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Neighbors: Life lessons provide subject for book
Oct 12, 2009 (The Garden City Telegram - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --
When Tania Burnett tried to teach her 16-year-old son to drive, she probably didn't realize the experience would be the impetus for her husband, Mike Burnett, Lakin, to write a children's book and possibly a series of books addressing issues that most kids face.
Mike Burnett's first book, "Otta and the Shouda Couda Wouda's" was born out of his wife's retelling of the drama of teaching her son to drive.
"My 16-year-old son was trying to learn to drive, and he was with my wife, who was trying to teach him," Burnett said. "He was not listening and almost had four or five accidents, and my wife comes back needing a stiff drink and saying 'Oh, good Lord,'" Burnett joked. "She's beating herself up saying he should listen, he could have done this, if he would have done this -- he's going to hurt himself. There was a whole lot of irrational thought going on. The next morning it hit me, and I wrote a cute little story to her about 'shouda, couda, wouda' and that kind of irrational thinking, and that's really what the book came out of."
Burnett describes his book as "bibliotherapy" for children.
"It's a concept in therapy that kids need to learn about social skills they need to attain," Burnett said. "What we're trying to do is get through to them via a story rather than talk therapy."
Burnett said the book addresses irrational thought -- when a person begins thinking about what they should have done, what they could have done, or what they ought to have done.
"The story centers around a little otter that learns that ultimately it only matters what you could have and should have done if you allow it to make you a better person instead of beating yourself up over it," Burnett said.
Burnett, who is a behavioral interventionist by profession, said he has written different types of things all his life, but this is his first published book.
"I've been a counselor most my life," Burnett said. "I've counseled in the prison system working with hardcore and hurting kids for about 15 years. I kind of saw a need out there for books that tie into concepts that kids can kind of relate to."
Burnett said he is considering a whole series of books dealing with the issues children face. Burnett said it took about 18 months from writing to publishing this first book.
"We're going to wait and see how this one goes and see what the response is like," Burnett said. "The books will probably all deal with concepts that kids need to look at -- whether it's dealing with divorce, bullying or peer pressure. There may be a whole lot of books in the future dealing with concepts that kids need to learn healthy ways to deal with. Being a rookie, I'm very excited to get it out there. I'm very excited to see what the response is -- and to see if we can't do some good things for some kids."
The book is currently available through a variety of vendors, including Barnes and Noble, amazon.com and a multitude of online foreign markets.
Burnett said he hasn't done a lot of local marketing for the book yet and currently has no book signings planned, but said it is definitely something they are looking forward to doing in the near future.
Rhandi Moody, illustrator for the book, has lived in Lakin since 1993. She has an associate's degree in computer graphics and began pursuing a bachelor's degree when she decided to go after a degree in nursing instead. Moody said it was a lot of fun helping make the book, especially since she only had an associate's degree in computer graphics.
"Rhandi worked very hard on this book," Burnett said.
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