Education Essays from My Perspective: 50 Years as a Professional Educator Offering Pearls of Wisdom for Your Journey Book 1 & Book 2

Teaching, Professional Development, Testing, Evaluating, Planning, Communication, and Leadership – Marsha Diane Akau Wellein (nee Hawaii) discusses these issues using civilian and military educational practices and theories from her view point. She uses her real-life adventures, her personal experiences – she has been there and done it! If you want only DO THIS or DO THAT advice, please do not read this book. It may be too much out-of-the-box thinking by taking you out of your comfort zone! Dr. Wellein has been a professional educator since 1969 – teaching many grades & ability levels, various subjects, special education and regular K – 12 students, undergraduate, graduate, served as a test administrator, principal, curriculum specialist, grants writer, children’s book author - you name it, and she has done it. From Chapter 1, when Dr. Wellein as a young 25-year-old teacher escapes sexual assault, to Chapter 72, dealing with a mentally challenged supervisor and all chapters in between, this book offers you much to ponder. She shows how practice follows sound theory, but one size never fits all! Dr. Wellein also cites the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic as a monumentally significant event, affecting direct, face-to-face instruction for years to come (even with vaccine), and increasing distance/online learning one hundred-fold. There is no central thread in this book, no cord to bind chapters together chronologically or geographically. Each chapter deliberately stands alone; each is merely a snippet, a pearl, for the reader. When Marsha Wellein decided in the mid - 1980s to accept an offer to work overseas in her capacity as a US DOD Civilian in Army Education Services at Larson Barracks, itself located within a very small US Army garrison in the Federal Republic of Germany (Bundesrepublik Deutschland) in the West German town of Wurzburg, she had absolutely no realization at the time that this innocuous one-time assignment was to be the first step in what would eventually form a substantial block of time for 2 decades comprising multiple back-to-back permanent change of station (PCS) assignments across a broad swath of the world. After the posting in Germany, Dr. Wellein accepted a tour to the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt with the Multinational Peacekeeping Force under the US State Dept. (headquartered in Rome), and three years later, returned to Hawaii. Then it was off to Panama and Honduras for a couple of years during the crazy narco-guerrilla cocaine wars, back to Hawaii, then onward to Kuwait and Saudi Arabia following the end of the Iraq war (and quasi safe, inside the US compounds.) Japan (Camp Zama) was really a crowded land of Toyotas & sushi, and South Korea was next, an assignment on the doorstep between the South Korean De-Militarized Zone and North Korea (i.e., Democratic People’s Republic of Korea). She next served as the Army Director of Education & Library Services for US Southern Command in Puerto Rico, responsible for 24 military groups in South & Central America and part of Florida. In 2001, as the Army Reserve Regional Director of Education for Pacific & Asia, Dr. Wellein cared for Army Reservists throughout Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, Saipan, American Samoa & Asia. Education is in her blood, so she earned a doctorate in 2010. When she retired from DOD in late 2012, she returned to her first love, teaching. But read this book and see for yourself. You will love reading about solutions to problems, challenging yourself, exploring ideas and new methods, practices, as you continue your academic education journey. Why do almost 1,000 teachers leave their jobs yearly in many major cities? What can education recruiters do to hire more credentialed educators? Will civilian and military educational agencies join forces for some professional development activities in 2021? She offers compelling ideas, Pearls of Wisdom to teachers, administrators, anyone interested in improving education in America.

Education Essays From My Perspective: 50 Years as a Professional Educator Offering Pearls of Wisdom For Your Journey, Book 1, academic work on education published by MD Wellein, Inc., January 2021, written by Dr. Marsha Diane Akau Wellein, with technical editor Nicholas Patrick Wellein, senior editor Dr. Carole Freehan, graphic designer Samuel Sammy Naah, and photographer John Waipa, Registered by Library of Congress Catalog Control Number 202 900 728 ISBN 978-7364147-0-5 ($18.55); Available from Amazon.com Kindle ISBN number eBook 978-1-7364147-1-2 (free or $1.00) www.amazon.com/Education-Essays-My-Perspective-Professional-ebook/dp/B09PGKCP9X

A woman with beads around her neck and necklace.

Teaching, Professional Development, Testing, Evaluating, Planning, Communication, and Leadership – Marsha Diane Akau Wellein (nee Hawaii) discusses these issues using civilian and military educational practices and theories from her view point. She uses her real-life adventures, her personal experiences – she has been there and done it! If you want only DO THIS or DO THAT advice, please do not read this book. It may be too much out-of-the-box thinking by taking you out of your comfort zone! Dr. Wellein has been a professional educator since 1969 – teaching many grades & ability levels, various subjects, special education and regular K – 12 students, undergraduate, graduate, served as a test administrator, principal, curriculum specialist, grants writer, children’s book author - you name it, and she has done it. From Chapter 1, when Dr. Wellein as a young 25-year-old teacher escapes sexual assault, to Chapter 72, dealing with a mentally challenged supervisor and all chapters in between, this book offers you much to ponder. She shows how practice follows sound theory, but one size never fits all! Dr. Wellein also cites the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic as a monumentally significant event, affecting direct, face-to-face instruction for years to come (even with vaccine), and increasing distance/online learning one hundred-fold. There is no central thread in this book, no cord to bind chapters together chronologically or geographically. Each chapter deliberately stands alone; each is merely a snippet, a pearl, for the reader. When Marsha Wellein decided in the mid - 1980s to accept an offer to work overseas in her capacity as a US DOD Civilian in Army Education Services at Larson Barracks, itself located within a very small US Army garrison in the Federal Republic of Germany (Bundesrepublik Deutschland) in the West German town of Wurzburg, she had absolutely no realization at the time that this innocuous one-time assignment was to be the first step in what would eventually form a substantial block of time for 2 decades comprising multiple back-to-back permanent change of station (PCS) assignments across a broad swath of the world. After the posting in Germany, Dr. Wellein accepted a tour to the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt with the Multinational Peacekeeping Force under the US State Dept. (headquartered in Rome), and three years later, returned to Hawaii. Then it was off to Panama and Honduras for a couple of years during the crazy narco-guerrilla cocaine wars, back to Hawaii, then onward to Kuwait and Saudi Arabia following the end of the Iraq war (and quasi safe, inside the US compounds.) Japan (Camp Zama) was really a crowded land of Toyotas & sushi, and South Korea was next, an assignment on the doorstep between the South Korean De-Militarized Zone and North Korea (i.e., Democratic People’s Republic of Korea). She next served as the Army Director of Education & Library Services for US Southern Command in Puerto Rico, responsible for 24 military groups in South & Central America and part of Florida. In 2001, as the Army Reserve Regional Director of Education for Pacific & Asia, Dr. Wellein cared for Army Reservists throughout Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, Saipan, American Samoa & Asia. Education is in her blood, so she earned a doctorate in 2010. When she retired from DOD in late 2012, she returned to her first love, teaching. But read this book and see for yourself. You will love reading about solutions to problems, challenging yourself, exploring ideas and new methods, practices, as you continue your academic education journey. Why do almost 1,000 teachers leave their jobs yearly in many major cities? What can education recruiters do to hire more credentialed educators? Will civilian and military educational agencies join forces for some professional development activities in 2021? She offers compelling ideas, Pearls of Wisdom to teachers, administrators, anyone interested in improving education in America.

Education Essays From My Perspective: 50 Years as a Professional Educator Offering Pearls of Wisdom For Your Journey, Book 1, academic work on education published by MD Wellein, Inc., January 2021, written by Dr. Marsha Diane Akau Wellein, with technical editor Nicholas Patrick Wellein, senior editor Dr. Carole Freehan, graphic designer Samuel Sammy Naah, and photographer John Waipa, Registered by Library of Congress Catalog Control Number 202 900 728 ISBN 978-7364147-0-5 ($18.55); Available from Amazon.com Kindle ISBN number eBook 978-1-7364147-1-2 (free or $1.00) www.amazon.com/Education-Essays-My-Perspective-Professional-ebook/dp/B09PGKCP9X

Back cover of a book about women in the military
If you want to improve education in America then read this book! These pearls of wisdom from a veteran educator will help you on your journey. Multiculturalism, Prejudice, Racism, & Lies comprise the first section, followed by a section on Change is the Only Constant, & finally the third, Adult & Higher Education: Life’s Challenges.
Marsha Diane Akau Wellein discusses these issues using civilian & military educational practices & theories from her viewpoint bolstered by detailed academic research. She also uses her personal experiences – she has been there & done it!
Dr. Wellein has been a professional educator since 1969 – teaching many grades & ability levels, various subjects, special education & regular K-12 students, undergraduate & graduate level courses, serving as test administrator, principal, curriculum specialist, grants writer, children’s book author & Army military education director of islands & regions of the world.
Book 2 begins with CH 1, when Dr. Wellein as a young teacher at Hawaii Job Corps confronts racial prejudice head-on. CH 2-27 continue, examining such topics as sources of discrimination, bullying, biasness in our society, female genital mutilation, evidence of gender unfairness in children’s literature, multiculturalism in the classroom, & real-life examples of intolerance.
CH 28-40 discuss change & how to implement change successfully in civilian & military agencies. Finally, CH 41-51 focus on adult learning & education, community college salary issues, diploma mills/fake degrees, challenges during Dr. Wellein’s doctoral journey, & finally, personal reflections. This book includes detailed references, documenting sources for you to explore.
When Dr. Wellein in 1988 accepted an offer to work as a U.S. DOD civilian in Army Education Services in the Federal Republic of Germany (Bundesrepublik Deutschland) in the West German town of Wurzburg, she had absolutely no realization that this innocuous one-time assignment was the first step in what would eventually form a substantial block of time for well over 2 decades comprising multiple back-to-back permanent change of station (PCS) assignments across a broad swath of the world.
After the posting in Germany, Dr. Wellein accepted a tour to the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt -Multinational Peacekeeping Force, U.S. State Dept. (headquartered in Rome) & three years later, returned to Hawaii. Then it was off to Panama & Honduras for a couple of years during the crazy narco-guerrilla cocaine wars, back to Hawaii, then onward to Kuwait & Saudi Arabia following the end of the Iraq war (& quasi-safe, inside the US compounds). Japan was next, then South Korea, an assignment on the doorstep between the South Korea De-Militarized Zone near the 38th Parallel & North Korea.
Dr. Wellein next served as the Army Director of Education & Library Services for U.S. Southern Command in Puerto Rico, responsible for 24 military groups in South & Central America, U.S. Virgin Islands, & part of Florida. In 2001, as the Army Reserve Regional Director of Education for Pacific & Asia, Dr. Wellein cared for Army Reservists throughout Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, Saipan, American Samoa, & Asia.
Dr. Wellein shows how practice follows sound theory, but one size never fits all! Dr. Wellein also cites the COVID-19 Pandemic as a monumentally significant world event, affecting direct, face-to-face instruction for years to come. There is no central thread in this book, no cord to bind chapters together chronologically or geographically. Each chapter deliberately stands alone; each is merely a snippet, a pearl, for the reader.
You will love reading about solutions to problems, challenging yourself, exploring ideas & new methods, & practices as you continue your journey. She offers compelling ideas, Pearls of Wisdom, to civilian & military educators, administrators--anyone interested in improving education in America.
 
A book cover with a woman wearing beads and a necklace.
If you want to improve education in America then read this book! These pearls of wisdom from a veteran educator will help you on your journey. Multiculturalism, Prejudice, Racism, & Lies comprise the first section, followed by a section on Change is the Only Constant, & finally the third, Adult & Higher Education: Life’s Challenges.
Marsha Diane Akau Wellein discusses these issues using civilian & military educational practices & theories from her viewpoint bolstered by detailed academic research. She also uses her personal experiences – she has been there & done it!
Dr. Wellein has been a professional educator since 1969 – teaching many grades & ability levels, various subjects, special education & regular K-12 students, undergraduate & graduate level courses, serving as test administrator, principal, curriculum specialist, grants writer, children’s book author & Army military education director of islands & regions of the world.
Book 2 begins with CH 1, when Dr. Wellein as a young teacher at Hawaii Job Corps confronts racial prejudice head-on. CH 2-27 continue, examining such topics as sources of discrimination, bullying, biasness in our society, female genital mutilation, evidence of gender unfairness in children’s literature, multiculturalism in the classroom, & real-life examples of intolerance.
CH 28-40 discuss change & how to implement change successfully in civilian & military agencies. Finally, CH 41-51 focus on adult learning & education, community college salary issues, diploma mills/fake degrees, challenges during Dr. Wellein’s doctoral journey, & finally, personal reflections. This book includes detailed references, documenting sources for you to explore.
When Dr. Wellein in 1988 accepted an offer to work as a U.S. DOD civilian in Army Education Services in the Federal Republic of Germany (Bundesrepublik Deutschland) in the West German town of Wurzburg, she had absolutely no realization that this innocuous one-time assignment was the first step in what would eventually form a substantial block of time for well over 2 decades comprising multiple back-to-back permanent change of station (PCS) assignments across a broad swath of the world.
After the posting in Germany, Dr. Wellein accepted a tour to the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt -Multinational Peacekeeping Force, U.S. State Dept. (headquartered in Rome) & three years later, returned to Hawaii. Then it was off to Panama & Honduras for a couple of years during the crazy narco-guerrilla cocaine wars, back to Hawaii, then onward to Kuwait & Saudi Arabia following the end of the Iraq war (& quasi-safe, inside the US compounds). Japan was next, then South Korea, an assignment on the doorstep between the South Korea De-Militarized Zone near the 38th Parallel & North Korea.
Dr. Wellein next served as the Army Director of Education & Library Services for U.S. Southern Command in Puerto Rico, responsible for 24 military groups in South & Central America, U.S. Virgin Islands, & part of Florida. In 2001, as the Army Reserve Regional Director of Education for Pacific & Asia, Dr. Wellein cared for Army Reservists throughout Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, Saipan, American Samoa, & Asia.
Dr. Wellein shows how practice follows sound theory, but one size never fits all! Dr. Wellein also cites the COVID-19 Pandemic as a monumentally significant world event, affecting direct, face-to-face instruction for years to come. There is no central thread in this book, no cord to bind chapters together chronologically or geographically. Each chapter deliberately stands alone; each is merely a snippet, a pearl, for the reader.
You will love reading about solutions to problems, challenging yourself, exploring ideas & new methods, & practices as you continue your journey. She offers compelling ideas, Pearls of Wisdom, to civilian & military educators, administrators--anyone interested in improving education in America.
 
A picture of a person with an article in it.

APPENDIX C: How to Locate Dr. Wellein’s Dissertation
By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest;
Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and Third by experience,
which is the bitterest.

Confucius
Dissertations, Theses: Full Text. (Publication No. AAT 3429228)
RE: Publication 3429228 in PRO Quest – No Charge
Thank you for choosing to publish in our Open Access database. Access to graduate work in PQDT Open, our online repository of Open Access graduate works is found at http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/ ENTER IN SEARCH BAR 3429228
OR
Link to your manuscript – http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#abstract?dispub=3429228 ENTER the name MARSHA WELLEIN in the SEARCH BAR

Factors associated with Army reservists using educational programs and services at 9th Mission Support Command by Wellein, Marsha Diane Akau, Ed.D., Argosy University/Hawai'i, 2010, 288 Pages; 3429228

Abstract (Summary)
This investigation was to determine which variables impacted 1088 Army reservists from 9th Mission Support Command, Hawaii in utilizing civilian education programs and services available to them throughout Pacific and Asia. Extensive research of active-duty military has been available, but examining Army reservists without reference to reenlistment or retentions has been scarce. Self-identified factors in a 23-question survey included too many family responsibilities, little access to the Internet, and working full-time which proved to be substantial barriers to soldiers’ educational postsecondary pursuit. These variables were statistically significant at the .05 level, using the t-test and multiple regression analysis. Other questioned factors, such as ethnicity, bilingualism, or location did not seem to effect soldiers’ decision to pursue civilian education.

Indexing (document details)
Advisor: Duellberg, Donna J.
Publication Number: 3429228; ISBN: 978-1-124-26220-8 288 pages; 3429228.
• Abstract
• Full Text - PDF (4.99 MB)
This Dissertation is free to anyone.
School: Argosy University/Hawai'i
School Location: United States - Hawaii
Source: DAI-A 71/10, Dissertation Abstracts International
Source Type: DISSERTATION
Subjects: Adult education, Continuing education, Military studies
Keywords: Army reserve education, Military education benefits, Pacific and
Asia reservists, Soldier civilian, Veterans education
Address: 789 789 E. Eisenhower Parkway, P.O. Box 1346 | Ann Arbor MI
48106-1346 USA.
phone 1-800-521-0600 x 72160 fax 1-734-997-4113

A cover of the book, " factors associated with army personnel using educational programs and services at the mission support command."

OUT OF PRINT

Two CHamoru youngsters, 8 and 12, spend an eventful summer in Guam, a small U.S. Territory in the western Pacific Ocean. The boys Ike and Francisco, with their father, Daniet, experience night fishing, Betel Nut Hunting, killing a pig, and, later, a Brown Tree snake, a moray eel attack, and village fiesta preparations. The children had lost their mother when the youngest boy was born, so their father raised them with the help of his close relatives.

The Endless Summer – An Adventure Story of Guam by Dr. Wellein, a hardback children’s chapter book (Juvenile fiction), published in 1976, Vantage Press, New York, First Edition. ISBN 5333-01409-3 Library of Congress 74-83228, presently out of print.books.google.com/books/about/The_Endless_Summer.html?id=fUH3GwAACAAJ

A book cover with people swimming in the water.
A page of an old book with a picture and description.

The Endless Summer – An Adventure Story of Guam, REVISITED

Parents & Educators Edition

Author: Dr. Marsha Diane Akau Wellein of Mililani, Hawaii

CHamoru Language Expert: Mr. Ronald Anthony Tenorio Labucho Laguaña (Gådde’)  of Dedidu, Guam

Illustrator:  Mr. Jerrold Dwayne Castro of Barigada, Guam

Graphic Artist:  Dr. Samuel Naah, of Accra, Ghana, West Africa

Contributing Editor: Mr. Geoffrey Michael Wellein of Spokane, Washington

Technical Editor:  Mr. Nicholas Patrick Wellein of Yigu’, Guam

Foreword:  Dr. Donald Kenneth Maas of San Luis Obispo, California

Photographer:  Mr. John Waipa, I

TITLE PAGE INFORMATION FOR ALL READERS:

This book is a work of fiction. Any names, characters, companies, organizations, places, events, locales, and incidents are used in a fictitious manner or are fictional. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, actual companies or organizations, or actual events are purely coincidental.

Title:  The Endless Summer – An Adventure Story of Guam, REVISITED – Parents & Educators 

Edition: First

Year:  2026

Edition:  First

Copyright:  © Marsha Diane Akau Wellein, All Rights Reserved

Language:  English with some CHamoru

Setting:  U.S. Territory of Guam, in the 1970s

Publisher:  MD Wellein, Inc., at  welleinmd@hotmail.com

Typeface:  12 Font, Times New Roman

Size:  8” x 10”

Author:  Dr. Marsha Diane Akau Wellein

Graphic Artist: Dr. Samuel Naah

Illustrator:  Mr. Jerrold Dwayne Castro for cover and illustrations

Chamoru Language & Cultural Specialist:  Mr. Ronald Anthony Tenorio (Labucho) Laguaña

Contributing Editor: Mr. Geoffrey Michael Wellein

Technical Editor: Mr. Nicholas Patrick Wellein

Intended Audience: Parents, Educators, and anyone who wants to read a great story!

For Permission Requests: Dr. Marsha Wellein, 95-086 Waihonu Place, Mililani, HI 96789 or email:  welleinmd@hotmail.com  URL:  www.marshawelleinbooks.com

Library of Congress Catalog Number: 2025926015

Hardback Novel ISBN: 978-1-736 147-8-1

Softcover Novel ISBN: 978-1-736 4147-6-7

eBook Novel ISBN: 978-1-736 147-7-4  

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments i

Disclaimer and Dedication iv

Foreword v

Map of Guam x

Personal Introduction To The Endless Summer xi

Chapter One:           The Runt 1

Chapter Two:           The Naming 13

Chapter Three:         The Hike 25

Chapter Four:           The Forbidden Journey 35

Chapter Five:            The Intruder 51

Chapter Six:              The Question 61

Chapter Seven:        To Kill a Pig 69

Chapter Eight:          Fiesta Day 81

Chapter Nine:           Unplanned Adventure 101

Chapter Ten:             Give Thanks 113

Chapter Eleven:        Friends 123

Chapter Twelve:       Scenic Spots 131

Chapter Thirteen:     The Invitation 149

Chapter Fourteen:    Romance Blossoms 157

Chapter Fifteen:       Surprises Galore 169

Appendix A:             Glossary 183

Appendix B:             Villages and Fiestas 211

Appendix C:             Quiz Questions 227

Appendix D:             Answer Key For Quiz Questions 233

Appendix E:             Guam, Then and Now 251

Appendix F:              Agnes Taimanglo Navarro Atoigue, Remembered 267

Appendix G:             List of Illustrations 279

Appendix H:            Books & Publications by Dr. Marsha Diane Akau Wellein 283

 

Appendix I:              Biographies & Photos 287

About Ronald Anthony Tenorio (Labucho) Laguaña (Gådde’)

   CHamoru Language Specialist, Dedidu, Guam 287

About Jerrold Dwayne Castro, Illustrator, Illustrator, Barigåda, Guam 289

About Dr. Donald Kenneth Maas, Professor Emeritus, 

   San Luis Obispo, California 290

About Dr. Samuel Naah, Graphic Artist, Accra Ghana, 

   West  Africa 292

About Geoffrey Michael Wellein, Contributing Editor, 

   Spokane, Washington 293

About Nicholas Patrick Wellein, Technical Editor, Yigu’ Guam……………294

More Information About Geoffrey and Nicholas Wellein 296

About  Dr. Marsha Diane Akau Wellein, Author, Milililani, Hawaii 297

Appendix J:              Readability Information 303

How to Order Copies of this Book 311

(Only Appendices A, B, & C are available in the regular book.)

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The Endless Summer – An Adventure Story of Guam, REVISITED: Parents & Educators Edition 

by Dr. Marsha Diane Akau Wellein (Author)
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On the lush island of Guam, a U.S. Territory in the Pacific, young brothers Ike 12 and Frankie, 8 begin their summer with adventures at their family lancho, from rescuing a runt piglet, exploring a forbidden WWII cave, bettle-nut and mango picking, to hunting and slaughtering pigs for parties. When a near-fatal moray eel attack lands their widowed father, Daniet in the hospital, he meets a kind American nurse, Michele. Her entry into their lives challenges the family dynamic, forcing the boys to navigate new feelings about loyalty, loss, and what it means to heal.
Widower Daniet and his sons in this story spend their summer at their family ranch in the 1970s. This was a period of significant cultural and developmental transition. The themes of importance of family, respect for culture and traditions, and humanity’s relationship with nature are very important. Culturally significant to the indigenous people of Guam also includes recognizing the importance of family, friends, food, fangnginge’ (respecting elders), fiestas, fishing, farm animals, and finally enjoying life every day!
Use of the CHamoru language, complete with an extensive glossary makes this fiction chapter novel exciting for children, teenagers, and young adults. In the book, there are three appendices at the end of the novel: Glossary, Villages and Fiestas, and a 15-Chapter Quiz, great for the everyday reader. For the Parents and Educators Edition of this novel, some seven more appendences include the Quiz Answer Key, Books and Publications of Wellein’s past writing, a List of some 30-chapter Illustrations, Guam – Then and Now, in addition to an article about the mother (Agnes Atoigue) in the story, based on her real life. There is a section on Biographies and Photos of contributing editors, illustrator, writer, foreword writer, and CHamoru language and culture specialist, and finally an article about reading levels (readability) of the novel, by chapter.
The natural world of Guam is portrayed as both a source of adventure and a place of significant danger. The boys hike through the jungle, swim in the ocean, but they also face threats from a Brown Tree Snake and a Moray Eel. This duality of adventure and danger suggests a theme of respect for nature’s power and the need for wisdom when interacting with both, a lesson the boys learn over the three-months of summer.  

CHamoru culture also places a recurring motif, to include the boys preparing for a village fiesta, building a pigpen, and almost drowning in a mountain stream. Cultural elements are not just background details, but an integral part to the characters’ identities and actions, highlighting the value of preserving cultural heritage in a fast-changing world.
Traditional values, self-sufficient CHamoru life, with its pigpens, farm animals, and surrounding jungle, as well as an environment defined by its tropical climate are important. Lush flora, dangerous fauna, and the lingering presence of WWII old munitions and discovered bottles of morphine together with abandoned Imperial Japanese caves (originally used by the indigenous people there during the occupation) reveal communal activities and challenges, to overcome.

The Endless Summer – An Adventure Story of Guam, REVISITED

Key Words for my new books: 

Indigenous islanders, CHamoru Language and Culture, Guam tales, Military on Guam WW2,  Pacific Islanders, Bilingual CHamoru English Adventure Book, Indigenous Culture of Guam; Guam Literature, Culture & Language; CHamoru Fiction & Chapter Books; Bilingual Guam Fiction; Pacific Tales; Adventures in Guam; Pacific Literature; Guam Island Life; CHamoru Life; World War 2 in the Pacific; Guam History;; Indigenous Pacific Islanders; Pacific Rim Island & Culture; 1970s Guam Life; Pacific & Indo-Pacific Adventures; Oceanic Tales

 

The Endless Summer –
An Adventure Story of Guam, REVISITED

Author: Dr. Marsha Diane Akau Wellein of Mililani, Hawaii

CHamoru Language Expert: Mr. Ronald Anthony Tenorio Labucho Laguaña (Gådde’) of Dedidu, Guam

Illustrator:  Mr. Jerrold Dwayne Castro of Barigada, Guam

Graphic Artist:  Dr. Samuel (Sammy) Naah, of Accra, Ghana, West Africa

Contributing Editor: Mr. Geoffrey M. Wellein of Spokane, Washington

Technical Editor:  Mr. Nicholas P. Wellein of Yigu’, Guam

Foreword:  Dr. Donald Kenneth Maas of San Luis Obispo, California
Photographer: Mr. John Waipa, I

The Endless Summer – An Adventure Story of Guam, REVISITED is a work of fiction. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without prior written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews where appropriate credit is given. Educators are encouraged to use information from this book as well as The Endless Summer – An Adventure Story of Guam, REVISITED in their classrooms in order to explain and discuss various aspects of the CHamoru language and culture. For more information, contact Dr. Marsha D. Wellein, at email: welleinmd@hotmail.com

TITLE PAGE INFORMATION FOR ALL READERS:

This book is a work of fiction. Any names, characters, companies, organizations, places, events, locales, and incidents are used in a fictitious manner or are fictional. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, actual companies or organizations, or actual events are purely coincidental.

Title:  The Endless Summer – An Adventure Story of Guam, REVISITED

Edition:  First

Year:  2026

Copyright:  © Marsha Diane Akau Wellein, All Rights Reserved

Language:  English with some CHamoru

Setting:  U.S. Territory Guam, in the 1970s

Intended Audience:  13 – 19 year olds although many adults of all ages would enjoy the novel

Publisher:  MD Wellein, Inc., at  welleinmd@hotmail.com

Typeface:  12 Font, Times New Roman

Size:  8” x 10”

Author:  Dr. Marsha Diane Akau Wellein

Graphic Artist: Dr. Samuel (Sammy) Naah

Illustrator:  Mr. Jerrod Dwayne Castro for cover and illustrations

Chamoru Language & Cultural Specialist:  Mr. Ronald Anthony Tenorio (Labucho) Laguaña

Contributing Editor: Mr. Geoffrey Michael Wellein

Technical Editor: Mr. Nicholas Patrick Wellein

Photographer:  Mr. John Waipa, I

For Permission Requests: Dr. Marsha Wellein, 95-086 Waihonu Place, Mililani, HI 96789 or email:  welleinmd@hotmail.com  URL:  www.marshawelleinbooks.com

Library of Congress Catalog Number: 2025926013

Hardback Novel ISBN: 978-1-736 147-9-8

Softcover Novel ISBN: 978-1-736 4147-4-3

eBook Novel ISBN: 978-1-7364147-5-0


Table of Contents

Acknowledgments i

Disclaimer and Dedication iv

Foreword v

Map of Guam ix

Personal Introduction To The Endless Summer x

Chapter One:           The Runt 1

Chapter Two:           The Naming 13

Chapter Three:        The Hike 25

Chapter Four:          The Forbidden Journey 35

Chapter Five:           The Intruder 51

Chapter Six:             The Question 61

Chapter Seven:        To Kill a Pig 69

Chapter Eight:          Fiesta Day 81

Chapter Nine:           Unplanned Adventure 101

Chapter Ten:             Give Thanks 113

Chapter Eleven:        Friends 123

Chapter Twelve:       Scenic Spots 131

Chapter Thirteen:     The Invitation 149

Chapter Fourteen:    Romance Blossoms 157

Chapter Fifteen:       Surprises Galore 169

Appendix A:              Glossary 183

Appendix B:              Villages and Fiestas 211

Appendix C:              Quiz Questions 223

How to Order Copies of this Book 229

The Parents & Educators Edition has 10 Appendices.

Dr. Marsha Diane Akau WelleinDr. Marsha Diane Akau………

The Endless Summer – An Adventure Story of Guam, REVISITED by Dr. Marsha Diane Akau Wellein (Author) ,5.0 out of 5 stars. See all formats and editions: Hardback, Softback, & eBook.

Summary:

On the lush island of Guam, a U.S. Territory in the Pacific, young brothers Ike 12 and Frankie, 8 begin their summer with adventures at their family lancho, from rescuing a runt piglet, exploring a forbidden WWII cave, bettle-nut and mango picking, to hunting and slaughtering pigs for parties. When a near-fatal moray eel attack lands their widowed father, Daniet in the hospital, he meets a kind American nurse, Michele. Her entry into their lives challenges the family dynamic, forcing the boys to navigate new feelings about loyalty, loss, and what it means to heal.
Widower Daniet and his sons in this story spend their summer at their family ranch in the 1970s. This was a period of significant cultural and developmental transition. The themes of importance of family, respect for culture and traditions, and humanity’s relationship with nature are very important. Culturally significant to the indigenous people of Guam also includes recognizing the importance of family, friends, food, fangnginge’ (respecting elders), fiestas, fishing, farm animals, and finally enjoying life every day!
Use of the CHamoru language, complete with an extensive glossary makes this fiction chapter novel exciting for children, teenagers, and young adults. In the book, there are three appendices at the end of the novel: Glossary, Villages and Fiestas, and a 15-Chapter Quiz, great for the everyday reader. (For the Parents and Educators Edition of this novel, some seven more appendences include the Quiz Answer Key, Books and Publications of Wellein’s past writing, a     

List of some 30-chapter Illustrations, Guam – Then and Now, in addition to an article about the mother (Agnes Atoigue) in the story, based on her real life. There is a section on Biographies and Photos of contributing editors, illustrator, writer, foreword writer, and CHamoru language and culture specialist, and finally an article about reading levels (readability) of the novel, by chapter.)
The natural world of Guam is portrayed as both a source of adventure and a place of significant danger. The boys hike through the jungle, swim in the ocean, but they also face threats from a Brown Tree Snake and a Moray Eel. This duality of adventure and danger suggests a theme of respect for nature’s power and the need for wisdom when interacting with both, a lesson the boys learn over the three-months of summer. CHamoru culture also places a recurring motif, to include the boys preparing for a village fiesta, building a pigpen, and almost drowning in a mountain stream. Cultural elements are not just background details, but an integral part to the characters’ identities and actions, highlighting the value of preserving cultural heritage in a fast-changing world.
Traditional values, self-sufficient CHamoru life, with its pigpens, farm animals, and surrounding jungle, as well as an environment defined by its tropical climate are important. Lush flora, dangerous fauna, and the lingering presence of WWII old munitions and discovered bottles of morphine together with abandoned Imperial Japanese caves (originally used by the indigenous people there during the occupation) reveal communal activities and challenges, to overcome.

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