A Chance to Be Normal

WASHINGTON, N. C. - Inspired by author Koywan Keyes' own childhood, Keyes' new juvenile fiction, "A Chance to Be Normal" deals with an issue he believes most people have experienced - bullying. The story illustrates how one boy calls on his friends to help him change the negative attention he gets at school.

The main character is a young boy who shares his name with the author. Koywan struggles in school because he is being bullied. He hopes to change his perception at school and especially on the bus by dealing with his number one bully Suzie Johnson. However, he can't do this alone and calls on his friend John and cousin Regina to help him with a plan to change Suzie's attitude towards him.

"Bullying is a big issue in our country so much to the point where kids are committing suicide," Koywan Keyes laments, adding "I want to ease some of the tension that people go through in life from being treated differently by adding humor and showings ways to overcome obstacles in life. ... You don't have to be a follower to be normal. You can be normal just by being you, unique and special."