Violet van Buren loved violet. Her bed had a plum spread over crisp lilac sheets. She always wore a grape-colored ribbon in her long black hair every day.

An amethyst pendant hung around her neck from a delicate gold chain that sparkled in the amber sunlight.

Violet thought the world was dull with its boring blues, yawny yellows, and routine reds. She didn’t even like her grass-green eyes. She longed for the world to be one big, pretty purple playground.

So on her 11th birthday, when she blew out the candles on her cake, Violet made a special wish. She wished for a world of purple. For the flowers and the fire hydrants to be purple. For the streets and the sun to be purple. For the people and the places to be purple.

And because she wanted it with all her heart, Violet willed it into being...

LATER THAT DAY VIOLET HAS AN IMPORTANT TALK WITH HER TEACHER.

Growing a little tired of everything being alike, Violet cut her

lunch short and went back to her purple classroom where her purple teacher with purple hair in a purple outfit sat at her purple desk grading purple papers with a purple pen.

“I thought a purple world would be pretty!” Violet groused.

“But nothing is the same because it’s all the same!”

Mrs. White looked up and took off her glasses. “Well, I

thought something was different!” 

“It’s all my fault. I just love purple so much!” Violet declared.

“Well, Violet. Purple is a beautiful color. But so is bronze,

lemon, and coral. If everything is the same, nothing is special.”

“I guess purple was pretty because it stood out from the

other colors,” Violet remarked thoughtfully.

“If you were just like Rusty and Rusty was just like Olive,

you’d be bored.” 

“And boring,” Violet observed. 

“But you’re special with your purple ribbon. Just as Rusty is

unique with their freckles. And Olive is unique with her frizzy hair. Our

differences are what makes the world beautiful.” ...