Loving the beach and wanting  future generations to enjoy what we have today, I am taking it upon myself to ask your help so that sea creatures, birds, vegetation  and the quality of the water and sand  will be safe and disease free.

While prepping for Olivia's Magic Conch, my first thought was to entertain, but as the fable began to take shape, I felt the need to give more. Experiencing the joy of living near the ocean most of my life perhaps I am a little more aware of what huge amounts of trash are left behind on shore by the very same people who enjoy a fun filled and relaxing day.  A little research reveals that over 60,000.000 lbs. of potentially hazardous debris is removed from our beaches annually. Sixty million pounds!

So often in our search for solutions to big problems, we overlook the small answers that are right beneath our noses and then give up when the task seems overwhelming. But we can make a tremendous difference just by picking up our own trash and depositing it in a nearby receptacle when we exit.

Talking it up as we clear away the trash left on the beach by others and telling many unsuspecting visitors how important it is to the well being of all living things, will make a huge difference.

Whatever you choose to do, you are going to enjoy the rewards of a pristine beach, clear, clean water and beautiful birds singing your praises. But most of all you are going to feel good about yourself knowing you are saving the beaches for future generations.

And this is why I chose to write this fable with a curve. The kids today will bear your grandchildren, or perhaps as in my case great-grandchildren. They are the future. Olivia's Magic Conch will teach them now before things get worse, how important the integrity of the ocean and its beaches is to our survival, and that of sea creatures, plants above and beneath the water and the birds who depend on them for food.

One day the oceans will provide us with drinking water too.  This is not speculation; it is fact.

The majority of kids today are on overload between homework, sports and other  activiites. Too few would choose to read a  book about scientific oceanography and eco-marine systems at this age. Sure it's all good, factual information, but it is yet another text book, while a present day fable with mystical happenings involving a pre-teen girl,  her marine biologist dad, and their quest to find the elusive conch in Cape May is entertainment. OMC takes the reader  from the shores of New Jersey to the Caribbean on a  misson /adventure

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Everything was right in Olivia's world; her eleventh birthday was in a couple of days and her dad promised this would be their lucky year.  This year they would find the elusive magic conch, the shell he spoke of so often and for which they had searched so many years. She believed him...because he never broke a promise.

"Sometimes things get in the way of your plans, and we have to deal with it." he used to say.  So when he got word he had to leave for the Caribbean and would not be home for her birthday, she dealt.  She didn't like it, but she dealt. What she couldn't deal with was the call they received on the morning of her birthday saying her dad was missing at sea.

It hurt so deep, she refused to celebrate her birthday, ever again.

One year to the day with the wonderful memories of her dad, his teachings and the belief he was still alive ever present in her mind, she decides to resume the search for the mystical shell by herself. . And that is when the adventure unfolds. 

 A flashback to sixteenth century piracy is nail biting. The true 'magic' of the shell is revealed by  two sea urchins, Ulee and Umberto who speak in today's jargon, and travel the world's beaches by Conch to shed awareness  to all, the many reasons we need to take care of our ocean. The revelation does not come off as a lesson. It truly is a year in the life of  an average family, with joy, sadness and  just the right amount of fantasy to point the reader to a very happy ending.

You will  feel the emotions of a devoted family in crisis; their love for one another, their knowledgeable respect for the sea  and their faith.  You will experience an unforgettable adventure that reveals just how important the ocean is to our survival. 

 And you will come away with the desire to do something to help.

 Remember fables are ageless so enjoy Olivia's Magic Conch/ A Mystical, Modern Day Fable with your kids.  Who knows you might learn a thing or two, tear up, laugh and bring forth all the old memories of great times you shared with family and friends at the beach when you were a 12 year old kid. And if you've never been.......you will put it on your bucket list for sure!

Please  don't let your future grandchildren be deprived of all the benefits a clean ocean and beach provide.

 Thank you, Patti,