By Natalie Bickel
My previous experience as a Louisville Cardinal reporter unlocked a greater passion that would guide me throughout my media-focused career. When the adviser, Ralph Merkel, asked me to join his group of student journalists, my writing was validated. Someone else believed in me, which is what I aim to convey in my children’s books.
After receiving great interest and positive feedback from my first children’s book, The Christmas Clue, which told the magical tale of a Christmas morning scavenger hunt, I felt inspired to write another story. This time, I wanted it to tackle more difficult topics, ultimately providing the space for all children to feel seen, heard, and believed.
Initially inspired by my nephew with autism, I wrote the story through the lens of learning from everyone around us with their unique talents and ways of communicating. My nephew tells me what he needs or wants by taking my hand and placing it on the doorknob to the basement, porch, and pantry, or by leading me into the living room to watch a movie together. He takes me with him, which helps us connect in a different way than through communicating through words.
In addition, I’ve taken classes on parenting kids with trauma and explored how to approach parenting kids from different countries and cultures. During this time, I dove deep into the systemic prejudices of our society and what it means to be a person of color in our country.
I wrote The Volcano No One Could See for people who are overlooked in our world. It tells the tale of an unlikely volcano that appears in the heart of a city. It’s only visible to certain people, and its cotton candy lava is spicy. The story is a metaphor for awareness of issues in our society that we’re most likely blind to unless we’ve been personally affected by them. The ultimate goal is to spread cognizance of autism, transracial adoption, and other unique lived experiences that come with systemic prejudices that are hard to swallow.
I hope that children from all backgrounds can see themselves in The Volcano No One Could See—that they’re able to find courage and confidence, as I simultaneously continue to grow as an ally.
The summary of The Volcano No One Could See:
Fourth-grade journalist, May Walters, contributes to her student newspaper, but her dream is to one day write for The New York Times. Normally she writes stories about this awesome teacher and that incredible school lunch, but when a volcano forms in her city that only she can see, she’s determined to publish an article about it. No one believes her, not even her best friend until one day she finds a pair of brothers at recess who can see it, too. Determined to find more, she ventures into the city when the volcano erupts with cotton candy lava! Houses get covered, and finally, more people start noticing as the cotton candy spreads, which then so does the popularity of her article about different ways people see the world.
My website: https://www.natmosfear.com
Photo Courtesy // Natalie Bickel
