Gail McGaffigan

Biography

Isn't it hard to find something good to read sometimes? I know the feeling. It's tough to find a book that's clean, but not boring; with honorable characters with whom you feel a kinship. I am dedicated to creating wholesome, enjoyable books for you and your family, because I create them for my family, as well.

If you're expecting to read about how it was always my dream to be a writer, you might be disappointed: I am sort of a reluctant author. My interest in writing grew from my fascination with mostly-forgotten American books of the 19th and early 20th centuries; not so much the great classics, but good dimestore, bread-and-butter-type books.

Their material is so incredibly good, and I love the values, but much of it is not suited to the modern reader; so I think of myself as working "post-humorously" with authors of the past, restoring their intent. It's a lot like home renovation - Some will make it historically perfect, others will modernize everything...but some would rather restore the builder's intent, by synthesizing old and new to create something that's just right.

Back then, authors felt that it was important to convey this message: It's worth it. All the struggle and the sacrifices we make to maintain our integrity and live with dignity are all worth it.

This message is as vital today as ever, and I am honored for this chance to deliver it to you and your family.

A New Jersey native and graduate of the Boston University School for the Arts, I now live in coastal New England with my husband, son, daughter, and a greyhound who has 19 lives. I am currently at work on her next book, as well as Classically Gail, my free, one-year online course in Music Appreciation. I may be contacted at either of her blogs, including
http://www.classicallygail.blogspot.com

Where to find Gail McGaffigan online

Books

The Classical Reader: Short Stories of Action & Adventure
Price: $4.99 USD. Words: 100,940. Language: English. Published: August 17, 2013 . Categories: Fiction » Anthologies » Short stories - multi-author, Fiction » Educational
Finally, a book of short stories for those who crave action; for guys -young and old - or anyone who prefers excitement, suspense, &adventure. Spanish torture chambers, uncharted islands, detectives, zombies, convicts, & quite a few well-meaning bunglers for comic relief.Perfect for class (especially boys'), homeschool, book club, or just curling up in front of the fire on that dark & stormy night
The Classical Speller, Grades I - IV: Teacher Edition
Price: $9.99 USD. Words: 8,100. Language: English. Published: January 12, 2013 . Categories: Nonfiction » Education & Study Guides » Literacy » Spelling, Nonfiction » Education & Study Guides » Home schooling
Traditional spelling curriculum for classical education. Perfect for classroom or homeschooling.
The Classical Speller, Grade IV: Student Edition
Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 3,460. Language: English. Published: January 3, 2013 . Categories: Nonfiction » Education & Study Guides » Home schooling, Nonfiction » Language Instruction » English as a second language
This traditional, Grade 1-8 spelling curriculum also teaches good study habits. Perfect for classroom, self-study, or homeschool.
The Classical Reciter
Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 22,230. Language: English. Published: December 27, 2012 . Categories: Fiction » Anthologies » Poetry - multi-author
The gauntlet is down! The Classical Reciter is the companion book for the overnight sensation blog by the same name. Includes 135 of the best poems ever for memorizing, reciting, and challenging your friends. Shakespeare, Keats, Shelley, Dickinson, Poe, Longfellow, Wordsworth, and many, many more. Perfect for classroom, homeschool, or personal use. Will YOU be the next internet poetry sensation?
The Classical Speller III, Student Edition
Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 15,160. Language: English. Published: December 1, 2012 . Categories: Nonfiction » Education & Study Guides » Literacy » Spelling, Nonfiction » Education & Study Guides » Home schooling
A 100-year-old, tried-and-true spelling method. Get back to the classics - Education the way it was for every great man of every generation, for about 200 years. The Classical Speller is an invitation to return to a time when people cared about their spelling and everything else they produced. Students following this method will build real self-esteem and pride in a job well done.
The Classical Speller, Grade II, Student Edition
Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 6,580. Language: English. Published: November 8, 2012 . Categories: Nonfiction » Education & Study Guides » Home schooling, Nonfiction » Education & Study Guides » Curricula
A 100-year-old, tried-and-true spelling method. Get back to the classics - Education the way it was for every great man of every generation, from our Colonial forefathers up until about the 1970’s. Return to a time when people cared about their spelling and everything else they produced. Students following this method will build real self-esteem and pride in a job well done.
The Classical Speller, Grade I, Student Edition
Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 6,240. Language: English. Published: November 7, 2012 . Categories: Nonfiction » Education & Study Guides » Home schooling, Nonfiction » Education & Study Guides » Curricula
A 100-year-old, tried-and-true spelling method. Get back to the classics - Education the way it was for every great man of every generation, from our Colonial forefathers up until about the 1970’s. Return to a time when people cared about their spelling and everything else they produced. Students following this method will build real self-esteem and pride in a job well done.
12 Quizzes on Classical Composers
Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 7,550. Language: English. Published: October 12, 2012 . Categories: Nonfiction » Music » Instruction & Study - Appreciation, Nonfiction » Music » History & Criticism
The perfect Christmas gift for your music-lover!. One quiz each on the lives of Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Liszt, Schubert, Schumann, Verdi, Wagner, Chopin, Haydn, Handel, and Grieg. May be used in conjunction with the Classically Gail free, one-year course in Music Appreciation (classicallygail.blogspot.com).
The Revenge: from the Files of Inspector Thomas Waters
Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 14,700. Language: English. Published: September 17, 2012 . Categories: Nonfiction » True Crime » General crimes
On a gaslit street in Victorian London, Inspector Thomas Waters trails a robbery suspect...but who is trailing Inspector Thomas Waters? Feel the chill of an authentic London fog in this true-crime, historic memoir of a British police detective. The perfect Christmas gift for the mystery-lover in your life!

Gail McGaffigan's tag cloud

1st grade spelling    2nd grade    2nd grade spelling    3rd grade spelling    action literature    adventure literature    american poems    best poems    book club    book discussion    boys literature    british detective    by heart    carl sandburg    charlotte mason    christian homeschooling    christina rossetti    classical composers    classical home school    classical homeschooling    classical method    classical spelling    clean literature    clement moore    composer quiz    edgar guest    edward lear    edwin markham    elementary education    elementary spelling    emerson    emily dickinson    english    english curriculum    eugene field    family literature    father brown    favorite poems    first grade    grade 1 spelling    grade 2    grade 2 spelling    grade 3 spelling    high school curriculum    high school english    home school    homeschool curriculum    homeschool english    homeschool poetry    homeschool spelling    john donne    language arts    lewis carroll    longfellow    mens literature    montessori    mother goose    music appreciation    music curriculum    music history    music quiz    oliver wendell holmes    percy bysshe shelley    poetry challenge    poetry contest    poetry memorization    police memoir    robert frost    robert louis stevenson    rudyard kipling    second grade    self study spelling    shakespeare    sherlock holmes    short stories    simple english    spelling    spelling curriculum    teaching spelling    thomas bailey aldrich    thoreau    traditional spelling    true crime    true detective    waldorf    walt whitman    walter de la mare    william allingham    william bryant    wordsworth    yeats   

Smashwords book reviews by Gail McGaffigan

  • Tippie & The Big Cat on Sep. 25, 2012

    A gentle, but steadily-developed plot, and use of playful Scottish dialect makes one feel as one is right there and as welcome as a plate of warm shortbread on a September afternoon. Although this is marketed as a children's book, anyone who likes a breezy, peaceful read will enjoy this island escape. Gail McGaffigan, Yesterday's Stories for Today's Readers lovinglyrestored.blogspot.com
  • Who'll Pick Me? on Oct. 14, 2012

    If you are buying your little girl an e-reader for Christmas, be sure to load this book onto it - My 9-year-old loved it...I did, too!