Author, Entertainer-Ronda Friend to Visit Northwest Kansas Schools
Ronda’s life is all about children!
Ronda Friend is not just a children’s author – R. Friend is a master storyteller, musician, singer, songwriter and a motivational speaker. Making memorable, magical moments in over 1,300 schools across the United States, Ronda engages the whole school using character messages, storytelling, music, puppets, sign language and audience participation. Combined with being a professional storyteller for Scholastic Books for nine years, Ronda has presented her humorous, heartwarming program to over one million children in twenty-seven states.
R. Friend is the founder of Sunflower Seeds Press, whose mission is reaching children’s hearts and minds by sowing seeds of a different kind. Sunflower Seeds Press books are like the children that read them – “. . . extraordinary, simply put one-of-a-kind, remarkable, exceptional, fantastic through and through, precious, cherished and unique . . . so good for you.”
Ronda’s heart’s desire is for children to fall in love with reading, writing & the fine arts. R. Friend (her real name) has worked for over forty years with children, produced and directed dozens of children’s musicals and now writes a beloved chapter series, Down on Friendly Acres, about her life growing up on Friendly Acres in Ohio in the ’60s. Woven into her true tall tales, playful poetry, catchy lyrics and melodic melodies are valuable life lessons on forgiveness, patience, kindness, perseverance, honesty and trustworthiness. Enjoyed by children, educators, parents and grandparents alike this series hasty best been described as Little House on the Prairie meets Green Acres over 100,000 copies have been sold.
Ronda holds a B.A. Degree in education and a minor in music. She lives in Franklin, Tennessee, and is very happily married to her best friend, Bill, founder of Friend2Friend Book Project. They are blessed with two grown children, their son, Jeremy (his wife, Joy, along with granddaughter, Eva Jean) and their daughter, Stephanie. There are many things in this world to be grateful for, but Ronda sums it up with the three F’s – family, faith, and friends.
Woodland Elementary, Mansfield, OH
Upper Blue Elementary, Breckenridge Ronda Friend will be at Eisenhower Elementary on November 9!