Everyone has life goals. For some it’s jumping out of a plane. For others, it’s making it past the age of their parents. For Katherine Ciriello Clark, it was writing a book.
The fourth grade teacher at PVPV/Rawlings Elementary recently achieved her life goal of writing and publishing a book and she couldn’t be happier.
"I always wanted to," she said. "It was one of those goals that you talk about.It’s surreal to have it in print and in front of me."
Ciriello Clark said she took vacation last year and wrote the book.
"Lucy Goosey Takes Responsibility," is aimed at elementary aged children. It tells the story of Lucy Goosey who has a very rough day. Lucy wakes up late and misses her bus to school, setting off a chain of events that force Lucy to realize that part of growing up is taking accountability for her actions.
Ciriello Clark said that the idea came to her out of the character education program run through the St. Johns County school district.
Character Counts was implemented by the district seven years ago to instill positive traits in young people. The pillars of character, which are integrated into lesson plans, support materials and curriculum at all of the district schools, include trustworthiness, caring, respect, responsibility, citizenship and fairness. Cirello Clark, who has been teaching for the past five years, said she wanted to show kids a way that they can take responsibility in ways that they can relate to.
She said the entire process, from writing the first draft to finding a publisher and getting the book to print, took just about a year. The most difficult part for her was the editing process.
"It took me four to five months to do my own personal editing," she said. "You get ideas and you say to yourself this is too corny or too advanced. Your mind is cranking and you’re being so critical. My critical eye was the hardest part."
Her father, Michael Ciriello, provided all of the illustrations for the book.
"When I was a little girl my dad was good at drawing caricatures," she said. "He used to draw my sister and me as Whimper and Whine. I was always whine. I used to get a huge kick out of them. I figured who better to ask than my dad."
She said at first he was hesitant but after seeing the manuscript and working with Ciriello Clark, he’s very satisfied with the finished book.
Ciriello Clark has been busy with book signings and promoting the novel, which is available at Books-a-Million and through Amazon. She said her students have been really supportive of her efforts and she knows of one student who is even writing his own book.
She wants to see if she breaks even on this first book before thinking about the next one, but writing about Lucy Goosey added fuel for future fires with the series.
"This was a life goal and I achieved it," she said.
