June 12, 2020

Americans Who Tell the Truth

The 5th graders at St. John Catholic School refused to be deterred by the coronovirus or by cancellation of the 2020 Samantha Smith Challenge Day. They charged ahead with this year’s Challenge by writing and illustrating a children’s book on the theme of living with disabilities.  

Their book, Life On The Farm, features nine animals – each with a different challenge. Jewel the Peacock has Spina Bifida, Everly the Raccoon has diabetes, Nicole the Fox has Autism, and so forth. When the animals first arrive at a farm, they don’t fit in.  But, in the end, they become great friends. The moral of the story? Best to fit in with the ones who stand out.

The students have partnered with Just Write Books, in Topsham, to publish their book, due out in June 2020.

To learn more about the project, go to Argy Nestor’s blog. Argy is past Director of Arts Education for the 
Maine Arts Commission.