Budding Author

A parent brag post for archival purposes. Consider yourself warned.

A few months ago Lenna came home with a post-it stuck to her homework folder informing me that her story had been selected to represent the first grade in a writing contest called Young Georgia Authors. I patted Lenna on the head, told her I was proud of her for doing her best, and then quickly forgot about the whole thing. She didn't of course.

About a month ago the principal called me to tell me that Lenna's story had won the contest at the county level and was being submitted to the regional and state contests to represent the district's first grade. She was calling to ask permission to publish it on the school website (which you can look up if you are local or find a link on Lenna's private blog if you are family) and announce it on their little news show. I had to act surprised when Lenna came home from school- bounding off the bus at a full run, jacket flying, book bag dragging, waving her paper and shouting, "Mommy! Mommy! I won! I won! My story won for the whole county!" I haven't seen her that excited since Christmas.



Andrew and I were invited to stay for a few minutes at the school to watch Lenna read her story to the school on the morning news show. Andrew thought it was neat to see Lenna on the tv.



A few weeks ago we received the official letter from the school board inviting Lenna to their meeting to receive a certificate. I took the other two kids to a sitter (Mike was taking finals) and Lenna and I went to the meeting. She was a little nervous but also proud. After we celebrated with some ice cream before we collected her siblings.

As the last part of her prize she was able to visit and eat lunch with a "real live book arthur!" who was doing an assembly presentation for the school. She came home with the websites of several children's magazines that publish student writing, determined to "see myself in print!"

The only thing holding her back now is her handwriting- "Mom, I just wish I could write as fast as I think. I have so many ideas, but by the time I get it all written down I forget what I wanted to say!" The lament of authors everywhere, I suppose.