MENOMONEE FALLS — A 2nd grader from Menomonee Falls already has a major accomplishment under her belt. Rosalind Phoenix Schmitt is a published author. She wrote 'Flare Flies On' about her struggles making friends during the pandemic.
"It's about a phoenix who is trying to find a friend, but she journeys far, far, and farther to find one. And then at the end, she finally finds one," Rosalind said.
During the pandemic, Rosalind switched schools to Benjamin Franklin School in Menomonee Falls. It meant that she didn't get to meet her classmates in person because her school was virtual. Given that, she had a hard time making friends.
"It was hard going into a virtual school year, seeing all my friends through a computer screen, and that was hard," she said.
Eventually, she did make a few friends with the help of her teacher.
"She’s a very easy girl. She’s very outgoing. You could tell she’s excited to be back at school. She gets along well with everybody," Kelly Hietpas, Rosalind's 2nd grade teacher, said.
Rosalind, who loves to read and write, decided to write a book to help other kids like her. She knew the phoenix, like her middle name, was the perfect character.
"When you’re in ashes, it’s like you’re on the verge of giving up, but when it’s reborn, it’s perseverance to keep on trying," Rosalind said.
While she came up with much of the words, her mom helped with the illustrations.
"When she was able to start writing it down on a piece of paper, she could let all of her feelings out," Natasha Schmitt, Rosalind's mom, said.
On Thursday, Rosalind did a book signing for a few people like the Menomonee Falls superintendent.
You can find her book on Amazon for $12.
