River View Elementary School kindergarten teacher Amy Miller is inspiring a new generation to “Go Be Amazing” with her new book.
Miller would always tell her own children to go be amazing when she dropped them off at school.
Now she tells her kindergarten students that when they leave school each day.
The book features brightly colored illustrations highlighting children's remarkable abilities in various situations, such as playing sports, making music, volunteering, helping around the house, or creating art.
Miller said she always wanted to write a children’s book, but the time never seemed right.
“I was up one night thinking, and it just started coming to me, and I thought, ‘I’m going to put it down on paper,’” she said.
It took her about a year to write the book.
Miller was a preschool teacher for 13 years before coming to River View.
The theme of “Go Be Amazing” is that you can be the best version of yourself in everything you do, Miller said.
“You don’t have to be the best, but you have to be the best version of you,” she said.
Her students inspired the book, Miller said. Former students come back and tell her to “Go Be Amazing.”
“It is a phrase that has stuck with them and I just wanted to bring what it could mean to them to life,” Miller said.
“Go Be Amazing” is the positive message everyone needs to hear, she said.
“Your amazing doesn’t have to be like someone else’s amazing,” Miller said.
River View Elementary School Principal Kelly Gregoire said teachers are always looking for read-aloud books that provide a great message and support teaching standards, and Miller’s book checks both boxes.
“The book touches on things that our students do every day, allowing them to make connections with the characters,” Gregoire said.
“And her illustrations bring the characters to life, portraying students from all backgrounds, allowing students to ‘see’ themselves in this book.”
Miller encouraged anyone interested in writing a book to go for it.
“Everyone has a story to tell, take a chance and make it happen,” she said. “Your story is worth hearing!”
