'Inspiring Maggie' to Visit to Griffith Elementary School

Author Grant Overstake reads from 'Maggie Vaults Over the Moon' at a book signing at Watermark Books on April 7, 2013. Storybook heroine Maggie Steele is ready and eager to inspire and encourage the awesome 5th grade students at Griffith Elementary School in Wichita, Kan.'Maggie' vaulted onto the library shelves in the Wichita Public Schools last spring.Author Grant Overstake will visit the school on Tuesday, Oct. 1st, to discuss Maggie's courageous journey in his novel, Maggie Vaults Over the Moon."Maggie is super excited to share her story with all three 5th grade classes at Griffith!" Overstake said. "Griffith is a wonderful school with great students."Maggie Vaults Over the Moon has been endorsed by Olympians, school counselors, and teachers across the nation for its inspirational message for young people, including Griffith's Jenni Birdsall — who's reading the story to her 5th graders in advance of the author's arrival.'Maggie' is endorsed by the Kansas High School Activities Association (KSHSAA)."This is an over the moon opportunity for the fifth students at Griffith!" Birdsall said. "We are currently working in reading a theme of 'Overcoming Challenges', and students are learning about overcoming their fears, tough situations, and becoming a better person by overcoming the obstacles.""Fifth grade is a challenging year for students," she added, "And Maggie is encouraging us with her experiences.""A Triumph Over Gravity!"Maggie Vaults Over the Moon tells the story of a gutsy, grief-stricken farm girl from tiny Grain Valley, Kansas, who pours her broken heart into the daring and dangerous sport of pole-vaulting. Maggie struggles over many obstacles as she attempts to soar waaay higher than her critics think a girl should ever go. The story is an inspiring read for 4th grade to adults.GriffithElementaryThemeOverstake is eager to meet the 5th graders at Griffith, where this year's theme is Mission Possible. "Griffith sounds like the kind of place where Maggie can make a positive impact," Overstake added.The author's presentation at the school was coordinated by Wichita's premier bookseller, Watermark Books, where the novel has been listed on the weekly best-seller list several times this year.

About the Author

Former Miami Herald Sports Writer and Kansas newspaper editor Grant Overstake is a lifelong participant in the sport of track and field who competed in the decathlon for the Kansas Jayhawks. Maggie Vaults Over the Moon is the author’s premiere work of sports fiction. Grant and his school-teacher wife, Claire, live in Wichita, Kansas.

Grant Overstake's book reading and signing attracted more than 70 people to the store last spring.

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