Sedwick the Seagull

“Life is 10% of what happens and 90% of how you react to it.” In life, attitude is everything; it is what shapes our beliefs and our desires. Harsh times will occur throughout our lives, but it is up to us how we interpret them. Many people blame their circumstances for their shortcomings.

How a child feels about themselves has a direct correlation as to their potential for success. Sedwick the Seagull uses three birds to help illustrate that we all have qualities that are important. Again, with the use of animals, Dawn uses this story to say that there will always be someone who, unfortunately, feels that they are better than the rest of us. It’s up to us to rise above our circumstances and dream of flying higher than we have before. See how a dove, a seagull and an eagle start with many differences, but end up seeing that each other have more things in common that what they knew. We all are not much different from one another.

We are all special. What allows people to succeed? They realize it is not what has happened to them in their lives, but the manner in which they react to these events. The way a person decides to respond to certain occurrences is what will shape his or her feelings, actions and results. It all lies within ourselves.

Sedwick is feeling bad about herself and the things she cannot do. With the help of her friends, Eddie the Eagle and Lonnie the Loon, she soon discovers that she, too, has something good in which she can use to help others.

• Chosen by literary council for county-wide distribution
• Winner: American Book Fest Children's Educational Fiction Award