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Date: 10/19/2022
WEST SPRINGFIELD – West Springfield resident Laura Progulske did what writers are told to do: look to their own lives and experiences for inspiration.
In her case, the kitten owned by her son and daughter-in-law gave her the idea of a children’s book featuring a German shepherd with a short front leg and the willingness to make it as a K-9 officer.
“K-9 Fitzgerald Sniffs Out Bullies: The K-9 Academy” is the first in a planned series of books that can help children cope with bullies.
The book, which is available on Amazon, was published by the Agawam company Silver Street Media.
Progulske recalled how her son and daughter-in-law adopted a kitten with a deformed paw. When asked about the choice, the daughter-in-law replied, “I knew no one else would [adopt] her.”
Progulske, a retired nurse, said she thinks a lot when running and used that incident plus her family’s connection to law enforcement – several family members have served in the Holyoke police – to come up with an idea for a children’s book.
In the book, a police officer and his wife adopt a German shepherd named Fitzgerald with a short front leg. Hoping to be a K-9 officer, the dog enters training but is bullied by other dogs because of his leg. When his owner has a shoemaker construct a shoe that would help him, the dog regains his courage to succeed.
The book’s main character Fitzgerald was inspired by a real-life dog of the same name.
“He was a really smart dog,” Progulske said.
The book was published in September and was delayed because of Progulske’s health – she is a breast cancer survivor – and because of the coronavirus pandemic. She calls writing “the next chapter in my life.”
She said the theme of bullying came from her belief that “we’ve all been bullied. It [the book] just came together.”
As an added bonus, Progulske included a page of stickers with each book, because “children love stickers.”
The book is illustrated by Hallie G., a New England artist.
Progulske is now looking for venues for readings and signings and has already written her next book in the series.
The new book is available at Amazon and at silverstreetmedia.com.