Springfield Teachers Collaborate On Children’s Book The Magic Flute
BY KRISTEN SCHWEITZER — MIRROR REPORTER
Frog teachers and burgers with fangs run rampant at Burr Road Middle School, thanks to Theo Tamino, the main character in a new children’s book, The Magic Flute.
The Magic Flute is intended for third- through sixth-grade students and tells the story of Theo Tamino. In the book, Theo finds a magical flute that turns his world upside-down, by turning teachers into frogs and making cafeteria food come to life.
The book is “loosely inspired by Mozart’s opera of the same name,” according to author Amy Merrill-Wyatt, who is a computer teacher at Springfield Middle School. SMS art teacher Christine Kaucher illustrated the book.
Merrill-Wyatt said she has been writing ever since she was a kid.
“What I like about writing for kids is you can just suspend the rules of reality. Kids don’t really care if something is logical,” she said.
Merrill-Wyatt has written several children’s books in the past, but The Magic Flute is the first book she has had published.
“It’s very challenging to try to get any book published, but especially kids’ books, unless you know someone in the publishing business,” she said.
Merrill-Wyatt sent her past books out to agents and publishers and never received any response, but decided if no one picked up The Magic Flute she would self-publish it.
“It was the first book I decided to take a risk on and publish it myself,” Merrill-Wyatt said.
She spent time researching online publishers in order to find a self-publishing agency that she deemed reputable and affordable before choosing online publisher Lulu Books.
She had to do her own layout for the book, choose fonts and designs and do her own proofreading.
“Typically, a publishing company has someone who is an expert do that,” she said.
Merrill-Wyatt wrote the first draft of the book about two years ago over the course of about six weeks.
She revised the copy over a year’s time and sent it out to publishers last June.
“Everybody said they weren’t publishing fantasy right now,” said Merrill-Wyatt.
Some publishers would not even accept fantasy, she said.
“Going the self-publishing route is a way to reach an audience that might not otherwise know about your book,” she said.
The publishing agency also made Merrill-Wyatt in charge of finding her own illustrator.
Kaucher had designed a poster almost two years ago for a Cinderella play being performed at the school.
“It was such a whimsical poster and I was really impressed with it,” Merrill-Wyatt said.
The Magic Flute is the first book Kaucher has illustrated.
“It was a challenge and something I hadn’t done before,” Kaucher said. “Almost all of the ideas that (Merrill-Wyatt) had were similar ideas that I had as well, so it meshed well.”
Kaucher finished the illustrations in about a month.
Merrill-Wyatt said she would love to create a sequel for the book and have Kaucher illustrate another, and Kaucher agreed she would be interested in doing a sequel.
“This is a chance to get back to what I enjoy doing for myself, and that’s drawing,” Kaucher said.
A sequel will depend, to an extent, on how well the book sells, according to Merrill-Wyatt.
The Magic Flute is currently available at Nanna’s Bookstore in Perrysburg and Reading Railroad in Sylvania. The book has been on shelves since April.
Merrill-Wyatt said she chose Nanna’s and Reading Railroad because she thought small local bookstores would be more likely to support a local author.
She also said she is a supporter of local businesses and the local bookstores have a more intimate atmosphere where employees know their customers’ tastes.
“As a result, those might be places where The Magic Flute would be more likely to get recommended,” Merrill-Wyatt said.
Merrill-Wyatt will be signing her book at Nanna’s Bookstore on Saturday, June 14 from 11:00 a.m. to noon.
“The kids are so excited to know somebody who wrote a book. I think it encourages them to read more and to try to write themselves because that’s more real to them,” Merrill-Wyatt said.
The book retails for $10.95. The book will eventually be available from Amazon.com, Merrill-Wyatt said.
Historic House Hit by Tree During Monday Storms
BY KRISTEN SCHWEITZER — MIRROR REPORTER
Springfield Local Schools staff celebrated the end of the school year on June 6 with their annual last-day breakfast and meeting.
During the event, the board of education served the faculty and staff breakfast, and numerous awards were given.
At the beginning of the meeting a special award was presented to former superintendent Dr. Cynthia Beekley. The U.S. Army presented the Commander’s Award for Public Service to Beekley for her establishment of the first JROTC program in Northwest Ohio in 1984. Beekley served as a principal and superintendent for Springfield from 1982 to 2008.
Principals recognized their retiring staff members and those who have been employed in the district for 25 years.
Also honored were the certified and non-certified staff members of the year.
Jim Schall, high school science teacher, received the award for certified staff member and teacher of the year.
Liz Giesige, Crissey Elementary School librarian, received the award for non-certified staff member of the year.
Giesige has just completed her studies to become a teacher.
Recipients for certified and non-certified staff of the year awards are nominated by their peers.
The award ceremony ended with a special PowerPoint presentation by 10 graduating seniors. The seniors recognized the teachers who made a difference in their lives.
These are a couple of articles that ran in The Mirror Newspaper.
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