«Herbert the Hedgehog» by Amity Pierce Buxton, Lynn E. Mueller

How would you feel if you were different from everyone else around you? Herbert the Hedgehog knows. He knows exactly what it’s like not to belong, to be different from everybody else. Though he’s just like his family in many ways, inside he feels different. However, try as he might, he can’t find a way to talk about it. He thinks he can figure it out by himself. Can he? It's only with the support of his family, and the help of a very special friend, Max the Mallard Duck, that Herbert learns it’s very important to be yourself and to accept who you are. He realizes that being different isn’t what matters. What matters most is love. Who knew a simple walk could change his life forever? Join Herbert as he sets out on a journey alone to find himself and, along the way, finds so much more! About the Authors: Lynn E. Mueller explains, “I’ve been writing most of my adult life and am inspired by the simplest of things: love. I believe society has forgotten that it’s okay to be silly, to take delight in innocence and to take delight in the joy of pure laughter.” Lynn’s philosophy: “Never let your inner child reach puberty! I believe if you keep the intangibles as your cornerstone, you will find yourself in your work. You must know yourself as an author, be open to all possibilities and remain passionate about the integrity of your message. There’s an amazing opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others as writing is a catalyst which can change the heart, mind and soul.” Lynn attended St. Leo University and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Education. With a passion for the elderly, she works part time as a Regional Coordinator in Long Term Health Care while continuing to pursue her career as an author. She and her daughter reside in Vero Beach, Florida. Amity Pierce Buxton grew up in Massachusetts and New York. After receiving a BA in English and an MA in the Teaching of English, she earned her PhD at Columbia University in English Literature and Teaching with an emphasis on communication and “audience.” She has taught all grades (except middle school) from preschool to graduate school across the country. Amity trained teachers for desegregating schools in the Sixties and, with a team of colleagues, developed a teachers’ center where teachers at all grade levels could design curriculum and hands-on teaching materials so that all their students could reach their individual potential. Besides creative writing, especially poems and essays, Amity writes articles and book chapters on her research, which ranges from children’s language development to individual and family issues that arise from traumatic experiences. She serves on a variety of national boards of professional and volunteer organizations concerned with the health and welfare of families and children and conducts workshops in those areas. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, her adult children nearby. “All my life,” she says, “I have worked to create ways and means for everyone’s voice to be heard and needs to be met, starting from her or his earliest years.”