When Nancy Churnin was writing her children’s book about William Hoy, the deaf Major League Baseball Player who had a significant impact on the sport in the early 20th century, her mind kept returning to the deaf and hearing-impaired students at Stonewall Jackson Elementary.
“These students at Stonewall Jackson are living what I’m writing about,” Churnin said. “This book is about the wonderful things that can happen when deaf and non-deaf people work together. Here at Stonewall Jackson Elementary, they live that every day.”
Churnin, who is also the theatre critic for the Dallas Morning News, kicked off her school book tour on Friday by reading the The William Hoy Story to the deaf and hearing-impaired students at Stonewall Jackson Elementary. As a translator signed out everything Churnin said, the students intently followed the story of how Hoy overcame adversity and succeeded as an MLB player.
Stonewall Jackson Principal Melanie Schiff said she enjoyed seeing how much the students got out of the story.
“This gave them the opportunity to learn more about a hero who is deaf and did so much with their life,” she said. “This story shows them they can aspire to be whatever they want to be when they grow up.”
Churnin will read from her book and sign copies during an in-store appearance at 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 5, at Barnes and Noble, 7700 W. Northwest Hwy. Stonewall Jackson Elementary will receive a portion of the proceeds for every copy of “The William Hoy Story” sold at any Barnes and Noble in the country, including the Barnes and Noble online store, this Saturday and Sunday. For Stonewall Jackson Elementary to receive a portion of the proceeds, those buying the book need to tell the teller, or input online, this code: Bookfair ID 11824109
To learn more about Hoy and what inspired Churnin to write the book, click here to read a Q&A she did with the Dallas Morning News.
