Sherry Fisher has been employed with the U.S. Postal Service for twenty-three years; sixteen of those years as Postmaster. Fisher lives in Forrest City, Arkansas with her husband and two children; one son and one daughter — Amanda, about whom this story was written. She makes sure her daughter, Amanda, who was born with intellectual disabilities, participates in Special Olympics, and through this work, hopes to make other parents and children aware of how much good the program can do. This is her first book, but is currently working on a sequel “Amanda, All Grown Up.”

According to the press release:

Amanda, Just the Way I AmSherry Fisher uses an easy-to-read picture-book format to acquaint children with people, especially other children, who have physical or mental handicaps that make them appear different. She wants to make children’s early experiences with the handicapped good ones, so that throughout life, they will accept everyone “just as they are.”

“Amanda, Just the Way I Am” is based on the late James Hamilton and Sherry George Fisher’s daughter, Amanda, who was born with intellectual disabilities. She wants other children to know that Amanda and others like her like to run and play and compete in sports, which also, she hopes will promote Special Olympics. Any disability, or difference, affects not only the person with the disability, but their whole family, and everyone who comes into contact with them. Sometimes, not understanding that people with physical or mental differences have feelings and emotions just like everyone else allows children to make fun of them, or even laugh at them. The wording used throughout this story keeps the reader focused on the fact that children who appear different are still “children just like them.”

The child’s voice, “Hi! My name is Amanda. I am a little girl just like you…. sometimes, it’s hard to understand what I say, but my family loves me just the way I am.” And “Sometimes it seems like nobody wants to play with a special kid … but at Special Olympics, everyone cheers for me and gives me a chance to do my best,” are words spoken not only to children without handicaps to help them understand, but also to others who have any kind of disability.

For more information, or to request a review copy, please contact the author at sherryf @ team-national.com or visit Book Surge

Related link:

EEOC: Questions & Answers About Persons with Intellectual Disabilities in the Workplace and the Americans with Disabilities Act