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In addition to being a photographer, Denise Bennerson, Ph.D.  writes fiction and nonfiction literature. She retired after 30 years from the Department of Education as an Early Childhood Special Education Resource Teacher.  Initially, she taught high school and junior high students.  However, during the last sixteen years she worked as an inclusion specialist/resource teacher with preschool children with disabilities and/or developmental delays in various settings.  She was also teacher of the year for Early Childhood Special Education program.  In addition as a professor at the University of the Virgin Islands she taught Head Start teachers and other preschool day care providers how to work in an inclusive setting with all children, as well as, how to promote language and literacy development in young children.  

She has conducted numerous workshops on children with special needs.  Her work with preschool children exposed her to all children and their wonderment about their environment and situations. She felt that this connection with children may have inspired her to write about experiences that they may face.  She believes that children, like adults, learn by their experiences and their ability to communicate those experiences to others.  She hopes that the many children, both young and young at heart, who read these stores about Daniel, can feel a sense of bonding with the character, because they may have also experienced similar situations. These books will provide a means for adults to speak with children about real life issues that they may face, similar to the character – Daniel in the stories. The six books are written in story form that is developmentally appropriate for young children. Many of her books are read to children in the Head Start Centers and public and private schools through out the Virgin Islands and the world.  Several of the books are excellent to read and talk to children about disasters before or after they happen.  Each book is approximately 12 to 14 pages with great simple illustrations.

Her books are jointly supported by a grant from the Virgin Islands Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts in Washington, DC, a federal agency. On October 12, 2002, her books were featured at the Second National Book Festival in Washington, D. C sponsored by First Lady Laura Bush.  In addition, February 2003 issue of "Child Care Business" magazine, her books were recommended as reading material for preschool and primary grade children. 

She also feels it is important to preserve the Caribbean/Virgin Islands' culture through photography, as well as, writing. Photography is also a passion of hers,  visit her website at Homeland Collections to view her fine art photography.

Dr. Bennerson has an AA in Accounting, BA in Business Administration, MA in Education with a concentration in Special Education and a Ph.D. in Early Childhood Special Education.  She is a member of the Council for Exceptional Children, the Division of Early Childhood, and Phi Delta Kappa. She is the executive director of, "The Virgin Islands Institute of Child Development." In addition, she is a past president of St. Croix Digital Photography Club. During her years of teaching she enjoyed working with all children. Books ordered on this website can be autographed to your children- write info on the order form.  Do enjoy the Daniel Series.

 Other books by  Dr. Bennerson

Dr. Denise Bennerson

Author

The Daniel Series

Daniel Gets a New Daddy

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Daniel and the Christmas Festival

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Daniel and the 150th Emancipation Celebration

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Reading to a child from birth is the most important activity you can do with a child to increase a child’s ability to read.

Promoting Literacy in Early Childhood  

Educational Resources

• Increase a child’s love for reading books
• Increase literacy and language development
• Introduce a child to another culture
• Provide a base for discussion on personal and social issues between a child and adult
• Increase understanding about sequence of events
• Increase self-esteem and family values
• Help a child deal with real life issues at an early age.
• Encourage appropriate or proactive behavior

Questions addressed in

Daniel Gets a New Daddy

What happened to the Old Daddy? How does a single parent explain to a young child that mommy or daddy is going out on a date without them getting an attitude?  What happens when Mommy gets married again?

Questions addressed in

Daniel and Hurricane Marilyn and Daniel After Hurricane Marilyn are:

Questions addressed in

Daniel and the Christmas Festival

How does a child spend Christmas during Festival celebrations on an island? What happens when there is no snow to play with outside? Do children get gifts on Christmas Day?

Many other questions are answered in all six Daniel books as the story unfolds!