Success Stories

Uncle Dave goes many places and everywhere he goes he inspires kids to do wonderful things. These are just a few of those Success stores. Many more will come.

Uncle Dave went to Waynesburg University to teach how to write and illustrate children’s books. There he met a very smart girl named Morgan Barnes. She is the one holding the book in this picture. Morgan Barnes loves to write and Illustrate books. She was in this class that was teaching Waynesburg University students how to teach. They where teaching the kids about writing.

About a month after this class Morgan Barnes saved a boys life from drowning at a summer camp. Uncle Dave saw the article in the paper and remembered talking to her parents about Morgan’s writing. He quickly emailed them and then started helping her write. Uncle Dave helped her write the story and illustrate the book.

The book was a hit. It sold over 500 copies the first year. Just by word of mouth and friends of friends.

Not only is Uncle Dave a inspiration to write and illustrate but he is an inspiration for his own struggles. One of the best success stories is his own. He was born legally blind. He could see but not very well just blobs. He struggled through school because of dyslexia, A.D.D. and Asperger’s. They put him into special ed. classes all through high school. He was illiterate and struggled through school. Now he is an award winning children’s book author and illustrator.

One time Uncle Dave was reading at Moundsville, West Virginia. He read a few books and was packing up his stuff when a little boy waited until everyone had left approached him and said, “I want to be just like you when I grow up. I love to tell stories and I love to draw.” Then Uncle Dave looked at him and said, “That’s great. When you get home why don’t you write a story down and draw pictures to it and have your mom send it to me.” The boy frowned and looked at him and said, “I can’t I’m stupid and retarded, I’m in special ed. classes.” Then Dave got on his knees and got eye to eye with the kid and said, “Do you think I’m retarded?” The boy shouted. “NO! your awesome and smart! look at all your books!” Then Dave said, “When I was your age I was in special ed. classes. People called me stupid and retarded. If I can do it you can do it,” about a month after this Dave got a email from his mother saying, “I don’t know what you said to my son, but his grades have gone up his attitude has changed and he keeps saying, ‘If Uncle Dave can do it I can do it!’.”

These are just some of Uncle Dave’s Success stories. More to come soon.