After one year of being published, here we are!
Happy Birthday Little Voice and to all the inner voices we have helped reignite in each and every one of you!
With every birthday comes a celebration, and without a doubt, our celebration would not be possible without each and every one of our readers who have supported our book, our journey, our movement and our fundraising efforts!
To say we’ve accomplished a lot in this year would be an understatement. However, what is seen as an accomplishment to us, may not seem like an accomplishment to others.
Yes, we have sold almost 1000 copies of our book this past year and yes, we’ve received recognition from organizations such as Scholastic, Usher’s New Look Campaign, eTALK and Starbucks Canada. But when we talk about accomplishments, we aren’t referring to the sales of our book or the recognition we have received, we are talking about moments like these:
Dear Amanda and Samantha,
My grade threes are in love with your book – they made me read it twice in a row! When the bell rang for recess they didn’t even move; they just wanted me to keep reading. We ended up devoting two full lessons to your book. I have never seen my class as silent or as engaged as they were during these lessons! Our students were stunned by the illustrations and myself and the other teachers absolutely loved using your book as a tool to teach such an inspiring and positive message. Thank you for creating a great book that will certainly be read many more times in our classroom!
– Anita Niksic, LTO Teacher – Our Lady of Fatima
To know that our book has helped a teacher in their classroom, a parent in their home, a librarian in their library, or a friend inspire another friend, is something that to us is worth more than any recognition we could possibly receive.
Our goal from day one has always been to use our story, our message and our platform, to inspire the next generation. But our book is not only just for children, it is for the graduate who is struggling to find their path, or the adult who has lost sight of their passion.
I was twenty-four when I first wrote Little Voice; I didn’t write this poem with the intent of publishing it or even inspiring other people. I wrote Little Voice because, at that time in my life, I was trying more than anything to inspire myself, to not lose hope and to not feel discouraged despite my future looking like a big unknown.
I was struggling to find my purpose, something we all have faced regardless of age.
Today, I am so happy that in 2013 I took the leap to publish a poem that otherwise would still be collecting dust in my notebook. I am grateful for my partner Samantha Clusiau-Lawlor who transformed my text into both a work of art and an inspirational picture book! And more importantly, I am grateful to you for continuing to follow our efforts and supporting our journey.
I have always found it difficult to stop and smell the roses, to be proud of the things I have accomplished in life instead of dismissing it as though they weren’t worth noting. But today, I must say that I am overwhelmed by the Little Voice movement and all that it has become this past year.
The greatest gift my own little voice has given me this year has been a platform in which my voice can now be used to promote an inspiring and positive message. This platform has not only allowed me to share my message but it has opened new doors in which I can create a positive impact in my community.
I cannot promise that Little Voice will one day be part of Indigo’s “Heather’s Book Picks“; but I can promise you this:
No matter how many birthdays go by, I promise to always use our platform to be that little reminder we all need from time to time. I will continue to use our platform to promote a positive and inspiring message and will always be here to support my community and others as best I can!
Thank you for everything, Amanda Bernardo
To celebrate Little Voice’s first birthday, we are happy to share with you the launch of our new cover that will be available in January 2016!
To celebrate with us, we invite you to join us this evening for Little Voice’s first birthday party at the Ministry of Coffee from 6:30pm to 8:30pm! We look forward to seeing you there!