About

The Inspiration . . . The Little Engine That Could is an iconic children’s book that has inspired millions of young readers to face life’s challenges head on. The little blue train teaches readers that with hard work and determination anyone can succeed. The children under the care of Hibiscus Children’s Center face unimaginable hardships, yet we hope this campaign sets them on track to gain valuable literacy skills necessary for success in school, therapy, and life.

                             Photo by Robert Holland www.robertholland.com

Karla Preissman, Co-Chair pictured with the autographed books.

One Woman's Vision . . . Last year we launched a project to build a library for the abused and neglected children who live at the Hibiscus Children’s Shelter on the Treasure Coast of Florida. Actually, it’s more than a library—it’s an educational and recreational center called “The Reef” and is filled with books, computers, puzzles, puppets, learning tools and more. Well, it turns out that we also needed to build a fund to maintain our little library. With that in mind, I began asking notable people to sign a copy of their favorite childhood book for us to auction.

The response was overwhelming, and we now boast a collection of books signed by celebrities of the highest caliber, including President Obama, Tiger Woods, Jimmy Buffett, Steve Martin, Jane Goodall, John McCain, Noam Chomsky, John Glenn, Jack Nicklaus, Kenneth Cole, Oprah Winfrey, J.K. Rowling, Maya Angelou, and many more. Most signed a book they loved as a child; some signed a childhood book they treasure now as an adult. Together the books will help raise money for our library and raise awareness of the unique literacy challenges that face abused and neglected children.

This celebration of books – and the people they have influenced – proves what Henry Giles claimed: “The silent influence of books is a mighty power in the world.”