Francesca

by Vanita Oelschlager, Mike Blanc (Illustrator)

Francesca is a little girl literally ahead of her time. She's only a child but she ""thinks about being grown all day and all night"" and spends too much time inside fantasizing about what she wants to become. Francesca is impatient to become an astronaut, a movie or rock star, a teacher or a cheerleader. However, her parents worry that she doesn't understand that she needs experiences gained as you grow and tell her ""don't miss out on everything in the middle. There is something magical about being little."" Francesca has a wonderful imagination and is full of life but her parents want to make sure she not only has the chance to achieve her dreams but also to play and have fun with kids her own age.

32 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2008

About the author

Vanita Oelschlager is a wife, mother,grandmother, former teacher, current caregiver and, for almost ten years, author and poet.

She was born and raised near Pittsburgh. She is a graduate of Mt. Union College in Alliance, Ohio, where she currently serves as a Trustee.

She has also supported and helped Jim as he built Oak Associates, ltd. into a successful investment management firm.

Today, as an accomplished author, Vanita shares openly the experiences that she, Jim and their families have had with multiple sclerosis. She has likened MS to living with an elephant, one that won't go away or be ignored. Together, she and Jim have found ways to live with this "elephant", and to share some of the larger lessons about life they've learned through the disease.