Plainfield North Assistant Principal Publishes First Children's Book

PLAINFIELD, IL — An assistant principal at Plainfield North High School can now add "children's book author" to his resume.

Darnell Weathersby's first children's book, "Fearfully and Wonderfully Made," is the first of three books in The Adventures of Donald the Knight series. The books follow the titular character, a Black boy in third grade, attempting to navigate low self-esteem.

"Like millions of children his age, he is attempting to navigate his environment while staying true to his Christian beliefs," reads the book's description on Amazon. "His superpower is his ability to represent Christ through his daily lifestyle at an age where many of his peers are embarrassed or too afraid. The theme of being a Knight refers to the concept of living with honor and integrity when it is not the popular thing to do."

The 36-page book is geared toward children in kindergarten through third grade.

In writing the series, Weathersby hopes to provide parents with a unique resource for talking to their children about identity and self-esteem, according to Plainfield School District 202 officials.

"No longer do we have to be intimidated by the touchy conversations of self-esteem and identity,” Weathersby said in a statement.

The author is in his seventh year working as an administrator at Plainfield North and 19th year as an educator.

"Being an educator and a parent myself, I'm daily reminded of the pressure our children go through attempting to navigate our culture," he said.

"Fearfully and Wonderfully Made," out Nov. 23, is available for purchase for $14.99 on Amazon.