw it away. I thought, oh no, now what, but God gave me the answer right then. I told her that everyone does but that she could pick up her invisible bag again when she was ready.
It happened just like in the book. I wrote it down and sat on the story for 12 years. Then, I was ready for the story to be a book. And that is a whole other story.
What a sweet story! How about sharing your cover, blurb and bio...
I'd love to!
“…an invaluable educational resource for parents, teachers and guidance counselors.”
A starting point for self-discovery, The Invisible Bag helps children see they too have choices…then to be responsible for what they choose. The story of Jennifer and her invisible bag gives children permission to make the necessary choices that work for them, so they can lead healthy, happy and successful lives.
“I think The Invisible Bag story is an extremely clever adaptation of my Choice Theory ideas to young children. I believe any teacher or parent who would read this story to a young child and talk about it would certainly help the child understand that we have a lot more choice about whether to feel happy or sad than most of us believe. It’s not other people who make us happy or sad; it’s what we do for ourselves, and this story illustrates that point quite well.”
— William Glasser, M.D.
The Invisible Bag can be purchased at Amazon and TheInvisibleBag.com
BIO: Melanie Solar Theel, BS, RTC, is an author and Reality Therapy Certified.
She is originally from the Baton Rouge, LA area. Lake Charles has been her home for many years. Melanie serves as a seminar leader and story-teller. Sharing “The Invisible Bag” with children and watching their light bulbs of understanding go off are her passion. Boating and birdwatching are her favorite pastimes. Her greatest joy is spending time with her husband John, their children, and grandchildren.
THANK You, So Much, Melanie!
We wish you the best of luck and God's blessings with your book.
Well friends, if you're looking for a great book for your children and/or grandchildren, The Invisible Bag won the Eric Hoffer Grand Prize Short List Award!
Until next time, take care and read happy.
PamT
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