The Adventures of the Runaway Wheelchair
Into the Atmosphere
by
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Introducing the perfect source book for young adult teen readers, and adults, who are interested and concerned about the global warming debate. Generally, science texts are found to be boring and tedious. My approach is to combine fact with fantasy, creating a narrative featuring a bit of whimsy, humor and pathos. The storyteller is a young teen boy (Mikey), who is handicapped, with a huge imagination. We learn of the struggles and successes he experiences navigating through his world. Dealing with routines from day to night, and mobility issues, he is portrayed as an optimistic sole with a good heart. For the physically challenged, most are perceived as individuals whose needs exceed their value, with little contribution to society. In Mikey's case, he has a thirst for knowledge, and wants to make a difference. After a bad start to his first year in middle school, he rises to the top of his class. Fortuitously, a science class experiment earns him top honors in that year's science fair. Both fellow classmates and faculty are impressed, as Mikey becomes a sort of rock star in the school. Finally, this newly found respect and admiration, gives his voice an audience he never had before. Now that Mikey is popular, he can address issues regarding the health of our environment, and be believed. To alert everyone, that Mother Nature is giving us signs that the climate is changing, and not necessarily for the better.
When asleep at night, he fantasizes, that it is possible to break loose from the restraints of being handicapped, and travel to places he could never imagine. Suddenly, his wheelchair (Scooter) comes alive, transforming into a rocket, ready to blast off with our hero (Mikey), to places impossible for him to visit. My favorite line in the text is the dialogue between Scooter and Mikey. As Scooter becomes animated, Scooter states that "he's all souped up for the cooped up". Now the possibilities are endless, as Scooter morphs into a flying machine with Mikey (the cooped one) aboard. On his quest for knowledge, Mikey desires to explore Earth's atmosphere, learn of its composition, how civilization has impacted it and brainstorm solutions to mitigate the situation. This is not a gloom and doom tale. It is meant to educate, motivate and inspire in an entertaining style. There is a mix of hard science, comedy and danger. Teachers will find this book a great a must read for middle and high schoolers, and required reading for home schooled young adults. Older generations should find this a delightful and endearing tale.The possibility for other stories are endless. As the author, should this first adventure saga be successful, I may consider an underwater adventure next.
Global warming can have a domino effect on the climate, resulting in terrible consequences for the planet. With temperatures rising, weather has become more severe, forests are growing poorly due to acid rain, our North and South poles are shrinking and ocean water levels rising . This list is just the tip of the iceberg. It is critical for a book on this subject to join the conversation at this time. It is not too late for action. My story gives one the tools to making better eco-friendly choices, as to how we may improve the way we live our lives. Ultimately, preserving a healthful world we live in for our and future generations.
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About the Book
Although handicapped, young Mikey is optimistic and never sees his condition as an obstacle in life. He always looks on the bright side and is always curious, so when he starts learning about global warming in school, he's fascinated. He had no idea the environment was so fragile, so he decides to use his smarts and his imagination to find a way to help.
Mikey and his friends investigate real science, beginning with the atmosphere, and soon learn how humans can negatively impact the Earth. Instead of harming Earth, Mikey thinks we should live in harmony by being mindful of the choices we make and living symbiotically with the environment while brainstorming new ways of thinking about conservation.
The intention of Adventures of the Runaway Wheelchair is to spread scientific awareness in an entertaining way. For many young students, learning science is tedious and boring. Using a mix of whimsy, comedy, and fantasy adds an entertaining balance between fact and fiction. We all must learn the importance of our world and that it could be in grave danger unless we change present behaviors to alter the future.
About the Author
Born (1949) and raised in the Bronx, N.Y.. Received a B.S. degree in science from John Jay College of Criminal Justice in N.Y.C.. After graduation, I was employed by the same college in 1971, in the science department, as a laboratory technician/adjunct lecturer in Natural Science and Forensic Science (Criminalistics). I worked in this capacity for over 12 years. I met my future (Patti) wife at the college, who worked at their business office. We became engaged in the spring of 1981. In the summer of 1982, (two days before our wedding day), I had a catastrophic car accident, that left me totally paralyzed from a spinal cord injury. I literally had turned in grades for the class I was teaching that summer to focus on wedding and vacation. My whole world was turned upside down, as the wedding had to be cancelled, with little hope for the future. My job was put on hold, as was a Master of Science degree I was just short of completing. After three operations and nine months of rehab, I was sent home, only to face a new life experience. Although, I improved physically, I have only regained 60 percent of my body.
Happily, I married Patti in 1985, (and I was able to walk her down the aisle with assistance), and we were blessed with a son in 1986, and daughter in 1989. Since I was too disabled to work at the college, I was a stay at home dad, and was lucky to see the children grow up from the very beginning. The children are grown now, and living their own lives.This has allowed Patti and I to follow other pursuits. For me, it immersed myself in storytelling. I wanted to bring all of my experience and talents to create a story that would motivate, educate and maybe make a difference. The debate for global warming is making headlines, and I hope to be part of that conservation. This story teaches real science through the eyes of a handicapped young adult, who has a huge imagination. Readers will learn about the world they live in, how civilization has negatively impacted it and what we need to do to remedy the situation. Many teens are turned off in science as it can be tedious and boring. My approach is to present science in a light and entertaining way, where the reader is sort of eating their vegetables without realizing that they really did eat them. I hope to have achieved that goal. Finally, I am in my senior years now, and wish this story to become my legacy that may be used by home-schooled kids, middle and high schoolers, and adults.