Annie Whitbeck is a second grade teacher and a youth minister, and her experience working with children inspired her to write What Will You Be, Gracie-Lee.
San Antonio, TX – USA | June 08, 2020 — What do you want to be when you grow up? This is the question that we constantly ask children from the moment they start school to the moment they step onto the graduation stage. However, as author Annie Whitbeck points out, this is not always the question we should be asking them.
Annie Whitbeck is a second grade teacher and a youth minister, and her experience working with children inspired her to write What Will You Be, Gracie-Lee?, a book that reminds young readers that what matters most is who you are and the person you become, not the career path you choose.
“I felt like this was a message students needed to hear. My brother and some of my friends had trouble figuring out what they wanted to do after college,” Whitbeck comments. “It made me think of all of the pressure that is put on kids, even from a young age, to figure out exactly what they want to do with their lives. But we sometimes forget that it’s more important for children to decide who they want to be.”
What Will You Be, Gracie-Lee? tells the story of a young girl who is constantly asked what she wants to be by the adults in her life. As she grows older and experiences new things, her answer to this question continues to changes. But when her mother tells her that what is most important is the person she becomes, Gracie-Lee learns that the best thing she can be is herself.
“I wanted my students to know that I care about their character and their choices. Although they will have to have an answer at some point for the question, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ they shouldn’t feel the pressure to answer that right now. And I wanted them to know that there are things that matter more,” says Whitbeck.
Publisher Lisa M. Umina comments, “We’re so excited that Annie Whitbeck is using her book to share such a positive message with children. We should always be encouraging kids to be themselves and to consider who, not what, they will become when they grow up.”
What Will You Be, Gracie-Lee? also features beautiful artwork from illustrator Monique Romischer.
For more information about Annie Whitbeck and her children’s book, visit https://www.halopublishing.com and https://www.facebook.com/Annie-the-Author-100702621673102/. What Will You Be, Gracie-Lee? is now available at Halo Publishing International, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Goodreads, and Books a Million.
Press & Media Contact:
Lisa Michelle Umina, Publisher
Halo Publishing International, Inc.
8000 W Interstate 10, Suite 600,
San Antonio, Texas 78230
United States
+1 216-255-6756
www.halopublishing.com
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