Ellie is ready to have the best summer ever. She’s especially excited to draw under her favourite tree and hang out with her big brother, Ben. But all Ben seems to care about is impressing the new lip-glossy neighbour, Sara. And all Sara seems to care about is turning Ellie’s brother into a Hawaii husband! Luckily, Ellie's best friend, Ling, has the marriage list—a top-secret tool to track the lovebirds and stop a wedding before it starts. But nothing goes to plan, and while trying to rescue Ben, Ellie ends up putting the weeping willow in her garden in danger. Faced with losing everything she loves most, can Ellie find a way to win back her brother and save her beloved tree?
An utterly charming story about a lovable 10-year-old with Down's syndrome whose extra sparkle never fails to shine bright.
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Now the owner of a business teaching English to Chinese children, Tricia Seabolt has worked in the field of occupational therapy and has tutored reading and co-led a summer club focused on empowering kids through play-based activities within the Down's syndrome community. Tricia lives in Michigan.
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Lucy Rogers is an award-winning deaf illustrator. She has led a series of illustration workshops for young deaf people at the NDCS and at the Deaf Academy, and loves to inspire the deaf kids reading her books to be proud of who they are. Lucy lives in Oxfordshire, England.
“A sweet book for children about the adventures of a young girl who has an extra chromosome just like me, or should I say one extra sparkle. I know a lot of people who are going to love this book.”
- Noah Matthews Matofsky, actor (Disney’s Peter Pan and Wendy)
"This is the first book that I know of about a pre-teen person with Down syndrome written for pre-teens and teens. It’s a great book for people with Down syndrome as they can easily relate to Ellie with her passion for spending time with her friends and family, her ability to do the same things as her peers in her own way, and her great sense of humor when her brother does something silly. This is also a great book for people without the diagnosis. Tricia Seabolt does an incredible job of explaining what Down syndrome is and some of the challenges they face without an ounce of pity; in fact, it's the opposite, Ellie's lucky shirt says "Down syndrome is my superpower!” "
- Kathleen Tynes, Program Coordinator of GiGi’s Playhouse Detroit (USA), a Down’s syndrome achievement center
“An impressively written and fun read from start to finish, "One Extra Sparkle: Ellie and the Marriage List" by author/storyteller Tricia Seabolt is an ideal pick for young readers and will prove to be an immediately welcome and enduringly popular addition to elementary school, middle school, and community library Contemporary Fiction collections.”
—Midwest Book Review
“Artistic, mischievous, and empathetic, Ellie is delightfully nuanced; Rogers’ illustrations readily convey her many emotions. Seabolt matter-of-factly portrays Ellie’s challenges, such as speech difficulties and “spaghetti noodle” muscles, and readers will root for her as she discovers her strengths and faces her fears. Ellie’s supportive family is heartening. A warm tale of family and friendship.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“According to 10-year-old Ellie, “Down Syndrome is my Superpower!” She even sports the slogan in glittery letters across her lucky T-shirt, which she pairs with an extra sparkly ring to help remind her “how extra cool she is.” But when Ben befriends new neighbor Sara, Ellie worries that she’s losing him. Her concerns are exacerbated by her best friend Ling, who claims that Sara wants to marry Ben and move to Hawaii, leaving Ellie behind for good. While Ellie’s attempts to sabotage Sara and Ben’s friendship lead to heartache on her end, support from her loving community bolsters Ellie as she works to unravel her complicated feelings and repair her sibling bond. Characters with varying disabilities—such as a tween who “was like most kids, just with less words mixed in”—are sensitively and organically portrayed by educator Seabolt in this wholesome slice-of-life debut, a series launch.”
– Publisher’s Weekly
