Corinne's Fin

Corinne’s Fin is a story for young children about courage and adaptability of a champion swimmer, Corinne, who thought life would always be the same at Lavender Lake. When things change unexpectedly, she must use her inner determination to begin the struggle to find and accept her new life, maintain her positive outlook on her circumstance, and keep smiling from Fin to Fin! “Corinne teaches a wonderful lesson about how to deal with adversity and to change the focus of your life to influence others in a positive way.”

—Brooke Wagner, Assistant Principal, Lansdowne Elementary School, Baltimore County Schools

“Dayle, an accomplished teacher, knows what children love to read. She has provided them with a fish tale that they will want to read over and over as they learn that goals may change, but never give up striving.” —Stephanie Leddy, retired English teacher, writer “With vivid imagery, energetic language and no small dose of fishy courage, Dayle Dabney guides us through a real hero’s journey. A terrific story of hope, courage and —Teresa Crumpton, MFA friendship.”

“As a teacher of young children, Dayle Dabney consistently demonstrates creativity, whimsy and a true understanding of what makes little ones tick. These traits are evident in her first book, which will charm, entertain and captivate young minds.”

—Anne Gold, retired Principal

Dayle Dabney has spent her entire life with young children from babysitting, to teaching in various states, to owning her own pre-school for 18 years, and lastly to teaching in the Baltimore County school system. She enjoys playing with her three grandchildren, London, Lane, and Margot, tennis, golf, bridge, poker, gardening, book clubs, writing group, gospel choir, and many nature and spiritual activities. Each day brings new learning and gratitude. Dayle has three wonderful daughters, Erin, Shannon, and Meghan. For more information visit HeadlineBooks.com.

Award-winning author and illustrator Ashley Teets is a 2012 summa cum laude graduate of Alderson-Broaddus College where she earned a B.F.A with a minor in creative writing. She has illustrated multiple award winning children’s books that include eleven Mom’s Choice Awards, four Indie Book Awards, an Indie Excellence Award and four Creative Child Magazine Awards. Ashley is also a portrait artist, muralist and painting instructor. For more information visit AshleyTeetsIllustration.com.

Corinne’s Fin

by Dayle Dabney illustrated by Ashley Teets copyright ©2016 Dayle Dabney All rights reserved. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents, except where noted otherwise, are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any other resemblance to actual people, places or events is entirely coincidental. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any other form or for any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage system, without written permission from Headline Books.

To order additional copies of this book or for book publishing information, or to contact the author: Headline Kids P. O. Box 52 Terra Alta, WV 26764 Tel: 800-570-5951 Email: mybook@headlinebooks.com www.headlinebooks.com Published by Headline Books Headline Kids is an imprint of Headline Books ISBN-13: 978-1-882658-68-8 Hard Cover ISBN-13: 978-1-882658-64-0 Paperback Library of Congress Control Number: 2016939639

Dabney, Dayle Corinne’s fin p. cm.

ISBN 9781882658688 ISBN 9781882658640 1. Children’s 2. Fish 3. Special Needs Dabney, Dale Fiction

PR I N T E D I N T H E U N I T E D STAT E S OF A M E R IC A

This book is dedicated to my three daughters: Erin, Shannon, and Meghan who have taught me many of life’s lessons throughout the years.

Corinne could swim from shore to shore, dawn to dusk, and season to season.

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Flowers hugged the warm water of Lavender Lake and filled the air with sweet perfume.

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Her underwater bulletin board was filled with first place blue ribbons. Corinne won EVERY goldfish race at Lavender Lake; every summer, every fall, every winter, and every spring.

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Baby fish would come and say, “Corinne, please show us all your pretty Oranda goldfish ribbons again! We want to win some racing ribbons one day!” They couldn’t help but stare at her fire-engine red lips.

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Her strength was deep within her magnificent flowing fins. They could swish extra water with each swirling stroke across the small lake from start to finish.

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Corinne practiced her swimming strokes every day in the middle of the shimmering water near the NO FISHING sign.

NO FISHING signs also surrounded the edge of Lavender Lake amid the purple flowers. There were families having picnics every day around the circle of purple flowers— enjoying lavender sugar cookies for dessert.

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Corinne was always the first place winner, even if the little boats were passing and the waves were rolling. Corinne could swim around and under the boats and still be the fastest swimmer. She felt like a true champion until the day of the terrible accident.

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Corinne was practicing her swimming strokes in the middle of Lavender Lake when she got caught on something sharp and curvy. One of her special flowing fins was trapped by a large treble fishing hook! Three hooks in one! Someone was fishing from one of the boats.

Fishing was not allowed so Corinne forgot to be careful.

She expected everyone to follow the NO FISHING signs.

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Corinne pulled and tugged to get free, but her striped flowing fin was trapped by that shiny metal fishing hook.

“Oh, no! What shall I do?” Corinne wailed with fright as her red head trembled. She jerked so hard and so many times to get free, she tore off the bottom half of her right flowing fin.

It floated away like a toy sailboat as a small wave rippled by. Corinne was finally free but with only half a flowing fin.

“Oh no! What happened? I lost half of one of my strong swimming fins!” sobbed Corinne.

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Corinne cried and cried.

Not only was her fin ripped, her heart was broken, her dreams were shattered.

When Corinne tried to swim, she could only glide around in large circles. The half fin could not keep up with the other strong fin so around and around she would circle.

“Will I ever swim from edge to edge of Lavender Lake again?� Corinne was afraid of the answer to that question.

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Her friends tried to comfort Corinne. Her friend, Bluebell, felt sorry for Corinne. She cried out loud whenever she tried to talk to Corinne.

“Oh, Corinne, why did this happen to YOU of all the swimming fish? You’re the Champion!” bellowed Bluebell.

Bluebell could only see what Corinne had lost.

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Her friend, Flame, was so mad about the three-way fish hook that his scales would bristle and shiver.

“Why don’t people follow the laws like they should?”

Flame was so angry he could not help Corinne.

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Her friend, Green Eyes, could always see joy when others were blind. Green Eyes could blow gigantic air bubbles any time, any place.

Green Eyes told Corinne he would visit her every day for a month. He would teach Corinne how to blow bubble blankets. Corinne, amid her tears, blew bubbles with Green Eyes.

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The bubbles gathered together like frog eggs and formed a bubble blanket. Corinne rested under the bubble blanket for a while each day. New thoughts grew while she was under the crystal clear covers.

Corinne found a new Corinne. Her friend, Green Eyes, believed in Corinne and now Corinne believed in herself.

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Corinne chose a new path. She encouraged the young fish to swim out far into the gentle rippling lake to see all the wonders and then come back near the edge and tell her of their magnificent adventures.

Corinne imagined she was swimming along with them through the warm ripples.

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All the young fish gathered around Corinne to learn the secrets of swimming far and fast. They practiced every day to get ready for the goldfish races at Lavender Lake.

“Please, Coach Corinne, teach us all that you know,” they pleaded. And so she did.

“Ready, swimmers? Swish, Swish! Right, Left! Swish, Swish! Faster, Faster! Swish, Swish!”

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Corinne loved to listen and coach the young fish before and after a day of strong swimming.

She wrote about their adventures as if they were her own.

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The young fish loved to visit her waterproof library and read her stories especially Water Secrets, Frannie’s First Win, and Champion Forever. Corinne was so busy coaching and writing she had no reason to cry about her missing half fin anymore.

Corinne was ready to watch others swim the races at Lavender Lake every summer, fall, winter, and spring.

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Corinne was FREE, free to be her new self from fin to fin.

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Lavender Lake Cookies ½ cup shortening ½ cup butter 1 cup sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ½ teaspoon almond extract 2 ¼ cups flour 4 teaspoons dried lavender flowers 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon salt

Step 1

Combine the shortening, butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in extracts. Combine the flour, lavender, baking powder and salt. Mix well.

Step 2

With two teaspoons, drop rounded mounds of batter two inches apart onto baking sheets.

Step 3

Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes until golden brown.

Sprinkle with sugar.

Step 4

ENJOY Corinne’s Lavender Cookies with milk while reading or listening to the story. Courage from Corinne will be coming your way.

Goldfish Anatomy A- Body B- Eyes C- Caudal Peduncle D- Cranial Region (of head) E- Sub Orbital Region (of head) F- Operculum G- Dorsal Fin H- Pectoral Fins I- Pelvic or Ventral Fins J- Caudal Fins K- Upper Caudal Lobe L- Lower Caudal Lobe M- Fork 32

Corinne’s Fin is a story for young children about courage and adaptability of a champion swimmer, Corinne, who thought life would always be the same at Lavender Lake. When things change unexpectedly, she must use her inner determination to begin the struggle to find and accept her new life, maintain her positive outlook on her circumstance, and keep smiling from Fin to Fin! “Corinne teaches a wonderful lesson about how to deal with adversity and to change the focus of your life to influence others in a positive way.”

—Brooke Wagner, Assistant Principal, Lansdowne Elementary School, Baltimore County Schools

“Dayle, an accomplished teacher, knows what children love to read. She has provided them with a fish tale that they will want to read over and over as they learn that goals may change, but never give up striving.” —Stephanie Leddy, retired English teacher, writer “With vivid imagery, energetic language and no small dose of fishy courage, Dayle Dabney guides us through a real hero’s journey. A terrific story of hope, courage and —Teresa Crumpton, MFA friendship.”

“As a teacher of young children, Dayle Dabney consistently demonstrates creativity, whimsy and a true understanding of what makes little ones tick. These traits are evident in her first book, which will charm, entertain and captivate young minds.”

—Anne Gold, retired Principal

Dayle Dabney has spent her entire life with young children from babysitting, to teaching in various states, to owning her own pre-school for 18 years, and lastly to teaching in the Baltimore County school system. She enjoys playing with her three grandchildren, London, Lane, and Margot, tennis, golf, bridge, poker, gardening, book clubs, writing group, gospel choir, and many nature and spiritual activities. Each day brings new learning and gratitude. Dayle has three wonderful daughters, Erin, Shannon, and Meghan. For more information visit HeadlineBooks.com.

Award-winning author and illustrator Ashley Teets is a 2012 summa cum laude graduate of Alderson-Broaddus College where she earned a B.F.A with a minor in creative writing. She has illustrated multiple award winning children’s books that include eleven Mom’s Choice Awards, four Indie Book Awards, an Indie Excellence Award and four Creative Child Magazine Awards. Ashley is also a portrait artist, muralist and painting instructor. For more information visit AshleyTeetsIllustration.com.