by CASEY NORTON
Posted on June 1, 2011
See a video and more pictures here.
COLLEYVILLE — Anyone can make a difference at any age.
Ben Sherman, a second grader in Colleyville, is proving that with a story he wrote — and the story he's living.
Ben's book about a folded paper airplane is changing lives in Southeast Asia.
The nine-year-old wrote "Gregory's Paper Airplane" more than a year ago, and now he's watching it take flight.
"It's kind of cool, I guess... as long as it doesn't get to my head," he said.
Ben's parents insist the fame from local book signings won't go to his head, because this story is not about him — it's about children half a world away.
"I am just so proud of him for that," said the author's dad, Jeff Sherman. "I really want to encourage other parents to tell their children: You don't have to be an adult to make a difference."
It all started with a movie at church. Ben saw undercover video of children in Cambodia who were sold into slavery for $40.
The black-and-white replays kept him from sleeping — until he dreamed up his own solution.
"And so I just wanted to write a book about that," Ben said. "I don't know... it broke my heart."
That first draft was just folded printer paper and pencil sketches. But when his parents read it, they knew it needed a bigger audience.
"I can tell this issue really touches Ben's heart," said his mother, Paige Sherman.
While Ben continued life as a second grader, his dad found a publisher who found an illustrator, and "Gregory's Paper Airplane" had wings.
When the final copy came back, Ben shared it with his classmates, and they were sold.
A teacher was so inspired, she took a leave of absence to write her own book.
Former first lady Laura Bush also took note, encouraging the young author to make a difference with his stories.
Ben donates sales of his book to two groups who rescue Cambodians from child slavery. He charts success with how many children he can help.
He wants to save at least 500.
"I want them to have homes and be as happy as they can be — like the rest of us," Ben said.
The Shermans still encourage Ben to get out and run around, play basketball and be a kid.
But they know he's meant for something beyond his years — and his story needs to be told.
"To see a nine-year-old boy step out of himself and focus on others and decide, 'I am going to make a difference...'"
While Ben's dad might struggle with the words, those words come easy for the grade school author when he's inspired by a cause.
Ben Sherman's book is sold in stores, but purchases at the Gregory's Paper Airplane Web site allocate a bigger share of the proceeds to the children in Cambodia.
E-mail cnorton@wfaa.com
COLLEYVILLE — Anyone can make a difference at any age.
Ben Sherman, a second grader in Colleyville, is proving that with a story he wrote — and the story he's living.
Ben's book about a folded paper airplane is changing lives in Southeast Asia.
The nine-year-old wrote "Gregory's Paper Airplane" more than a year ago, and now he's watching it take flight.
"It's kind of cool, I guess... as long as it doesn't get to my head," he said.
Ben's parents insist the fame from local book signings won't go to his head, because this story is not about him — it's about children half a world away.
"I am just so proud of him for that," said the author's dad, Jeff Sherman. "I really want to encourage other parents to tell their children: You don't have to be an adult to make a difference."
It all started with a movie at church. Ben saw undercover video of children in Cambodia who were sold into slavery for $40.
The black-and-white replays kept him from sleeping — until he dreamed up his own solution.
"And so I just wanted to write a book about that," Ben said. "I don't know... it broke my heart."
That first draft was just folded printer paper and pencil sketches. But when his parents read it, they knew it needed a bigger audience.
"I can tell this issue really touches Ben's heart," said his mother, Paige Sherman.
While Ben continued life as a second grader, his dad found a publisher who found an illustrator, and "Gregory's Paper Airplane" had wings.
When the final copy came back, Ben shared it with his classmates, and they were sold.
A teacher was so inspired, she took a leave of absence to write her own book.
Former first lady Laura Bush also took note, encouraging the young author to make a difference with his stories.
Ben donates sales of his book to two groups who rescue Cambodians from child slavery. He charts success with how many children he can help.
He wants to save at least 500.
"I want them to have homes and be as happy as they can be — like the rest of us," Ben said.
The Shermans still encourage Ben to get out and run around, play basketball and be a kid.
But they know he's meant for something beyond his years — and his story needs to be told.
"To see a nine-year-old boy step out of himself and focus on others and decide, 'I am going to make a difference...'"
While Ben's dad might struggle with the words, those words come easy for the grade school author when he's inspired by a cause.
Ben Sherman's book is sold in stores, but purchases at the Gregory's Paper Airplane Web site allocate a bigger share of the proceeds to the children in Cambodia.
E-mail cnorton@wfaa.com
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