Yep that’s right, Sarah Renee, a South Carolina 9th grader is just that. She has already published two books, Dash and The Tiger Princess with a third coming out soon. Sarah Renee had been writing since the age of 9 and usually write five to seven hours a day. Don’t you wish you could get your kids to do that?
Sarah Renee published her books through Amazon.com’s CreateSpace self-publishing platform, which allowed Sarah Renee and her mom complete creative control over both the content and the artwork. Sarah Renee is also the artist who designed the covers for both books! Sarah Renee has a planned 15-book series entitled The Saderia Series.
CreateSpace is a very easy to use platform that not only adult authors but children author’s love. The cost is small so getting your book out there becomes much easier. Here are some tips for inspiring your young author, including several that Sarah Renee and her mom still practice together today:
Make it a Page-Turner! Read with your child each night before bed. It encourages a lifelong love of literature, while giving you precious together time and lasting memories. Always have a great book on hand and, when that cliffhanger comes, you can bet your child will be begging for more! Expose them to a variety of authors, genres and subjects to help them discover what they like best. Some of Sarah Renee’s own favorites are “The Warriors” series by Erin Hunter, “Dragon Rider” by Cornelia Funke and, of course, the “Harry Potter” series by J.K. Rowling.
Dear Diary, Give your son or daughter a diary. Encourage them to express themselves and let their creativity flow – it can be for their eyes only. And, who knows, there may just be the makings of a future novel within those pages!
Hit the Road! Before embarking on your next family vacation, buy your child a travel journal or notebook. Kids and teens can write down their observations of the new people, places and experiences they encounter all along the way. They can even include photos and write captions!
Extra! Extra! Encourage your son or daughter to put on their “reporter‘s hat” and record the events unfolding around them! The budding journalist in the family can report on humorous, odd or interesting happenings at home, at school and in the neighborhood – and they can even develop their “reports” into a fun newsletter to entertain the neighbors!
Love Letters Leave daily notes for your son or daughter on the fridge, on their desk or in their lunchbox. Include a pen and encourage a reply! This could also take the form of an ongoing tale that the two of you “author” together!
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