JOEL: An Unexpected Hero
Available formats:
Paperback
Children's fantasy fiction with the message that every child can be a hero.
Rebecca loves her younger brother Joel, but sometimes she finds it hard to look after him – Joel has Down’s syndrome. One day, when Rebecca and Joel discover a ring of toadstools used by elves, they find themselves transported into a magical world in which Joel is the hero. Soon Rebecca discovers that her brother possesses very special qualities that she had not noticed before…
Eons ago when the world was newborn,
When the sun came up on the very first dawn,
When the flowers and trees were bright of hue,
And the way of men was to speak plain and true,
A shadow crept across this idyll –
A shadow which lengthened and troubles us still.
Our saviour will come from a world far away;
He will fulfil his destiny within seven days.
His world will not recognise his strength or his wisdom
Yet such is his vision to our aid he will come.
His name will be Joel, a child chosen before time;
His innocence alone is the key to our rhyme.
ISBN: 9781907509742 (PB)
Jane Butcher
Author
Coming from a family of professional writers – her grandfather, father, mother and brother all journalists, and her brother a writer of three books – Jane made a conscious decision to steer clear of any such activity. Instead she became a teacher, finishing as a teacher of children with special needs in Trafford until 1990, when she gave up teaching to adopt her son Ben who was then four months old.
She came to writing as a way of alleviating the boredom as she waited outside numerous rehearsal rooms while Ben took part in his drama classes. The short story she wrote first was well received by those who read it so she plucked up the courage to attend a creative writing class at my local college.
ìJoel: An Unexpected Heroî began as a short story but quickly developed into a full blown adventure. Her son Ben, then twelve (now twenty two) was the inspiration for the central character and remains her inspiration daily. She is currently working hard to complete Joelís next adventure in the Kingdom of Aureon, along with his sister Rebecca and a new friend called Robbie.
