Junior Ambassadors are usually real students who become cultural and state representatives by demonstrating a commitment to community involvement and academic enthusiasm. However, Willever feels her characters Nicky Fifth and T-Bone are a perfect fit for the program.
Nicky Fifth and T-Bone are the lead protagonists of an educational series of children’s books – there are seven so far – that focus around New Jersey. One of the short works, Passport to the Garden State, follows the two characters as they explore tourist and historic attractions around the state like Lucy the Elephant and Wild West City. Its publisher Franklin Mason Press offers free shipping and reduced prices for schools and teachers that want to use the books as teaching tools.
In a press release, Willever states that elevating the characters to official Junior Ambassador status is more than a symbolic gesture:
“It is a zero-cost initiative that supports literature as a vehicle to teach the history, culture, geography, attractions and significance of this most amazing state. Nicky Fifth and T-Bone promote reading, family time, hundreds of towns and offerings, as well as the economy overall. At a time when the state struggles to rebuild, I will use Nicky Fifth and T-Bone to encourage families to continue exploring New Jersey.”
The website for the book series promotes youth awareness of local and state government processes through “T-Bone’s Bill Tracker,” which lists pending New Jersey legislation and explains the purpose of each bill. The first bill listed is, of course, the proposal that would recognize Nicky Fifth and T-Bone as official Junior Ambassadors under title AR72.