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Children’s Book Author Teams Up with Alzheimer’s Association

Caregivers are often called the unsung heroes of health care for their dedication to providing support, personal attention, dispensing of medications, exercise, nutrition, and advocacy often to people with relatively long, degenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s or dementia.

A Central Coast author of 33 children’s books will hold a launch event for her latest book that will also serve as a fundraiser for the local chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.

Wendelin Van Draanen’s award-winning books are known for their humor, adventure, and stealthy backdoor exploration of serious themes. But she makes no bones about the fact that her latest novel was inspired by personal loss and a gratitude toward the caregivers who helped her through it.

The Secret Life of Lincoln Jones, published by Random House, is the story of a sixth grade boy who spends his after school hours at a dementia-care facility where his mother works as a caregiver. Lincoln’s mother, Maribelle, is strong, determined, compassionate, and completely overworked. At one point she tells Lincoln “You try to give folks dignity to the end, but you lose your own along the way.”

Lincoln is the new kid at school and lives in fear that his classmates will learn about his difficult past and his mother’s new occupation “changin’ oldies’ diapers.” His first-person observations of the Oldies weaves humor through the heartache of loss, and delivers a message Van Draanen wants readers to walk away with.

“I’m hoping they’ll make an extra effort to be inclusive of the new kid at their own school, give writing a second chance if they’re not keen on it, and understand that inside everyone, young or old, there’s a story worth listening to,” said Van Draanen. “Lincoln represents the struggle of making sense of the world, of finding your own way, and of understanding people who are different.”

Van Draanen’s mother suffered from dementia in her final years and the author’s observations from that time, as well as her experience as a classroom teacher, meld into a story that is at turns funny, thought-provoking, and touching.

“Lincoln is his own person, but the seeds for his character grew from my personal experiences and the people I got to know during my mom’s time in care, as well as the reactions of my sons and their friends to the elder-care environment,” said Van Draanen.

Although the book tackles an issue that many adults face, it is marketed for fourth grade and up. Van Draanen says The Secret Life of Lincoln Jones is “a valentine to caregivers,” and suitable for anyone who is a caregiver or knows one.

This book takes a different path compared to the author’s highly successful Sammy Keyes series, but the heart of the story will give fans of her work another hero to believe in.

“I’m starting to think that I don’t choose the direction, the direction chooses me,” said Van Draanen. “I turn to what’s raw and real at that period in my life, pulled along by a character I can’t stop thinking about. It always reaches beyond my specific experience and grows into something with a more universal purpose. Everyone has their own specific story. What bonds us together is our common ground. My goal with The Secret Life of Lincoln Jones was to expand what I’ve learned and experienced personally into the common ground of compassion, tolerance, and community.”

Van Draanen will hold a book launch at the Alzheimer’s Association’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s on Saturday, October 29 beginning at 9 a.m. at Mission Plaza in San Luis Obispo. A percentage of the proceeds from the book sale will be donated to the Association.

Van Draanen will also be signing books at Barnes & Noble, 894 Marsh St., San Luis Obispo from 2-3:00 p.m. that same day, with a percent of all Oct. 29 transactions mentioning the “Alzheimer’s bookfair” at checkout donated to the Association.

About the author

Theresa-Marie Wilson

Theresa-Marie Wilson was instrumental in starting the Coast News in 2004 and has been the managing editor ever since. She is also the Tolosa Press special section editor as well as a member of the creative team for the publication’s magazines, and a consultant for advertising campaigns.
In her free time, T, as most people know her, takes far too many photos of her cats for her humorous blog, CatNoirCC.com dedicated to increasing adoption rates for black cats that often face high kill rates in shelters.

Upcoming Events

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