State representative's new book answers question, 'What is a Hoosier?'

"What is a Hoosier?" is an age-old question that always seems to go unanswered. But Indiana state Rep. Luke Messer has tried to address it in his new children's book, "Hoosier Heart." \nMany theories try to explain what a Hoosier is.\n"A Hoosier is not just if you're born and raised here, but you live here," junior Brittany Metzner said. "It is what you call home. It is where your heart is." \nAnother student said she thought the term "Hoosier" might have come from a phrase that sounds similar to the word itself. "There's the popular 'Who's your mama?' which could have turned into a description of what state you're from," senior Kathleen Surfus said.\n"Hoosier Heart" is Messer's effort to explain what a Hoosier is. The book is targeted toward young children and others who are "young at heart," according to the publishing company's Web site.\nThe 32-page picture book attempts to answer that question, as three young Indiana natives, Emma, Ava and Ben, journey through the state, learning about Indiana's unique people, places and history. \nMesser, the state representative for District 57, had two goals in mind when he and his wife, Jennifer Messer, who illustrated the book, put together "Hoosier Heart." He wanted his two girls to have something to be proud of and the children of Indiana to have a better understanding of the state, Messer said.\n"I go into a lot of classrooms, and there is not a lot out there about Indiana," said Messer. "This book is designed to be fun for adults while at the same time reaching out to kids."\nThe Messers live in Shelbyville, Ind., along with their two young daughters, Emma and Ava. Born in Evansville and raised in Greensburg, Luke Messer has been a Hoosier his whole life. Jennifer Messer became a Hoosier in 2001 when she moved to Indianapolis.\nJennifer Messer, an attorney at Barnes & Thornberg, started Eva Publishing, the company that published "Hoosier Heart."\nShe explained that everyone involved in the making of the book was based in Indiana, saying "a piece of Hoosier heart was put into every aspect of the publishing of this book."\n"We wanted to be able to take control of the content," Luke Messer said. \n"Hoosier Heart" is on pace to sell 7,500 copies by the end of the Christmas season, Luke Messer said.\n"The success of the book has been remarkable," he said. "Over 1,200 copies of the book have been sold in 14 days with nothing but positive response." \n"Hoosier Heart" hit stores Oct. 15 and can be found in Howard's Bookstore, 111 W. Kirkwood Ave., in Bloomington.