The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Local author shares lessons
Lorain native and author Molly-Jaye M. Kirchner shared her newest book “The Messy World of Little Miss Molly: The Tell ‘Tail’ Lie” of the “The Messy World of Little Miss Molly” series with preschool students March 8 during Right to Read Week at Little Lighthouse Learning Center.
Kirchner, who also is an administrative assistant at the Learning Center, 1715 Meister Road in Lorain, talked about early-life lessons with the engaged youngsters.
The book, published in 2017, tells the story of Miss Molly getting into a mess and blaming it on her dog.
Her father catches her in a lie and teaches her the lesson of being honest.
Kirchner’s first book, “The Messy World of Little Miss Molly,” was published in 2016.
It introduces the story and title of having messes in your life that can be cleaned up.
The book shares the valuable lesson of the balance between clean and messy and trying your best with the help of others.
Between her first and second book of the series, Kirchner shares the message with life-relating stories to preschool to second-grade students in Lorain County.
The lessons are told in colorful illustrations in her shoes as a child growing up in Lorain.
Each book is titled under middle name and maiden name, Jaye McKitrick.
According to Kirchner, children today learn at a fast rate.
She said they have more advanced knowledge than she did at their age.
Kirchner said she notices that children connect to the stories and respond to it in a way that most adults cannot.
“There’s an empathy with children that adults
don’t have anymore,” she said. “(In my book) there’s a picture where she’s crying and they feel that and get connected to the story, rather than what the adults do. “It’s a neat thing to do.” When traveling to different schools, Kirchner not only shares and teaches the lessons of her books, but how books are created through a team of writers, illustrators and editors.
Palma Stipe, executive director of the Learning Center, said she is privileged to have Kirchner alongside them and educating students through her books.
Now residing in Elyria Township, Kirchner said she holds Lorain close to her heart with a great deal of pride for the city.
In her stories, she said she resembles the character to herself and someone who represents the multicultural feel in an International City.
She said she wants others to relate to a character that looks different from the classic “blonde hair, blue-eyed,” image.
“I like the idea that I grew up here and I’m promoting something good,” Kirchner said.
“I’m from Lorain and I’m proud of that. In making this character, I made this little girl that I was as a child, being proud that everyone looked different and not the same.”
Kirchner she said she wants youngsters to understand that it’s OK to be messy in life and that people make mistakes and they can grow from them.