L A T E S T
O B S E S S I O N S
GIRL GOALS Two local women are creating a children’s book with a mission: to encourage girls to lead
T ART IMITATES LIFE Through her writing, author Mary Parry has tackled a field she knows well: She’s a former women’s vote director. COVER GIRL Caroline Krouse, a family friend of Mary’s who lives in Raleigh, modeled as Sadie McGrady for the book cover. Look for several Estes Hills Elementary students elsewhere in book, playing the parts of campaign managers and parade goers.
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chapelhillmagazine.com January/February 2016
his is a political campaign we can all get behind. Sadie McGrady, Leading Lady is the story of a spunky young girl who runs for president of the United States, and, like any candidate, she needs your support. Her creator, local writer Mary Parry, has teamed up with photographer Corey Williams to create the book, which helps explain the election process and encourages girls to seek leadership roles. They are crowdfunding the book through Inkshares, founded by Chapel Hill High alumnus Thad Woodman. When supporters preorder 1,000 copies, Inkshares will publish the first run of the book. As of press time, Mary and Corey are about halfway to that goal. Mary worked as a women’s vote director during the 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns and often needed to bring along her daughter, Emma, who was captivated by the process. Mary wanted to inspire other kids and to address “the reasons people don’t put themselves out there, particularly girls without role models.” So while the cute photos and rhyming verses are designed to charm,