Susan Bourrie

Books by Susan Bourrie

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The Misadventures of Mistletoe Mouse
More Misadventures of Mistletoe Mouse
The Merry Misadventures of Mistletoe Mouse
The Collected Misadventures of Mistletoe Mouse

Princess Meander

The Melodious Adventures of Molly Dolly
The Meritorious Adventures of Molly Dolly
The Miraculous Adventures of Molly Dolly
The Collected Adventures of Molly Dolly

The Misadventures of Mistletoe Mouse



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© 2016 by Susan Bourrie

For Pre-K through 4th Grade—and children of all ages.

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Synopsis

Celebrate the Christmas season with the lovable and hardworking Mistletoe Mouse. After he befriends Molly Dolly, a doll who is left behind on Christmas Eve by Santa's elves because they did not have her ready in time to go on Santa's sleigh, the pair join forces and, with the help of an express reindeer, work to make terrible Christmases terrific.

During the following year, Mistletoe Mouse experiences one misadventure after another as he and Molly Dolly save the show when a little girl cannot sing her solo, comfort a grandmother whose grandchildren are caught in a blizzard, and teach boys and girls who cannot afford gifts for their parents how to make something even more valuable than presents.

Whether he is dangling from a tree, covered with seaweed, confronting a stranger, or scampering through a skyscraper, Mistletoe Mouse tackles every Christmastime surprise and challenge with energy and imagination.

The Misadventures of Mistletoe Mouse is a traditional and wholesome tale that is sure to please children of all ages.


Editing and cover design by Leonore H. Dvorkin and David Dvorkin


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More Misadventures of Mistletoe Mouse



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© 2020 by Susan Bourrie

For Pre-K through 4th Grade—and children of all ages.

Synopsis

Celebrate another Christmas season with the lovable and hardworking Mistletoe Mouse. Two years ago, he befriended Molly Dolly, a doll who was left behind on Christmas Eve by Santa's elves. The fearless duo joined forces last year, and with the help of an express reindeer, they worked to make terrible Christmases terrific.

Once again, in this delightful sequel, Mistletoe Mouse and Molly Dolly experience one adventure and misadventure after another. They help put out a forest fire, find a home for a homeless family, visit patients in the hospital, and teach a reluctant elf that there's no place like school.

During a year that is not just terrible but also horrible and unbelievable, Santa teaches Mistletoe Mouse, Molly Dolly, Express, and the elves the real meaning of Christmas. More Misadventures of Mistletoe Mouse, like The Misadventures of Mistletoe Mouse, is for Pre-K through 4th Grade—and children of all ages.


Editing and cover design by Leonore H. Dvorkin and David Dvorkin


Click Below to Read a Sample


The Merry Misadventures of Mistletoe Mouse



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Click on cover image for larger version.


© 2021 by Susan Bourrie

For Pre-K through 4th Grade—and children of all ages.

Synopsis

Celebrate yet another year with the lovable and hardworking Mistletoe Mouse, who befriended Molly Dolly, a doll who was left behind on Christmas Eve by Santa's elves.

In the imaginative first book in the series, The Misadventures of Mistletoe Mouse (2016), the two created a business, Mistletoe and Molly Christmas Consultants, to make terrible Christmases terrific.

In the sequel, More Misadventures of Mistletoe Mouse (2020), the pair confronted serious issues such as sick grandparents, unemployed parents, and homeless families with compassion and gentle comic relief.

Now, in The Merry Misadventures of Mistletoe Mouse (2021), Molly Dolly and Mistletoe Mouse expand their business to include not just Christmas but the entire year. They do this by becoming Caring Consultants rather than just Christmas Consultants. Mistletoe Mouse experiences even more adventures and misadventures as Molly Dolly embraces technology and Junior Elf works to invent a cure for the worldwide sickness.

The Merry Misadventures of Mistletoe Mouse, like the two previous books, is sure to please children of all ages.


Editing and cover design by Leonore H. Dvorkin and David Dvorkin


Click Below to Read a Sample


The Collected Misadventures of Mistletoe Mouse



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© 2021 by Susan Bourrie

For Pre-K through 4th Grade—and children of all ages.

Synopsis

Join the intrepid Mistletoe Mouse and his friend Molly Dolly as they work to make terrible Christmases terrific in Book 1, help others cope with the pandemic in Book 2, and become wider-ranging Caring Consultants in Book 3. Their friends include Santa and Mrs. Claus, an express reindeer, many elves, various human families, and Alexa. Misadventures abound, but hope and joy triumph in the end.


Editing and cover design by Leonore H. Dvorkin and David Dvorkin


Click Below to Read a Sample


Princess Meander



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© 2020 by Susan Bourrie

For Pre-K through 4th Grade

Synopsis

When Meander, Cinderella's second cousin thrice removed, is chosen by charming Prince Fred to be his lucky bride, no one at Wildwood Castle is expecting the newest princess in the realm to be dissatisfied with courtly life. But Meander is indeed an unhappy princess. Wouldn't you be if you were stuck inside a castle most of the time?

Princess Meander was accustomed to doing many things and doing them her way. After turning the castle upside down and roaming the entire countryside, she finally finds something that makes her happy as she sits quietly for hours and hours on her royal throne. Read this delightful story to learn what it is.


Editing and cover design by Leonore H. Dvorkin and David Dvorkin


Click Below to Read a Sample


The Melodious Adventures of Molly Dolly



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© 2023 by Susan Bourrie

For Pre-K through 4th Grade—and children of all ages.

Synopsis

Join Molly Dolly and Mistletoe Mouse, whose adventures and misadventures filled the pages of The Misadventures of Mistletoe Mouse, More Misadventures of Mistletoe Mouse, The Merry Misadventures of Mistletoe Mouse, and The Collected Misadventures of Mistletoe Mouse, as they prepare to make another Christmas terrific.

Molly Dolly has been working with Mistletoe Mouse for several years. But now he's getting on her nerves as he hops on his noisy old typewriter and listens to music she dislikes. She's also tired of sleeping on Santa's lumpy old couch. So the determined doll sets out to learn what she must do to have a home and office of her own. She's assisted by many friends, including Junior Elf and Express, the super reindeer. In addition, four beautiful new dolls are introduced. They are Black, Latina, Asian, and Indigenous.

The Melodious Adventures of Molly Dolly is sure to please children of all ages as they learn that what the world needs most is love.


Editing and cover design by Leonore H. Dvorkin and David Dvorkin


Click Below to Read a Sample


The Meritorious Adventures of Molly Dolly



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© 2023 by Susan Bourrie

For Pre-K through 4th Grade—and children of all ages.

Synopsis

Celebrate another holiday season with Mistletoe Mouse, Molly Dolly, and the four new dollies as they work to make Christmas terrific after the real world turns violent. Santa's workshop changes from humorous to serious when he receives a letter asking for body armor for classmates and a teacher.

All hands are on deck as residents of the imaginary world learn about how conflicts begin and brainstorm zany ways to combat them. In The Meritorious Adventures of Molly Dolly, Junior Elf becomes a scientist ahead of his time as Molly Dolly becomes a hero.

Sequel to The Melodious Adventures of Molly Dolly and The Collected Misadventures of Mistletoe Mouse.


Editing and cover design by Leonore H. Dvorkin and David Dvorkin


Click Below to Read a Sample


The Miraculous Adventures of Molly Dolly



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Click on cover image for larger version.


© 2023 by Susan Bourrie

For Pre-K through 4th Grade—and children of all ages.

Synopsis

Celebrate a year with two Christmases with Mistletoe Mouse, Molly Dolly, residents of the North Pole, and the wacky Imaginary World when they work to make the Real World a safer place for boys and girls.

Santa learns that you can't please everyone after he receives a letter asking for body armor for classmates and a teacher and follows through with this request and much more in time for Christmas in July. When he disappears and everyone is searching for him, Molly Dolly prays for angels from the Heavenly World to protect him as she, the four dollies, and their fairy godmothers go on a musical tour.

Only Junior Elf and Professor Huff N. Puff share creative ideas that interrupt the violence in the real world as they try to invent something that will put a stop to it.

Sequel to The Melodious Adventures of Molly Dolly, The Meritorious Adventures of Molly Dolly, and The Collected Misadventures of Mistletoe Mouse.


Editing and cover design by Leonore H. Dvorkin and David Dvorkin


Click Below to Read a Sample


The Collected Adventures of Molly Dolly



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Click on cover image for larger version.


© 2023 by Susan Bourrie

For 4th grade and up—and children of all ages.

Synopsis

This collection features delightful characters from the North Pole trying to help children in the real world deal with troubling events. Along with the serious subjects, there is a lot of humor, and the stories end with feelings of hope and good will. Parents and teachers can use this book to open discussions about how children are feeling and coping at a difficult time.
—Sherry Warden, parent, special education teacher, and president of the Washtenaw Retired Teachers Association

The Melodious Adventures of Molly Dolly (2022)
Molly Dolly has been working with Mistletoe Mouse for several years, but now his noisy old typewriter is getting on her nerves. She’s also tired of sleeping on Santa’s lumpy couch. So she sets out to get a home and office of her own, assisted by many friends. They include four beautiful new dollies, who are Black, Latina, Asian, and Indigenous. This book is sure to please children of all ages as they learn that what the world needs most is love.

The Meritorious Adventures of Molly Dolly (2023)
When the Real World turns violent and a child asks for body armor for herself, her classmates, and her teacher, Santa's workshop changes from humorous to serious. All hands are on deck as residents of the Imaginary World learn how conflicts begin and brainstorm zany ways to combat them. Junior Elf becomes a scientist ahead of his time, and Molly Dolly becomes a hero.

The Miraculous Adventures of Molly Dolly (2023)
The residents of the Imaginary World all want to make the Real World a safer place for boys and girls. After Santa learns that you can’t please everyone, he disappears for a while. Everyone searches for him, and Molly Dolly prays for his safe return. She, the four dollies, and their fairy godmothers go on a musical tour. Junior Elf and Professor Huff N. Puff share creative ideas to interrupt and perhaps even stop the violence in the Real World.

Sequel to The Collected Misadventures of Mistletoe Mouse (2021)


Editing and cover design by Leonore H. Dvorkin and David Dvorkin


Click Below to Read a Sample


About the Author

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Susan Bourrie



Susan Bourrie grew up in LaSalle, Illinois, where she wrote and won awards for her light verse poetry. When she moved to Midland, Michigan, she started writing for children. Her three children's narrative poems, "Mortimer J. Readabook, the Medicine Man"; "Admiral Seasalt's Waterbed"; and "When Mommy Puts Her Jeans On," were beautifully illustrated and published in Humpty Dumpty's Magazine (now Humpty Dumpty Magazine).

In 1980, Ms. Bourrie managed the children's room of the Madison-Jefferson County Public Library in Indiana.

She attended the First Vassar Institute of Publishing and Writing: Children's Books in the Marketplace. Her articles about Lloyd C. Douglas and William Holmes McGuffey were included in The Dictionary of Midwestern Literature in 2001. While she was completing ALA core classes in Library Studies at the University of Michigan and earning master's degrees in both Children's Literature and Library Media at Central Michigan University, Ms. Bourrie's formalist poems and song lyrics placed in writing contests. She taught children's literature and writing classes at several universities in Michigan while earning an Educational Specialist Degree in Curriculum, Teaching, and Educational Policy, with an emphasis in Literacy, at Michigan State University in 2003.

Ms. Bourrie has a vision impairment and advocates for people with disabilities as a member of The University of Michigan Council for Disability Concerns and the Washtenaw County Commission for Disability Issues. She was invited to speak at The University of Michigan School of Public Health and the School of Information Studies Talking Points Project. Her blog promoted the early screening of children for potentially blinding eye diseases and taught people with vision impairments how to live with their condition rather than merely cope with it.

Contact Information

Email: susanbourrie.writer@gmail.com