June 2012 – Seven-year old author LaNiyah Bailey, famous for writing two highly-acclaimed children’s books has a new feather in her cap, with the South Korean Avalon English Institute announcing the inclusion of her story in their 3rd-6th grade theme based curriculum. The Seoul based institution has implemented the story under its "Jump and Catch" Reading 2 category. The story is teaching young children how to accept others no matter the difference and to stand up for those that may be getting bullied.

LaNiyah has recently, launched her #NoBully Plush Collection, which is a plush toy line aiming to help children develop their inner "Bully Buster." She acknowledges that many children undergo bullying because of several reasons and being overweight is one of the most common reasons among them. She proudly states that by including her story in the school curriculum it will help many children to boost their self-confidence and protest against bullying. According to this 7-year old author, LaNiyah Bailey, Avalon English Institute is appreciated for this and more institutions should focus attention on teaching their students about anti-bullying in schools at an early age.

LaNiyah understands how bad it feels when someone starts bullying you. She is often bullied because of the size of her stomach. It is a very painful situation for her. With Mom (LaToya “Toyiah Marquis” White), Dad (Songo Bailey) and her entire family rallying behind her 100% it helped LaNiyah develop the courage needed to help her face the situation head on. Her mission is to help others who often go through similar situations. Her mom, who is also a writer, helps her daughter develop stories and concepts that can be very effective and inspiring to young kids.

LaNiyah with the help of her Argentina based illustrator Laura Perez Ricaud, have created two characters Jessica & Diva Pup who are superheroes. They stand up to bullies all over the world and encourage children to do the same. She released her first book entitled “Not Fat Because I Wanna Be” when she was just six-years old. Despite eating balanced and nutritious meals, and being very active she still gained weight; and this made her a victim of bullying. In her debut book, she characterized a fictional girl named Jessica who was bullied by other kids due to her weight. The story details how Jessica learned to accept herself the way she was and how she overcame bullying by peers and classmates. Shortly thereafter, LaNiyah released her 2^nd book which is an educational coloring activity book entitled “Stand Up! Bully Busters Coming To Town.”

Her stories which garner a very creative approach have been appreciated and awarded by a huge number of educators, parents and celebrities all over the world who think that her books are really inspirable and bring an intrinsic positive change in children to help them cope with bullying situations. Several parents believe that if such stories could be a part of their school’s curriculum, children would develop life-skills that will go a long way in chiseling their personal as well as professional life. With the Avalon Institute implementing this initiative we’re sure it’ll bring about positive changes in their student’s lives. You can learn more about LaNiyah Bailey, the MindStream Academy “LaNiyah’s Smile” Scholarship that she’s offering, her collection of amazing and inspiring stories and media clips by visiting her website www.NotFatBecauseIWannaBe.com.

Contact Info:
Sharisse Horel (Media Relations)
Bright Girl Publishing
1127 S. Mannheim Road - Ste. 213
Westchester, IL. 60154
(PH) 708.441.9256
Email: info@NotFatBecauseIWannaBe.com
http://www.notfatbecauseiwannabe.com

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