Charlie's Birthday Wish - a bookwrap

Unwrapping thoughts about bullying...

Unwrapping today's book...

Authored by Rene Micka

Illustrated by Scott Sauer

Ages 3-9

Unwrapping some illustrations...

About the book...

It seems that Charlie is having some regrets about his behaviour.  His birthday is fast approaching and his mom is asking him for a list of kids that he might want to invite to his party.  Charlie doesn't know how to get out of this one.  You see he has not been very kind to the kids at school.  He has called them names, played cruel pranks on them and mocked how they looked....yes Charlie is a bully. He is quite sure that no one will want to attend HIS birthday and really why should they after what he has put them through? 

Remorseful and truly sad, Charlie tells his mom what he has been up to: cheating on his tests, his open mockery of people's appearances and the terrible pain that he has caused.   Charlie finally fesses up and owns it.

"Mom helped me see that I can be forgiven, if I tell them I was wrong.  So, in a message, I invited them to a party, to sing a birthday song."

Charlie apologizes for his inappropriate and hurtful behaviour and sends a note off to each of those that he has victimized, inviting them to his party.  Will they accept his olive branch and come to celebrate with him at his party?   

This is a story about forgiveness and restitution.  A perfect segue into a conversation about bullying and the affects it has on others.  It is a timely and very important topic to cover with kids these days with so much aggression and intimidation going on.  Remember the Golden Rule still applies today in our modern world.... "Do onto others as you would have them do onto you". Whether you are young or old this same rule applies. I highly recommend this book.

About the author...

As a young girl Rene knew her future would be determined by how much she was prepared to do for herself. Having little in life did not deter her from dreaming big and making plans. Where there were obstacles, she saw hope and opportunity. After paying her way through college, she received Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education. Her years spent working with children of all ages as a substitute teacher and full-time as a 4th grade school teacher offered her great insight into the social challenges of today's youth.  

Experiences, both in the classroom and in her personal life, inspired her tackle some of these social issues using children's literature. She believes books provide a portal into children's imagination and offer a safe way to initiate conversations that promote the message the story is telling. The publication of her first book, Charlie's Birthday Wish (Mirror Publishing 2014) is a 

triumph to her childhood ambitions. The dreams she allowed herself to dream, served as a catalyst to the successes she enjoys today. 

About the illustrator...

Scott Sauer is an artist who has been drawing since he was three years old. His creations are often sculptures and illustrations of wildly imaginative friendly monsters, creatures, and mischievous characters.

Read on and read always!


It's a wrap.



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