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| Blaire Edwards with Amy Reid |
In the July 26 issue of the
Kernersville News, reporter Jennifer Owensby writes about Blaire Edwards, a student at Caleb's Creek Elementary School, who wrote and published a book called
Flossie Flamingo's Adventures.
Here, with permission from the
Kernersville News, is Owensby's story:
Caleb’s Creek Elementary School student Blaire Edwards has
conquered a great feat for a 10-year-old - writing a book called
Flossie
Flamingo’s Adventures
.
Edwards, who will be in the fifth grade
in the fall, first started her book writing adventures by telling
stories, as children often do, to her grandmother, Lynette Hampton, on
her front porch.
Edwards said she and her grandmother spend a lot of time together and even more during the summer months.
Hampton, a writer herself, said she asked Edwards if she wanted to start writing her stories down.
“At
the time, Blaire hadn’t learned to type on the computer so I would ask
her what she wanted me to write,” Hampton explained.
She
explained that she would type what Edwards, who was seven-years-old at
the time, wanted and then read each sentence back to her until Edwards
was happy with her story.
Having already started writing her
book, Edwards stated that her writing took off when she was in the third
grade when she was making notes and coming up with ideas for her
stories.
She said her teacher, Amy Reid, contributed to her
excitement for writing; therefore, she dedicated part of the book to
her, along with family members.
There are six stories in Edwards’ book, each with a little moral, Hampton explained.
“At
the beginning of each chapter, it tells what the lesson will be,” said
Edwards. “All of the characters in the book are birds except for one
named Robbie Red Worm, which is a lesson about prejudice.”
Edwards
explained that she and her grandmother enjoyed matching up the first
letter of each birds’ name with their species, for instance Flossie
Flamingo’s best friend is Penny Pelican.
She described another bird, Bobby Blue Jay, who is a bad guy because Blue Jays tend to be bullies, she said.
“He
turns out to be a good guy, though, when he finds out that it’s not so
much fun when Homer Hawk starts bullying him,” Edwards explained.
Edwards finished the book in 2011 and released it around February this year.
She explained that she thinks she chose a Flamingo for her main character because they are pink.
“When
I was younger I loved the color pink. If it was pink I adored it, and
if it was blue I hated it. Now I like all the colors and I enjoy
flamingos because they are unique,” she said.
The 97-page book has six chapters, including “Flossie Flamingo Goes to School.”
“This chapter is about being bullied and how it’s not fun to be bullied,” Edwards said.
The second chapter, “Flossie Flamingo’s Dance Lessons,” is about realizing that not everyone is nice.
“Flossie learns to try new things and that you shouldn’t try to be better than anyone else,” she said.
The third chapter, “Flossie Flamingo Goes Shopping,” is about learning to obey one’s parents.
Chapter four, “Flossie Flamingo Learns to Surf,” is about following instructions.
“She learns that you need to learn to follow the instructions and listen to rules or something bad can happen,” Edwards said.
Chapter five, “Flossie Flamingo’s Birthday Party,” is about sharing.
“Flossie’s cousin learns that it’s not good to take other people’s stuff,” Edwards explained.
Chapter six, “Flossie Flamingo Takes a Walk,” is about having friends that are different.
“She learns that it’s okay to have friends that are not just like you. That’s when she meets Robbie Red Worm,” she said.
Edwards is now working on a new book, entitled
Little Purple Elephant.
She explained that it is similar to
Flossie Flamingo except that they go to different places such as New York City.
“I have also been writing some songs and poems,” she said.
Edwards
stated that although she doesn’t play any instruments, she loves to
sing and has a solo in an upcoming play,
Godspell, at Sedge Garden
United Methodist Church.
Edwards will have a book launch at the Kernersville Library in room 4 on Saturday, July 28 from 4-6 p.m.
