High Schooler's Book Signing to Benefit St Baldrick's at The Hickory Stick Bookshop

Noelia Aguirre will launch her novel, “With Eyes She Couldn’t See”, on March 26th from 2-4pm at the Hickory Stick Bookshop. This event will include an introduction from the author, a short reading from the novel, and book signing. Refreshments will be provided and there will be a period of time where attendees may ask the author questions.

The novel stems from the theme of imagination versus reality, while also providing a fresh perspective from the eyes of a highschool student. “With Eyes She Couldn't See” is about a teenage boy, Noah, who has lived his whole life according to a single universal routine: graduate high school, go to college, get a job, raise a family and repeat. While the adults in his life see him as a hopeless, sarcastic outlier in their perfect system, there is a hunger inside him that craves for something more, something real. It isn’t until he meets a strange girl with a red flower on a school field trip to the Northchester Hospital for Behavior Health that he begins to see color in his seemingly meaningless life. No, it is not a love story. “With Eyes She Couldn’t See” is about seeing the beauty we are surrounded by everyday if we choose to look for it.

Books will be available for purchase for $10. All proceeds will be going towards the St. Baldrick’s Foundation through Madeline Gorra, who is hosting a St. Baldrick’s event at Shepaug Valley School on April 27th.

St. Baldrick’s funds more collaborative research for childhood cancer than any other charity. 1 in 5 kids will not survive childhood cancer, so St. Baldrick’s has provided 1,021 grants, to 366 institutions, in 27 different countries in an effort to change that number. More information regarding donating to this cause can be found online a www.stbaldricks.org/events/shepaug

At Shepaug Valley School, all seniors are required to complete and pass a class known as Senior Project, in which they commit to a year-long project of their choice. Noelia decided to write and publish a novel while Madeline chose to research and fundraise for cancer. Noelia spent 8 months writing and editing a fictional novel which was then self-published through Lulu.com in February.

Madeline is researching the personal side of breast cancer through a series of interviews. The other portion of her project is hosting a St. Baldrick’s event in which the monetary donations will be going towards childhood cancer research and hair donations will be going to help women affected by breast cancer. On April 27th, she will be shaving off all her hair with other willing community members.

Noelia offered the idea of teaming up for this book launch because she believed in the importance of Madeline’s efforts and from the beginning wanted the book to make a greater impact outside of Senior Project.