TIERNEY JAMES

Lipstick & Danger

My Blog


There’s a Superhero in the Library
When I was in the fourth grade my amazing teacher died of cancer. I didn’t know what cancer was. I only knew that she was missing. She was tall with gray hair and had the perfect voice. Everyone in the class loved her. Then she was gone at Christmas. 

We don’t usually consider how children are affected by a teacher that becomes ill, even for a day or two. When I was a learning disabilities teacher for junior high and high school students, mostly boys, I soon became aware that it was better if I went in sick than stay home. There were several reasons for that; one was that not many substitutes were emotionally and mentally ready to cope with guys bigger than them who definitely sported an attitude. The other reason was that those big, discipline problems promised to help me and be on their best behavior if I would just come to school. They were angels with tarnished halos. To this day I remember going to school for  a week with no voice and severe bronchitis. I even took them on a three hour bus trip trip to St.Louis so we could visit the art museum and have dinner at a real restaurant with cloth napkins and silverware. They wanted me. Me!

Fast forward. Two years ago my friend, a school librarian, was diagnosed with breast cancer. I was amazed as I sat with her through her treatments that her concern was for her students. Would they be scared that her appearance had changed? Would they be worried? Heaven forbid they stop coming to the library so she could open windows of adventure for them. I watched her buy funny hats and giggle at the opportunity to bring more joy to her students. Today she is cancer free.

“There’s a Superhero in the Library” is about a little boy who finds out his beloved librarian has cancer. He isn’t sure what that means. All he knows is that she isn’t there anymore. Then one day a new librarian arrives with no hair and a funny hat. Although a serious subject I think you’ll find joy in this story that reunites a little boy with his beloved librarian.

Release date is coming soon!

0 Responses

Leave a Reply