A Toronto school is celebrating a remarkable student whose battle with cerebral palsy has not only taught his classmates a valuable lesson about acceptance, but has also inspired a book about his young life.

Hercules Stergiou is like any other Grade 1 student at Bowmore Road Junior and Senior School -- full of energy, always smiling and playing around with his friends.

The one thing that sets Hercules apart is the fact he has cerebral palsy -- a congenital disorder that affects muscle control and movement.

For Kristina Stergiou, Hercules’ mom, sending her son off to school for the first time was an emotional and challenging experience.

“It was very scary. I think the biggest fear for us was kids picking on him and him not being accepted,” she told CTV Toronto.

Despite her fears, Hercules was embraced by students and staff at the school and thrived in his kindergarten class.

Hercules’ story was so inspirational that his principal, Thelma Sambrook, decided to write a story about the boy’s first year in school -- a story that has now been published into a book: "All About Me -- Hercules."

“I wanted it to be a positive story so that all families felt that school and kindergarten was a great place to be no matter what the child’s abilities were,” he said.

The school celebrated Hercules’ story and the launch of the book with a touching ceremony at their school on Tuesday.

His dad, Dimitrios Stergiou, says Hercules’ story can teach others a powerful lesson about acceptance.

“Disabilities don’t make children different -- it’s just what you see. Everybody is normal if you give them a chance,” he said.

As part of his treatment, Hercules visits Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children every six months to get injections in his legs to help his muscles grow.

Since the hospital has played such an integral part in Hercules’ treatment, the family has decided to donate a portion of the proceeds from his book to Sick Kids.

Hercules’ mother says despite the challenges ahead, she knows her son will continue to inspire those around him.

“He has the will and he wants to do it, so he teaches us.”

To order a copy of the book, please email curriculumdocs@tdsb.on.ca; $3 from the sale of each book will be donated to SickKids Foundation.

With a report from CTV Toronto’s Naomi Parness