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VOL. 17 • NO. 11
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THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 2021
Villa Park resident fulfills a bucket list goal by writing a book “ Children’s book is author’s version of ‘This Little Piggy’
STAFF REPORT
Villa Park resident Robert Sopher has checked several items off his bucket list since he retired a few years ago. Those checked-off items include
Inside:
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indoor skydiving and being a contestant on Wheel of Fortune. Sopher won nearly $10,000 and a trip to Antigua during his appearance on the game show. Sopher reached one more item on his list by joining his wife to have a booth at the Antiques of Winfield store, where they sell their antiques. Sopher, who retired after a 42year career, checked off another of his bucket-list items when he wrote a book. The children’s book— “Mistletoe”—was released in December. It can be purchased online at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble (barnesandnoble.com) and BooksA-Million (booksamillion.com), among other websites. The book is also available at Sopher’s booth at the Antiques of Winfield, which is located at 27W461 Beecher Ave., Winfield. Sopher, who has lived in Villa Park for 23 years, used the pen name V.K. Roberts to write “Mistletoe”. The ‘V’ honors his daughter Victoria, while the ‘K’ honors his daughter Kimberlee. Sopher dedicated the book to his wife, five children, 14 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Sopher notes that “Mistletoe” is his version of “This Little Piggy,” the famous nursery rhyme that’s normally counted out on a young child’s toes. “My 25-year-old granddaughter Allie said to me, ‘Papa, can you write down the words so we can have it for our children?’” said Sopher in explaining the origin of his book, which features several illustrations. “It is an interactive book between a reader and young child. Use inflections in your voice and actions as you read each page.” Instead of starting “Mistletoe” on Page 1, readers are advised to begin the book in the middle. Readers can start on the left foot—Page 16, or on the right foot—Page 17. To learn more, you’ll have to buy the book, which is published by Christian Faith Publishing. The creative Sopher has a U.S. patent to his name for an invention
My 25-year-old granddaughter Allie said to me, ‘Papa, can you write down the words so we can have it for our children?’”
— Robert Sopher, author
CHRIS FOX PHOTOS Villa Park Review
Robert Sopher of Villa Park used the pen name V.K. Roberts to write “Mistletoe,” a book for young children. The book was released in December and is available through the websites of multiple booksellers, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million. Sopher describes the interactive book as his version of “This Little Piggy.” He is donating a portion of the sales from “Mistletoe” to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
he described as an item resembling a butter dish with a knife-like device on the bottom of the lid. During his professional career, he met and trained students from 66 countries and 44 states over a 12-year period. He has connected with some of those former students to inform them about his book. Those contacts
have helped his book generate international sales from India, Russia, Vietnam, New Zealand, Venezuela and the United Kingdom. Sopher, who has plans to write a series of children’s stories in the near future, is donating a portion of the sales from “Mistletoe” to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
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