Mascot Kids is delighted to announce the release of “Sir Roland’s BIG Adventure,” a moving new children’s book celebrating the bravery and resilience of young cancer fighters, written by Mascots for a Cure founder Derek Zinser.

On New Year’s Day 2009, author and Scottsdale resident Derek Zinser sadly lost his father to B-cell lymphoma, an aggressive form of cancer. This was an earth-shattering loss for Derek, but he chose to turn his heartache into a positive good: founding a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping fight childhood cancer. After five years of organizing nearly 100 hospital visits and spreading hope, joy, and love to the most courageous children in the world, Derek decided to write a children’s book.

His goal was to write a unique and adventurous tale that would honor God and capture his personal experiences with children who are battling childhood cancer. “Sir Roland’s BIG Adventure” features 13 real children who have had or are currently battling cancer. Each child’s character is unique to them, as they personally created their individual cancer-fighting name, spirit animal, and superhero power. Alongside Sir Roland BraveHeart, these children embark on an epic journey to defeat Recnac (cancer spelled backwards) the Terrible Dragon and are officially knighted as brave knights at the end of the story by King Donevan, a royal reward for their courage. “Sir Roland’s BIG Adventure” is written in memory of Derek’s late father, Don Zinser, as well as Blake, Aliyah, Declan, and Brayden – the real life youngsters depicted in the book who have lost their battles with cancer.

“Sir Roland’s BIG Adventure” can be purchased from retail outlets such as Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Amplify Publishing Group through the Mascot Books imprint. It is distributed by Ingram, the American Wholesale Book Company, Baker and Taylor, Follett Library Resources, and Amplify Publishing Group.