Announcing!


A Fun and Easy Way To Increase Reading Vocabulary!

The Tales of Fort Word, Texas: The Contest has been nominated for 14 literary awards!

*The Parents’ Choice Award
*The Teachers’ Choice Award
*The 2007 Newbery Award
*New York Book Festival Award
*Border Regional Library Association Award
*International Reading Association Award
*Boston Globe Horn Book Award
*Bank Street College of Education Children’s Book Award
*Notable Children’s Book Award
*Society of Children’s Authors and Illustrators Association Award
*Legacy Award (Texas Association for The Gifted and Talented)
*Writers’ Guild of Texas Award
*2008 Moonbeam Children’s Book Award
*Western Spur Award

For goodness sakes! Don’t be a saddle stiff. Order a copy or two, or three, or four.


You might want to share ’em with:

Dyslexic Readers

for the font style and size set within bordered pages

Gifted/Avid Readers

for the unique story and aide for speed reading

SAT® Prep Readers

for the easy and accurate way to retain 65 SAT® words

Adult Literacy Readers

for the advanced vocabulary interwoven into basic format

Inquisitive Readers

for the intriguing mystery dipped in humor







Announcing the arrival of
The Tales of Fort Word, Texas, a book that:

  • *Is Highly Entertaining
  • *Requires Less Energy to Read
  • *Provides for Higher Comprehension Skills
  • *Instills Accurate Recall of Higher Vocabulary (More info)
  • *Is Formatted for All Learning Styles (More info)
  • *Is Based on the Latest Brain Research
  • *Contains Multiple Mnemonic Systems
  • *Is Written by Award-Winning Author and Illustrator (More info)
  • *Is Easy to Order (More info)






Welcome to Fort Word, Texas!

The good people of Fort Word, Texas, have been challenged to win a contest by selecting the most valuable word for their town. Distracted by the antics of Vacillating Vernon, a snake (who is trying to learn from the townspeople about friendships), the humans quickly demonstrate their surprise and disapproval of a snake in their midst.

Standing on the boardwalk in Fort Word, Texas you will be astounded to learn

who was kissed by a mule,

who got shot in the foot,

whose clothes were on backwards,

who struck it rich,

what was hidden under the haystack,

and who won the contest.


This humorous mystery leads the reader deeper into painless understanding of high level vocabulary while learning an important lesson about life.

A wonderful book for everyone!


“The Tales of Fort Word, Texas offers challenge and support for every kind of young reader.....{the} use of long words makes readers feel a sense of achievement, while repetition and picture-support minimizes the potential difficulty of these words.”

-Dr. Pat Pinsent, Senior Research Fellow, National Centre for Research in Children’s Literature, Roehampton University, London, England


“Ms. Mac, has written another uniquely charming, educational and ”attention-grabbing” fun, picture book for all students from gifted readers to those with special reading needs.”

-Evelyn Horan, Author and Educator

“......a masterful job of presenting important values in a language children can understand.”

-Red Steagall, 2006 Poet Laureate of Texas, 2003 Inductee into Hall of Great Westerners


A Humorous Book With:

  • *A Moral
  • *A Message
  • *A Mystery &
  • *A Mess of Mnemonics
    (Memory Markers)