Local Author Visits Hickory Ridge During “Read” Week

By Hannah Wasylko, BEAT Reporter

Hickory Ridge Elementary School had a special opportunity to have a local author come to their school recently. Her name is Wendy Sefcik, who lives in Brunswick.

Sefcik wrote a great story called “Invisible Isabelle.” In the story, Isabelle tries to change her image and she ends up becoming invisible. The story has a personal connection with the author.

"When I was a child, I was very shy and kids made fun of me,” Wendy explained. “I remember wanting to "blend in" with the other kids so as to avoid anyone picking on me”.

“I wrote "Invisible Isabelle" to teach kids the importance of individuality and acceptance,” said Sefcik. “Further, to teach children that it is important to be yourself and that our differences and things that make us unique should be celebrated.”

In addition to writing, Sefcik illustrates her own books. “As a child I was always interested in art. My Mom inspired creativity and a fun imagination. By the time I was in high school I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in art,” said Sefcik. Today, she is a freelance illustrator/designer for clients around the country.

The students at Hickory Ridge thought Sefcik’s visit during the first week of March was perfect, because it was “Right to Read Week” at the school. “My experience at Hickory Ridge was wonderful,” Sefcik explained. “I was impressed by the students' behavior. All of them were great listeners! They asked a wide variety of questions from things like “why did you write e the book?" to questions relating to the publishing industry and how my book was printed. It seems that they already have a great understanding of being an author,” she added.

Hickory Ridge students enjoyed “Invisible Isabelle” because the story had a simple problem and a solution. Also, the bright spontaneous colors made the story even more fun!

"Invisible Isabelle" can be purchased by going to www.InvisibleIsabelle.com and clicking on the "Buy the Book!" button on left hand side of website. This will direct you to lulu.com, where Wendy’s book is available.

Remember: If you ever have a dream or something worth writing a story about, go ahead and try it. Like Wendy Sefcik, you may have a number one story “write” under your nose!