Elizabeth Arkward Newton
This story is about a little boy who found consolation in sucking his thumb. Jamal sucked his thumb when he was nervous or scared. He sucked his thumb when he was happy or sad. He even sucked his thumb when he was mad. That is until he came up against Mr. Pepper. Mr. Pepper had magical fire power that only he could control. One day he set fire to Jamal's thumb and would not put out the flame until Jamal promised never to suck his thumb again.
Elizabeth Arkward Newton, the youngest of eight children. Was born in Lyndhurst, Virginia and raised in the valley of the Afton Mountains. Her primary and secondary education was in the public schools of Albermarle and Nelson counties. High School education was provided by the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament at Saint Francis DeSales (Castle on the James River) in Powhatan, Virginia. Saint Francis De Sales was an all girls' prep-high school founded by Saint Katharine Drexel in 1891 for disadvantaged African American and Indian girls. The school was designed to promote dignity, self-respect and a high degree of Christian education for the girls.
She retired from the U.S. Department of Labor in Washington, DC after 30 years of service as a Budget/Management Analyst, in the Office of the Solicitor. After retirement, she worked as a substitute teacher for the Prince George's Public Schools and Capitol Christian Academy, a private Christian school in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.
She currently lives in Troy, Virginia with her husband. She is the mother of six children, one stepson and 13 grandchildren. Her aspiration for writing children's stories comes from her beautiful grandchildren, a happy and adventurous childhood in the rollings hills of Virginia and many positive experiences as a substitute teacher working with elementary school children.
His mouth came open but nothing came out but his thumb. When he threw up his hands to scream, a ball of fire came from Mr. Pepper's mouth and landed right on Mal's thumb. Jamal could hear the fire sizzling on his thumb. He began to cry because he could not put out the flame.
