Favorite #50: Marty Hartman, Children’s Author

Marty Hartman promoting his book, The Adventures of Wally the Wheelchair

Children’s Author: Marty Hartman

The first time I met Marty Hartman was during the Books Under the Big Top Festival at the Rowan Public Library in Salisbury, NC. Marty was at the festival promoting and sharing his children’s book, The Adventures of Wally the Wheelchair.

Marty not only loves people, but he also loves to be where the action is. The difference between him and other “social butterflies” is that Marty interacts from a wheelchair. After you get to know him, the wheelchair somehow disappears.

Born in 1963 with spina bifida, the doctors gave Marty’s parents the devastating news  their son would be paralyzed from the waist down and probably wouldn’t live beyond the age of three. While we appreciate doctors and their expertise, sometimes they are wrong, and in this case, they were.

Although he did have spina bifida, what’s ironic is that Marty received his first wheelchair at the age of three and hasn’t stopped rolling since. His wheels gave him the freedom to make decisions about where he wanted to go and what he wanted to do, even if it was only in the framework of his home at the time.

Wanting to share his story with children, Marty, recently, wrote a picture book titled, The Adventures of Wally the Wheelchair. Through this book, Marty wants others to see even with a handicap life can be rich and full and that everyone has a purpose.

If you would like to read more of Marty’s story, check out the following Salisbury Post link:

http://www.salisburypost.com/article/20130716/SP01/130719790/0/SEARCH&slId=2

Congratulations, Marty! For your ability to see the cup half-full instead of half-empty, you are my favorite author of the week.

The Adventures of Wally the Wheelchair is now available at Literary Bookpost, Creative Teaching Aids and the Bible Bookstore in Salisbury. If interested in having Marty speak at your church, school or organization, contact him at wallythewheelchair@yahoo.com.

Do you know someone who even with their own problems or difficulties still finds a way to encourage others? If so, leave a comment, message on Facebook or email dicysm@yahoo.com.

Thanks,

Dicy

www.dicymcculloughbooks.com

www.dicymcculloughbooks.com/blog