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My Brother Loved To Dream Up Magical Worlds And I Loved To Believe In Them, So After His Passing, I Wrote A Children’s Book To Honor Him
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My Brother Loved To Dream Up Magical Worlds And I Loved To Believe In Them, So After His Passing, I Wrote A Children’s Book To Honor Him

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My brother, Scott, and I had a beautiful childhood friendship. He loved to dream up magical worlds and I loved to believe in them.

We could not have been more different. He was sparkly, outgoing, hilarious, and adorable. Everyone loved him. I, on the other hand, was the quiet kid who sat in the very back of the classroom doodling on my shoes and blushing if the teacher called on me. As opposite as we were, we absolutely adored each other. He was a great entertainer and I think I made the perfect audience.

I wanted to write a picture book to commemorate our childhood, and so I began writing One More Year back in January 2012.

I worked on it intermittently for years, but could never seem to find the right ending. I must have tried out 10,000 endings, but nothing ever stuck. I eventually shoved my draft into a drawer, but it always lingered in the back of my mind. I know now that it just wasn’t our story’s time.

Fast forward to 2017 when Scott passed away unexpectedly at the age of 33. Any death is painful, but to lose Scott—my joy, my laughter, my magic-maker—was absolutely devastating. He left behind a wife, two beautiful daughters, a large family, and thousands of friends. I wish I could write more about it, and maybe someday I will, but it still feels so raw even now. To help manage the grief, I turned back to my story. I knew I had to finish it for him.

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It has been a long journey to publication, but the end result is more beautiful than I could have ever imagined. Illustrator Carlos Vélez Aguilera was the perfect artist for the project. His rich, colorful illustrations capture the magic of our childhood so vividly that it is as if he shared the memories with us.

My book can’t bring Scott back and it can’t take away my pain and grief, but being able to share his spirit does bring some comfort.

More info: aiballenger.com | Facebook

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    Allison Ione Ballenger

    Allison Ione Ballenger

    Author, Community member

    Read more »

    Allison Ione Ballenger is the author of children’s book ONE MORE YEAR (Warren Publishing, 2020). Growing up as the youngest of three children, she was the perfect audience for her older siblings' hijinks and tall tales. They taught her to always be on the lookout for magic, which is a gift she hopes to pass along to her readers today. Allison holds a BA in Literature from the University of North Carolina at Asheville.

    Read less »
    Allison Ione Ballenger

    Allison Ione Ballenger

    Author, Community member

    Allison Ione Ballenger is the author of children’s book ONE MORE YEAR (Warren Publishing, 2020). Growing up as the youngest of three children, she was the perfect audience for her older siblings' hijinks and tall tales. They taught her to always be on the lookout for magic, which is a gift she hopes to pass along to her readers today. Allison holds a BA in Literature from the University of North Carolina at Asheville.

    Violeta Draseikaitė

    Violeta Draseikaitė

    Moderator, BoredPanda staff

    Read more »

    My name is Violeta and I am an editor here at Bored Panda. I love reading memes for a living. It’s obviously much more than that, but I appreciate the variety of topics, information, and pics I get to see every day and share with the world! Those funny memes really make my day too. Being born in the ’90s in post-Soviet Lithuania speaks more about me than I’d like to admit. I’m still learning about the world and myself, but I do love my friends, traveling, art, and my cat. My favorite fact to share about myself is that I used to hide meatballs in my friend’s pockets at lunch so I could go play outside. I wish all those meatballs could find their way back to me someday.

    Read less »

    Violeta Draseikaitė

    Violeta Draseikaitė

    Moderator, BoredPanda staff

    My name is Violeta and I am an editor here at Bored Panda. I love reading memes for a living. It’s obviously much more than that, but I appreciate the variety of topics, information, and pics I get to see every day and share with the world! Those funny memes really make my day too. Being born in the ’90s in post-Soviet Lithuania speaks more about me than I’d like to admit. I’m still learning about the world and myself, but I do love my friends, traveling, art, and my cat. My favorite fact to share about myself is that I used to hide meatballs in my friend’s pockets at lunch so I could go play outside. I wish all those meatballs could find their way back to me someday.

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    Mohammad Ammar
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is soo sweet! The illustrations are amazing, as is the bond with your brother :)

    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Thank you, Mohammad! I agree about the illustrations—Carlos did an amazing job. You can check out more of his work here: https://astound.us/publishing/artists/carlos-velez-aguilera

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    Val Tester
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Awww this is awesome! You’re a good writer! I send my condolences.

    Load More Comments
    Mohammad Ammar
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is soo sweet! The illustrations are amazing, as is the bond with your brother :)

    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Thank you, Mohammad! I agree about the illustrations—Carlos did an amazing job. You can check out more of his work here: https://astound.us/publishing/artists/carlos-velez-aguilera

    Load More Replies...
    Val Tester
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Awww this is awesome! You’re a good writer! I send my condolences.

    Load More Comments
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