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When former Lower School Librarian Nancy Menaldi-Scanlan was at Wheeler three decades ago, she worked with and around a lot of books…and now she’s proud to have one of her own!

Ms. Menaldi-Scanlan just published her first children’s picture book, “The Root That Ate Roger Williams.”

“It’s a humorous retelling of the story of Rhode Island’s founder, geared to children ages five to 10,” she says.

“I was inspired to write the book when I heard an old folk song, ‘The Settlement of Rhode Island,’ sung in concert by a former student of mine who’s now a professional folk musician. The song was fun and a little irreverent, which I thought made it perfect fodder for a book that could get kids interested in local history.

“When I investigated what kids’ books on Roger Williams were already in the state’s library system, I was shocked to discover that there were only two, and they were both rather dull and pedantic – but Roger Williams was a vibrant man! So I decided that I would try to write a version of his story which captured the feel of the song while telling the story of this person who did so much to shape not only the history of Rhode Island but also that of the U.S. as a whole. I also wanted kids to know of all the cool local historic places that are part of his story – places they could visit practically right in their own backyards.”

In addition to being a Wheeler librarian from 1985-1994, Ms. Menaldi-Scanlan was a theatre teacher here. “I had the chance to coordinate my background in drama with Lower School teachers who wanted to make history come to life, whether it was the Middle Ages studied in grade 3, Immigration in grade 4, or Ancient Egypt in grade 5. Seeing kids get excited about portraying characters and lifestyles from long-ago times was one of the most rewarding parts of my job in the Lower School Library, and I will be ever grateful to Wheeler for the opportunity.”

Now, thanks to her first book, she will continue to connect kids – at Wheeler and well beyond – with one of those long-ago lives that is rooted in Rhode Island’s history.

Thank you to everyone who came out to the State House last week to help the Hamilton School at Wheeler Light Rhode Island Red for Dyslexia Awareness!

In addition to remarks at the event by Head of Hamilton Bill McCarthy, the audience also heard from our students, who shared their pride for their learning differences through handmade signs and a heartfelt speech by Hamilton alumna, and current Wheeler junior, Jackie S. ’28.

“It was a full-circle moment. I remember first coming to Hamilton, and how I would never have imagined that I would be standing in front of so many people talking about my learning difference,” Jackie told us afterwards. “Hamilton helped me understand myself as a student, so being able to share my experience with other people meant a lot to me.

“At first, I was nervous about speaking, but I really do want to shed light on learning differences to let other kids know they’re not alone,” she continued. “After my speech, a couple of families from Hamilton came up to me. I hope that sharing my story helped them feel seen and showed them that having a learning difference doesn’t mean you can’t do things that once felt impossible.” ❤️💛💜

Jackie will share more of her story this Thursday, when she’s the special guest on the next episode of “The This Week at Wheeler Podcast.”