It's 2013, and some of Tamaqua's brightest students are gathered for Millini Skuba's Honors British Literature class.

Classmates Rachel Keich and Jillian Franko took on a special project."Those two not only understood British literature, they excelled at it," Skuba said. "I asked them to be guinea pigs for a special project."I explained my plan to them: Could they read a book, be inspired and write a book for younger students?" Skuba said."Could they take the important themes from that book, and include those themes in the children's book which they write?"They could.Keich and Franko have written and published a children's book called "Meeting the Mark," which delves simply into the complicated themes of bullying, intolerance, false friendships and finally, acceptance.And along the way, through 14 rewrites, painstaking editing, hours of work, despair, hope, laughs and challenges, the two may have learned the most important lesson of all never give up."It was nice to be in it together," Rachel Keich said.She and Jillian Franko have been friends since sixth grade."We had a goal and we knew we'd have to work a long time."Most of us have a basic knowledge of the story of the Elephant Man, John Merrick, who lived in London during the 19th century.Merrick had facial tumors and other deformities that crippled him. He was rejected by family and society, and exhibited, until befriended by a doctor who made sure he had the best of care for the rest of his life. Some now call Merrick's life a study in human dignity.Keich and Franko took a classic piece of literature, and put it into words that elementary and middle school students could understand.Franko, who has multiple physical disabilities herself, also did the illustrations for the book, called "Meeting the Mark."In their book, a boy named Cole is born with a large, reddish-brown birthmark on his face."When people met him, that was the only thing they saw," Franko said. "I think that happens when someone is a little different; I think it's very common in today's society."Early, through their brainstorming sessions, they knew they wanted to let kids know that looking different didn't matter."It's what's inside a person that's most important," Keich said. "It's being a true friend, and sticking to things."The students worked on the project since December 2013, in school and out of school, through meetings and emails, outlining chapters, talking about what would happen in Cole's life and how he would get through it."Middle school can be a very awkward stage," Keich said. "Everyone kind of breaks off into groups, and it can be a hard time for somebody who feels he or she doesn't fit in."One of the most compelling illustrations in the book shows a hand, with small snips of grass dropping from the fingers. What does it mean?"One time I saw someone sitting outside at school, just sitting and picking pieces from grass and letting them drop," Franko said. "It looked like he had just given up; that he wasn't fitting in and was unhappy."I always remembered seeing that," she added. "I wanted our book to help someone who felt that way."High school Principal Stephen Toth said he feels that "Meeting the Mark" should be a must-read for school students throughout the state, even the country."I've been principal here for five years, and I've seen both these girls come up through each grade level," he said. "This senior class as a whole is very competitive and smart, and it's been inspiring to see them work together and find their niche with this project.""Through the process they sometimes had to accept criticism, and not shy away from it and complete the project," Toth said. "What they did was not easy at all, and it is something that will help other kids."Skuba said she is excited about the book and her students' accomplishment."In the book, they write about very important themes, such as acceptance, and they also showed their perseverance," Skuba said. "I feel blessed to have been their teacher."