DAVISVILLE, Mo. — Mary Young may be retired, but after 14 years of working in education, her passion for investing in young people is still strong.
"Back in March, when this was all new, I remember thinking, 'It would be hard to be a teacher right now,'" Young said.
Virtual learning. Zoom calls. Social distancing.
All things she could not imagine having to factor in to the day-to-grind of teaching. Then, there's the issue of actually making sure children understand and express themselves through their new normal.
Young, a self-publisher and owner of Pucky Huddle Books, turned to her creativity and knack for creating coloring books.
The result: "V for Virus."Each page features a letter of the alphabet, with a COVID-related word for each letter and a space for kids to draw and write their thoughts and feelings about each word.
"I think it's best to let them tell their own story," Young said.
Mary Brennan, a mother of two elementary students, printed off the book and worked through it with her kids.
"Especially for smaller children, it's great because it gives them a way to show their feelings," Brennan said. "A lot of times, they may not know how to talk about them or the right words they're looking for."
That's the reason Young said she created the book.
"It opens up the conversation," Young said. "I think it's important to listen to kids, and what they say matters. It matters."
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