Fairfield dad pens children's book to help ease back-to-school jitters

A Fairfield father has penned a children's book to help students overcome the fears of attending a new school or starting a new grade level.
David Valovcin wrote "A Desk to Lean On" while working from home during the pandemic. He says his 4-year-old daughter, Grace, was the inspiration behind the book.
Valovcin says Grace was a little nervous to start daycare and then pre-school, noting many children experience similar feelings.
"I wanted to be able to put the message out there that, yes, it's okay to be nervous, but the support structure is there," he says.
The book's main character is named after Valovcin's daughter. Readers learn early on that Grace is upset about starting a new school. But as Grace sits at her desk at the end of the book, she realizes she'll get through the unknown with the support of her loved ones.
"The desk is obviously a physical object, but it's also a theme, an image where it's more than just a desk, she also has people to lean on," Valovcin says.
Valovcin says he's working with local libraries and schools to have the book on hand in hopes of reaching as many students as possible.