Standing out: Middle-schooler publishes first children’s book
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Holden Frye and Kimberly Resh lead Hoover Elementary School’s kindergarten through second-graders in song during a recent assembly, where Frye read his first children’s book, “The SpOt,” to students. Brady Rymer wrote the theme song “One Yellow Spot” for the nonprofit Mikayla’s Voice.
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Holden Frye started writing the children’s book, “The SpOt,” while a third-grader at Hoover Elementary School. Now in the sixth grade, his book is published and will be added to the school’s curriculum.
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Holden Frye, a sixth-grader at Jefferson Middle School in the Mt. Lebanon School District, read his first published children’s book “The SpOt” to Hoover Elementary. His book will be distributed to every Allegheny County kindergarten and first-grade classroom at the beginning of the next school year.
Kimberly Resh did not expect anyone to take her up on the offer.
Over the last 12 years, the energetic Lehigh Valley mom and founder of the nonprofit Mikayla’s Voice has presented to more than 65,000 students about inclusion.
She speaks of her daughter Mikayla, who passed in 2019, and what a full life the young woman lived despite being born with brain damage that left her blind, deaf and dependent on a wheelchair.
“Mikayla was the first kid in her school in a wheelchair,” Resh told Hoover Elementary students earlier this month. “Mikayla had a really good life because of all the love and friendship and caring in her life.”
In 2019, Resh hosted an assembly at the Mt. Lebanon School District elementary school, where she shared her daughter’s incredible story and lectured – in a fun, engaging way – on the importance of treating everyone equally.
As with most assemblies, Resh ended with a call to action.
“At the end of the assembly, she said, ‘I really want a kid to write a book about a ladybug with a yellow spot,'” Kimberly Gamble, the school’s guidance counselor, recalled last week during a special gathering of kindergarten through second grade.
Holden Frye, then a third-grader at Hoover, was all ears.
“I saw the ladybug, and I was like, ‘I want to write a book,'” said Frye, now a sixth-grader at Jefferson Middle School. “I was thinking about writing a book at the time and I didn’t really have enough inspiration. When they had the assembly at our school, it just gave me the kick of inspiration.”
Frye, escorted by Gamble, approached Resh with his idea. Resh said, “Wonderful,” went home, and didn’t think anymore about it.
But Frye did. He spent the next year and a half dreaming up a tale in his head and setting the story to paper. When his book was done, he reached out to Resh, who was surprised to hear the young man had actually written a book about Mikayla’s Voice’s logo.
“The idea that he took me up on it is amazing. And it’s not just that he wrote it. It belongs on a bookstore like Barnes and Noble,” said Resh. “It’s not just that he did it for us. It’s that it’s as amazing as it is. It’s a book that I think is for kids of all ages and the story, I think, transcends age, too.”
After presenting the text to Resh, the real work began. The two met every Wednesday over Zoom. During meetings, Frye worked on his illustrations from a table in his parents’ office while Resh guided him through the process.
When illustrations and layout were complete, “The SpOt” became the fourth book published through Mikayla’s Voice.
“What a wonderful message for Holden to just teach every one of these little kids: They can make a difference,” Resh said.
The impact of inclusion is the major theme of Frye’s book, which follows Dot, a ladybug with one yellow spot, from her home in a pumpkin patch to a new school.
Dot doesn’t fit in; in fact, she stands out, her bright yellow spot a glaring reminder that she’s different. Dot is bullied, tries to run away and, eventually, makes friends. The story is a journey of acceptance, of both self and others, accompanied by beautiful artwork by Frye himself.
His debut children’s book has been well-received. Gamble plans on incorporating the book into her curriculum and copies of the book will be available in every kindergarten and first-grade classroom throughout Allegheny County next school year, thanks to The Law Offices of Steidl & Steinberg, which donated the book to county districts.
“It makes me really happy that kids are going to know and are going to be able to learn about including others. I think it’s going to be very helpful in teaching kids about inclusion,” said Frye.
At the March 18 reading, principal Dr. Nicci Giehll introduced Carole Clancy, the state’s director of special education, who presented Frye with an Outstanding Excellence in Writing award on behalf of the Department of Education, Gov. Tom Wolf, Education Secretary Noe Ortega, Dr. Sherri Smith and herself.
His family was in attendance. So was Gamble.
“No matter how old you are, if you practice, if you stick with it, you can do anything you set your mind to,” Gamble said.
Frye is already dreaming up a second book starring his best friend, the family dog, Indiana.
Before diving headfirst into that project, he’s still processing his success.
“It half felt like a big relief, and I also felt so excited. I didn’t know how to comprehend that I was getting my book published,” he said. “I still don’t understand how big an achievement it is.”
To order a copy of “The SpOt,” or for more on Mikayla’s Voice, visit https://www.mikaylasvoice.org/.