New book aims to leave a legacy of kindness
Photo: Lewisburg Elementary School music instructor Jen Bourbonais with her book, “Louie Leaves A Legacy.” (Courtesy photo)
There’s a book for kids that has just been published to inspire more kindness and caring to leave as a legacy.
The book has been written by Lewisburg Elementary School music educator Jen Bourbonais under the pen name of Jen Elizabeth. Titled “Louie Leaves A Legacy,” Bourbonais hopes to inspire kids to leave their legacy by learning how to do kind things for others and living a life of love and kindness.
“It’s important for the kids to learn that it’s not just ‘all about you,'” Bourbonais said. “It’s about helping other people and showing kindness to them, no matter what our differences are or if we have different opinions.”
Bourbonais said her own inspiration for the book comes from school counselor Tamila Baker, who started what she called a Legacy Program at the school.
“If kids are caught doing something good, being helpful, being kind, displaying whatever character trait there is for the month, they get a legacy coin,” Bourbonais said. “I came up with a song and Mrs. Baker started using it during the Legacy Hour. Everybody absolutely loved it.”
Bourbonais said she had illustrated a book for another writer and decided she could write and illustrate her own book, using Baker, the Legacy Hour and a youngster she named “Patriot Louie” as the main character.
Patriot Louie is inspired by his school counselor and told that he can change the world for the better just by showing acts of kindness and helping those in need. A little love and kindness will touch everyone around and with Louie’s special song in his heart, he will leave a legacy that will last a lifetime and beyond.
The Patriot part of the name is an obvious reference to Patriots being the mascot for Lewisburg schools, although Bourbonais said the theme of the book isn’t simply exclusive to Lewisburg students.
The Legacy Song that Louie comes up with is the song Bourbonais put together and she said the back pages of the 24-page book has words and chords to learn how to sing and teach the song.
“I wanted to incorporate music into the book because that is one of my passions, and that is music,” Bourbonais said.
She said part of leaving a legacy for future generations or touching the hearts of those around really starts with your own actions and how you treat people and the things you do for people. “You don’t always hear that from TV and movies,” Bourbonais said. “It’s really important that we focus on other people.”
The paperback version of “Louie Leaves A Legacy” first appeared on Amazon.com July 17 and it is also available for Kindle. It is written for ages 4-10.
