I Am Nuclear Fusion!
by
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At nighttime, sometimes I worry and toss and turn in my sleep. I worry that people will laugh at me if they know I’d like to become a star. I am not a star. I think about what my aunt Karen told me once, one afternoon when we were shopping at the mall. She said, “Maybe it is just not your time to shine yet. People can become stars and shine at all different points in their lives. You can be young or old. You might even shine more than once in your life. You just have to try to stay positive, practice, and don’t give up.”
I think and dream about that a lot at night.
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About the Book
Rita is a seven-year-old little girl who has two talented best friends, Emma and Lily, but feels that she doesn’t have any special talent—she isn’t a star like they are. Though she loves her friends, she wishes she could be the very best at something.
Rita begins writing her own story, describing Emma and Lily and their gifts. As she goes through her tale in four different variations, she includes commentary in between, explaining what her teacher is asking her to change about her writing. The lesson that Rita learns is the same throughout: that she will keep trying to become a star by building up atoms through nuclear fusion. By being kind and helping and encouraging others and by not giving up on her own dreams, she is becoming the best version of herself that she can be, and she hopes to shine as she gets older. What’s more, Rita is learning how to exercise her own gift: writing.
Offering an interactive experience for young readers that can be used to help them develop their own writing journey, this children’s story shows how Rita deals with not being a star today.
About the Author
Muriel Fitzpatrick believes everyone is a star and will shine. She began her career as an accountant, but while raising her children, she fell in love with children’s literature and education. She became an educator in regular and special education and continues to want to inspire children to never give up and always try to be their best selves. A mother and grandmother, she currently lives in New Jersey.