Marlette native authors children's book

Colleen Murray Fisher of White Lake, who grew up in Marlette, is a published author, teacher and new mother. The Fisher family (left to right) Jason, Sofie, Sam and Colleen). Photo courtesy of Colleen Fisher A Marlette graduate has written and illustrated a children's book, and named one of the characters after a child she and her husband adopted from Ethiopia.

Colleen Murray Fisher is a second grade teacher at Livonia Schools, and has taught for 12 years.

"The One and Only Bernadette P. McMullen", which was printed by Fern Press of Nelson Publishing and Marketing, is about a little girl whose classmates think she is strange, and who realizes her uniqueness is nothing strange after meeting a new friend.

"I changed the name (of the friend) for my daughter and made her skin color African- American," said Fisher. "Originally Bernadette had an invisible friend. But I needed a reason why she need an invisible friend, and teasing is a prominent topic."

Fisher hopes "this book will inspire children to be proud of who they are and to celebrate the differences in all of us".

Fisher said, "I completed the book in April. I wrote it seven years ago, but I changed the ending after we adopted our children and sent it out to be published. I sent it around online and a couple publishers had some interest (but didn't want it) Then I heard about this publisher that was local and sent it to them."

No local book signings are planned at this time, but the book is available at major book stores and through www.colleenmurrayfisherbooks. com.

"I developed a love of children's books because my mom collected picture books. My parents died when I was young and I escaped into books."

She has enjoyed art since she was young, and has been asked to illustrate another book Fern Press is publishing

Fisher has also written "Miss Martin is a Martian", which is being published by Mackinac Island Press. "Miss Martin" won a book writing contest sponsored by the Michigan Principals' Association last year.

Fisher and her husband Jason , who is a civil engineer, adopted 10-year old Sofie and her two-year old brother Sam last fall, completing the process that began in May 2007 when they attended open houses to decide which adoption agency to use. They met the kids for the first time when they picked them up at the Ethiopian orphanage on Dec. 29, 2008. They had been notified the adoption was official on Nov. 24, after accepting a referral for the brother and sister in August.

"We originally wanted two and they talked us out of it. I wanted the older child to be a girl, then we saw the sibling group. Usually they assign you the children. Because kids in a sibling group are harder to adopt they are put on a waiting list. We fell in love with them instantly on the computer," Fisher recalled.

The couple spent the months during the adoption process learning about Ethiopia, getting to know the network of families in the metro area who adopted Ethiopian children and eating at an Ethiopian restaurant in Ann Arbor.

Fisher said she didn't learn to cook Ethiopian recipes because many of the ingredients are not available.

"It is all based around bread. They use a thin bread to pick up food, not a knife and fork. They use one big plate and wipe their hands on a towel," she explained.

When they arrived Sofie knew only a few words of English and was placed in an English as a Second Language program.

"Now she is actually at grade level...She actually has a hard time remembering her former language," Fisher stated.

She said the children in the orphanage hadn't all lost their parents, in many cases the parents couldn't afford to care for them and wanted them to have a better quality of life.

How does a teacher and new mother find time to write?

"When we first brought them home I was on leave (for three months) so I did the changes then. When they go to bed I work and my our son naps. I wrote Miss Martin during a car trip to North Carolina, I did the writing in my mind," Fisher stated.

Fisher is the daughter of the late James Murray, who died when she was 10, and former Sandusky teacher Kathleen Vizard Murray, who died when Fisher was 14. She lived with her aunt and uncle Delphine and Frank Vizard until she graduated.