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West Islip resident pens new children's book
A children's book written by a former Amityville resident who now lives in West Islip explores that reality through the experiences of a young boy and the game of soccer. The author, Christine Carswell, found her inspiration for the book in her nephew, Joey Sleck. Prior to sitting down to write the book, Carswell had only written poetry and never thought of writing a novel, but as she watched her nephew on the soccer field, she realized she had a story that had to be told. She wrote Waiting for Cookies, a story about the importance of motivation in life's journey and the realization that children are not alone, she said. Caswell was attending her nephew's soccer game. The youngster didn't show much interest in the sport, but his mother signed him up anyway, believing it would be an opportunity for him to learn about sportsmanship and the importance of playing on a team. He was four at the time, and despite efforts to get Joey and his teammates to show enthusiasm on the field, nothing seemed to work. "It wasn't until the coach took out a box of cookies at the end of the game that Joey perked up," said Carswell. "He's not shy about taking cookies, and I thought that sounded like a good title for the book." In the book, Joey's mother tells the coach, "Joey only seems to wait for the cookies. He doesn't seem to be interested in playing soccer." The coach smiles and responds: "Joey is like a lot of boys and girls. Don't worry, When he finds the game he wants to be in, he will play." Carswell's friend, Susan Matthews, read the book and identified with its message. She had signed her child up for soccer in the belief that he wanted to play the game. He never wore the uniform, however, choosing instead, a pair of football pants. "It wasn't until a year later that I realized that he wanted to play football," said Matthews. The sports theme allowed Carswell to bring together the elements of childhood and the importance of unity and acceptance, not only for children but also in adults. Six-years-old now, Joey seems to have found his way. "He loves soccer," said Carswell. Carswell donates her time as a Sunday school teacher, Girl Scout leader, and a long time volunteer of a local youth center. The proceeds of the book will go to the Long Island Youth Mentoring in Deer Park. Her book, published by Tate Publishing & Enterprises can be purchased at local bookstores or by visiting www.tatepublishing.com.
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