Arcola Elementary students publish kids' book
By Elizabeth Coe
Three years ago, Sean Pickering put two sentences down in a notebook.
He wrote, "I'm Danny and I am a regular boy. I have nothing special."
Then he put the notebook away.
Last year, when Sean was in fourth grade, he found that notebook and decided to continue writing his story.
"I like writing," he said. "I like that you can make up anything."
With the help of his friends Scott Morrill, 10, who brainstormed ideas, and Dylan Peacock, 10, who illustrated, Sean has written a full-length children's book and had it published by iUniverse.
All three students are in the fifth grade at Arcola Elementary School in Aldie.
"The Adventures of Danny and Spike" is now on sale at www.barnesandnoble.com and www.dannyandspike.com for $10.45. Ten percent of proceeds will go toward Reach Out and Read, a nonprofit organization that promotes literacy.
"The Adventures of Danny and Spike" tells the tale of a young boy and his talking dog as they embark on a quest to defeat an evil wizard.
They encounter many characters along the way, including Sean, Scott and Dylan, who created versions of themselves in the book.
The 78-page story took six months to write, Sean said. His mother, Padma Pickering, helped by typing Sean's handwritten notes into the computer.
Sean said the book is geared toward elementary and middle school students.
"Kids who read it say it's good," he said. "Some of them have started writing their own books."
This month, an autographed copy of the book was dedicated to the library at Arcola Elementary School.
"[Sean] didn't really tell us he was writing it at first," said Padma Pickering. "He just carried around a notebook. I started reading it, and I thought it was pretty good."
The parents of the students involved said they are proud of their kids, and they hope other students will be inspired to write books of their own.
"Parents are saying to us 'My son wants to write books now,'" said Robin Nishiyama, Dylan's mother. "They never thought they could."
Sean, Scott and Dylan said they're already working on the second book in their Danny and Spike series, which will contain 14 books. This time, the adventure will take place in space.
They hope to make each book longer as the authors and readers move through middle school to high school and beyond.
When Sean was asked, "Do you want to be an author when you grow up?"
The 11-year-old responded, "I already am."
For more information about the authors and "The Adventures of Danny and Spike," visit www.dannyandspike.com.
Contact the reporter at ecoe@timespapers.com