David Rough's Blog

I enjoy doing puzzles and figuring out solutions to problems. One of my favorite responsibilities as a school administrator was brainstorming potential resolutions to educational issues. I loved student scheduling and trying to integrate all the student requests into a workable master schedule. At the same time, I was concerned with the lack of perseverance on the part of some students to solve problems, not just in Math class, but in life in general. The old saying: “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again” has been replaced with the sad philosophy: “If at first you don’t succeed, quit.”

I am not a fan of video games and apps, especially those that expose children to violence, but many games help young minds search for solutions to problems. Many games are designed toward failure until you discover the right sequence for success. I have seen my grandchildren’s frustration reach an angry response to an app and I have seen them persevere until they conquer a particularly hard level.

One of the common threads of my children’s books is the problem-solving skills of my protagonists. I try to present a problem to my young leader that is not easy to solve, and yet with diligence and intelligence, the hero manages to discover the answer. I also attempt to bring a parallel between application the wisdom other others and the lessons learned in life with the solution to similar problems.

One of the books in the series of adventures of Princess Polly and Sir William the Brave is called The Red Rocks. In this children’s book, Polly and Billy have to use logic, transference of knowledge, mapping reading skills, and quick decision making to solve critical problems facing their adventure.

A quick excerpt to taste your appetite:
A tall gate blocked the entrance to the bridge and attached to the gate was a sign.
“Let me read it out loud. It seems like some sort of riddle”, said Polly.
The river is too swift to cross without going over me.
My gate is too high for man to leap;
My lock of wood cannot be broken by sword or hand of thee;
And my key is hidden deep beneath.
Billy knelt beside the river and tried to look deep into the water. The water was crystal clear, but there was no key to be seen. He paced up and down the river for a while but could not find anything that looked like a key…

In addition to solving the riddle, a lesson taught to Polly by her nanny, Sally, (earlier in the book) must be utilized to retrieve the key trapped in a narrow hole made of solid rock. I hope that utilizing problem-solution situations will encourage young readers to discover and exercise their own abilities with situation present themselves in their lives.

With the dearth of role models in our society today, the next generation thirsts of the waters of integrity and honesty. For the sake of realism and sometimes because a duty to political correctness, much of today’s literature (including the young adult genre) fills its pages with foul language, violence, sexual immorality, and disrespect. I realize that if we turn the television to the evening news, the same message is reported to the eyes and ears of our country. However, is there not room for the idealism of the good, the right, the moral? Can we not paint pictures of heroes with pure motivation of compassion, truth, and devotion?

One of the most fantastic elements of being a human being (an image bearer of the Creator) is the ability to change, the capacity to surrender and experience a life-transforming metamorphosis, the opportunity to turn around and walk a different road. My hope is that the authors of today will change from drawing accurate pictures of the modernity of man and begin to create powerful portraits of how to live victoriously in the midst of a fallen world. It doesn’t take too much creativity to describe the realism of our amoral planet – just turn on channel 7 at 5:00 - but discovering and helping others to find alternatives and modifications and coping mechanism to reach an anchor of integrity takes the pen of an author with courage, boldness, and insight.

The successful author in the United States today holds a position of great influence. The printed page is now in e-formats and audio-versions with availability to just about anyone who desires to read or listen (thank you public libraries!) The author with the message of redemption and transformation please exercise your giftedness in positive ways. Consider this powerful exhortation as you evaluate your next novel, children’s book, or young adult offering: “And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14

My first book was a direct result of a life-changing experience in 2014. I had the opportunity to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. It covers 14 states from Georgia to Maine. The tale of the tape is 2,186 miles and it took me a full five months to walk from Springer Mountain, Georgia, (start date: April 26) to Mount Katahdin, Maine (finish date: September 24).

I kept a journal every day during my adventure and knew that I needed to write a book when I returned to the Miami Valley near Dayton, Ohio. I wrote the book primarily for myself and my family. I wanted to try to capture the adventure, the people, the fun, the adversity, and the spiritual blessings of the hike.

It took several months and many revisions to settle on the final copy. I wanted it to be different from many of the trail books that I read before taking my hike. I planned to make it more than just my journal (although a condensed version of the journal is included). So, I included chapters on trail names (mine was Rowdy), trail jargon (there is a thru-hiker language unique to the long trail like Zero-day, MUDS and PUDS, Webwalking, the Bubble, and Vitamin I), hostels, wildlife, and gear.

I have had many opportunities to talk about the Appalachian Trail and my thru-hike of 2014. It has been five years since I climbed to the top of Mount Katahdin, but rarely a day goes by when I did not think about the trail, the people I met, and the faithfulness of God along my journey.

Some folks have asked me why I write children’s books.
“You have a master’s degree in Hermeneutics. Why don’t you write commentaries or Bible Studies?” I have written what I hope is a practical book on spiritual warfare called, We Are All Warriors, and I have plans for other similar works in the future.

“You have a doctorate in organizational leadership. Where are your leadership books?” Instead of trying to add to the body of knowledge in the abstract world of leadership, I try to include leadership principles into my other books.

"So why children’s books?” I have been telling bedtime stories to my children and some of my grandchildren for years. I love to see their eyes as I begin to paint a story that makes them use their imaginations and fill in the color behind my words. My first children’s book was The Adventures of Princess Polly and Sir William the Brave: Above the Trees. It was based on a story that I told my daughter, Bethany, many years ago.

I desire to tell stories that have positive characters that meet adventure with enthusiasm and excitement. I love problem-solving so my heroes are usually successful when they use their minds to discover solutions. Friendships are so important as we grow up, and so, part of my motivation in writing for children is to demonstrate cooperative friendships filled with respect and loyalty.

My first book about Princess Polly and Sir William the Brave turned into a six-part series of adventures that find Polly and Billy deciphering mysterious maps in hopes of discovering solutions for their kingdom of Havenshire. It has been great fun collaborating with my talented illustrator, Diane R Berg, who has a wonderful way of making my stories come to life in her drawings.