John Splaine's complete trilogy is now available for purchase at Four Seasons Books and online. Courtesy photo

Shepherdstown-When John Splaine, a Shepherdstown resident, began to think about his days as a high school teacher in New Hampshire and Maryland, he couldn't help but get creative inspiration from his memories. In 2014, as Splain began to write the first book in the novel trilogy "Mr. M's Notebook."

After seven years of hard work, Splain has now completed the trilogy and published the book, "Mr. M's Notebook: Memorial High School." The subtitles of the first two books are "Bailey High School" and " high school".

"I have been an educator for more than 50 years and want to explain the important issues that teachers deal with every day," Splain said, noting that he also taught at the university level. "I hope these trilogy help explain some of the things the teacher has done over the years.

"Fictions can highlight certain issues in education and society," Splend said, explaining that the trilogy is not autobiographical. “This novel traces the teaching and personal life of the fictional Mark Blenchard, who taught at Bailey’s TS Memorial High School from 1970 to 2021. The story tells about the time when Blanchard taught and The problems he and his students faced in the classroom and society at that time. The big ones. The book describes the teachers and students through vignettes."

Splaine holds a bachelor's and master's degree in history from the University of New Hampshire, and a doctorate in education from Boston University.

According to Splaine, the themes range from serious to humorous, and despite their particularity, they can attract a wide audience.

"Educators, parents, and any citizen thinking about educational issues and their social impact can find this valuable book," Splain said. "People who have read the first and second books said that they found these books to be thought-provoking."

Although the books in these trilogy are not his first published books, they are his first novel works.

"Because I have written books before, I know the difficulties," Splain said of him finishing "Mr. M's notebook." "I write and revise every day to complete the trilogy. I am worried if I stop. For a while, I might really stop. So, I keep writing."

Although the last book of the trilogy can be purchased this month, Splaine plans to wait a few more months before hosting any events celebrating his completion.

"I plan to read The Four Seasons Book in December 2021," Splain said.

The complete trilogy is available for purchase at Four Seasons Books and online. Visit the Facebook page and website of Four Seasons Books to learn about the "Mr. M's Notebook: Memorial High" reading session.

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