Former Teacher Creates a New Super Hero to Drive Home Family Values from Ground Zero
Benton Harbor, MI — A former teacher at Benton Harbor High School has started a publishing company to expand her reach beyond the 4 walls of her classroom. “I was telling my students to live their dreams while my dreams sat on the shelf. I felt like a hypocrite,” recounts Elnora Gavin (also known as Auntie El), Founder/Chief Publishing Officer of MEracle Family Publishers. “As much as I love my students, I knew that I needed to do more and sooner.”
An abnormal educator
As a teacher, Gavin worked with her students to coordinate a Peace Day Service Learning Project that has since turned into a citywide movement. The initiative launched on the 10 year anniversary of a citizen’s revolt against police that instantly caught national attention. “I will always be an educator. As a publisher, I will use my creativity to educate without boundaries.” In a recent public post, Marilyn Ross-Golden, Chairperson of the high school’s Black History Committee interjected, “Elnora Gavin touches lives daily in Benton Harbor and throughout this country. The best is yet to come.”
A hero to the unborn
Timey and Friends: Amya Tells the Truth by Auntie El is the first installment of MEracle’s children’s book series geared towards critical reading ages 0-9. Gavin intentionally includes age 0 to increase early literacy by engaging families to read the stories to babies developing in their mothers’ wombs. She distinguishes the stories as “Womb Smart Readers.” Stacey Thompson, a parent out of Houston, Texas wrote, “Wow this is a great book for all ages and would be a wonderful tool to use when teaching character. Auntie El has written a masterpiece!”Timey, a super sports car transforms into a tow truck that uses time travel, hyper speed, telepathy and high tech gadgets to rescue troubled youth. When questioned about the identity of the friends in the title, Gavin explained that she included the friends because more super machines will be added to the series. Timey’s allies will unveil unique powers that will bring forth social justice and uncover historical truths.In 1999, Gavin left a comfortable consulting position in the Washington, D.C. area to teach in her hometown. She recounted, “My parents sacrificed so that I could attend Howard University. To me, being a Howard grad, means I have an obligation to address social issues. Charity starts at home, and then you extend your branches globally.” Timey stories are also being translated into Spanish and Swahili.
