Local author, Kevin Sommer, will be hosting an official book launch and author talk on February 20, at the Vermilion Public Library from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. Called, ‘A Shattered New Start,’ Sommer’s fictional book takes place in a high school setting and takes a serious look at bullying, anger, suicide, rivalry, friendship, and support. “As a teacher, this is one of my favourite books on the topic of bullying. It allows you to see it from the multiple perspectives and reminds you that people have much more going on in their lives than a person sees. I would highly recommend this book to my friends, family, and colleagues. It would make a great film!” said Meghan on goodreads.com. When asked why he wrote the book, Sommer said, “I was advised to write about what I know, and if there is one thing that I know about, it’s school life and the world of school bullies, being a veteran teacher of 35 years. During my career, I’ve dealt with many school yard bullies and comforted many victims of bullies. During those years, I often considered bullies to be “bad” kids who needed a good dose of discipline. Having learned about bullies over the years, I now see bullies differently. Simply put, bullies are hurting people who hurt others, so I wrote my story with this understanding. I see so many politicians and governments who bully to get what they want, and I regularly hear about bullying in the workplace. I read in the news of students who commit suicide, or who take their pain out on others by carrying out school shootings. Our world needs to get a handle on bullying and to look at bullies differently. Bullies can heal and change if their pain is addressed, and they feel heard.” He is a member of the Writer’s Guild of Alberta and the Vermilion Writer’s Guild. Sommer has written for his hometown’s history book, ‘Wagon Trails in the Sod,’ the Town of Vermilion’s history book, ‘Vermilion Memories II,’ and was also involved in the creation of his hometown’s first history book, ‘Leaves of the Parkland.’ Sommer has an article about his daughter living in Ireland published in the December/January 2020 issue of the Our Canada magazine, and is an avid blogger who has written numerous blog posts which you can view at: sommerseasonallyear.com. Geared towards junior and senior high youth and young adults, this book has been enjoyed by a large range of adults because nearly anyone can relate to bullying. It is recommended also to parents as well as any teachers and health professionals who are looking for teaching tools to address bullying. During the book launch, the author will be talking about his writing, a bit about bullying, and will read an excerpt from his book. Attendees will have the opportunity to purchase copies and have them signed. If you are unable to attend, it can be purchased online at amazon.ca, amazon.com (Kindle Bookstore), Barnes & Noble (Nook Bookstore), Friesen Bookstore, iTunes Bookstore, Google Books, or Kobo Bookstore.