MARCH 2019 • LONGISLANDPRESS.COM 25
STEPHANIE SORKIN
BOOKS OF BENEVOLENCE
BY NICK FODERA
In the hyper competitive world of
children’s book publishing, it’s not
only important to stand out, but also
to give back, according to Roslyn
native Stephanie Sorkin.
The children’s book author donated
100 percent of the proceeds from the
sales of her first book, 2013’s Nutley,
the Nut-Free Squirrel, to FARE, a
national nonprofit organization dedicated
to food allergy resources and
education. It was a personal project
for Sorkin, as two of her youngest
children have severe food allergies.
What began as a simple bedtime story
blossomed into something more.
“Once I realized it had a beginning,
middle and end, I was encouraged to
publish it,” Sorkin recalls. “I really
didn’t want to profit from it, especially
because I was impacted from
children with allergies, so that’s
when I decided to make the move to
donate.”
She continued the benevolence
with her next two books. Chocolate
Shoes with Licorice Laces donated
part of its profits to Soles4Souls, an
organization dedicated to providing
footwear to those in need worldwide.
For her most recent book, Frenemy
Jane, the Sometimes Friend, Sorkin
partnered with the national anti-bullying
prevention center PACER.
Sorkin spent 25 years prior to her
books’ publication as a freelance
writer for various publications. She
started writing children’s books in
2011 without financial backing AND
shopped the “Nutley” manuscript to
publishing houses, but decided to try
the self-publishing route.
“Luckily, I was a mom of three
children, so I knew what a book was
supposed to look like, and I knew
also what a book was supposed to
cost,” she says. “To write a story,
sometimes it’s just about being creative
and sometimes it’s just about
entertaining people.”
Sorkin believes in both entertaining
her audience and educat- i n g
them. Though she
is aware that
her audience
is primarily
s cho ol -a ge
and younger
children, she
makes it a
point to never
patronize
them.
“I would never want to sound preachy
in my books, and I hope I never come
across that way,” she notes.
As Sorkin continues to move forward
in her career as an author and an advocate,
she is hopeful that her work
will continue to find an audience,
not only because of her storytelling
acumen, but for her ability to make
a positive difference for children
worldwide.
“I hope that there is no ceiling,” she
added. “I just hope that it keeps
growing and growing.”
To purchase one of Stephanie Sorkin’s
books, visit stephaniesorkin.com
PRESS BUSINESS
Children's book author
Stephanie Sorkin donates
proceeds of her
book sales to charity.
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