Ordinary People, Extraordinary Planet

Photo provided by Dr. Shellie Hipsky

Ordinary People, Extraordinary Planet is Dr. Shellie Hipsky's latest book, which focuses on a dozen of interviews with people who have overcome challenges in their life and are able to inspire others through those challenges.
Hipsky began writing this book while promoting her fourth book, Mentoring Magic, with her cowriter, Dr. Claudia Bavaro. She was at the Ray Leonard's radio show, which is broadcasted in 75 countries and is also named "Ordinary People, Extraordinary Planet." Leonard introduced her to Clarel Radicella, the woman who inspired Hipsky to write this book.
"I was supposed to talk with Clarel about marketing my book," said Hipsky. "As we began to talk, her life story fascinated me, and I started writing her story."

Photo provided by Dr. Shellie Hipsky

Racidella was a mother of three who was diagnosed with AVM and a brain aneurysm, and founded mindyourbiz.org. She had helped a lot of people and in her own way made a great impact on her surrounding before passing away from cancer in July of 2011. She is survived by her three children, and Hipsky had a chance to write her story, which keeps her legacy alive.
"I think people will be uplifted," said Hipsky about what the readers would think of this book. 25 percent of the revenue of this book goes to the charities featured in the book and the Homeless Children's Education Fund, an initiative dear to Hipsky's heart, which she has raised over $35, 000 to support.
In her own way, Hipsky is a living, breathing image of her own book. Because of the academic challenges she faced in high school, she realized that there needed to be a different way of teaching, and decided to dedicate her life to teaching others about this new way.
Her three previous books, Arts Alive! Textbook, The Drama Discovery Curriculum and Differentiated Literacy and Language Arts Strategies for the Elementary Classroom focus on the goal of educating and how to teach using creativity and meeting the needs of the students.
"Every child has a gift to give to the world, and teaching can help with that," explained Hipsky. Her mission to globally entertain, educate and inspire sums up this goal.
Aside from writing books and articles (approximately 100), Hipsky also teaches at Robert Morris University. She does multiple public speaking, such as at  Pepperdine University and the University of Oxford in England. With her foundation as an Associate Professor of Education, Dr. Shellie Hipsky is a co-owner of a wonderful (soon to be launched) e-story book company for young children, Learning Mountain.
Most Importantly, Hipsky will soon be hosting a talk show, "Inspiring Lives with Dr. Shellie Hipsky." One of her first guests will be Alicia Kozakiewicz, a woman who was abducted at 13 years old after chatting with a stranger on Yahoo chat room. Kozakiewicz is now working at Carnegie Mellon University and teaching teenagers around the country about internet safety. 
To learn more about Hipsky's inspirational life and work, please visit her website at http://www.shelliehipsky.com/ and her Amazon author page at http://www.amazon.com/Shellie-Hipsky/e/B002P8TLY6/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1