Valley Kitt knows it’s never too early to start a writing career.
The Valley Springs Middle School eighth grader recently published a children’s book called “The Little Girl and the Snake” about a girl who follows a snake into the woods and ends up in a labyrinth where the snake teaches her important lessons about nature and friendship. The little girl grows up to become a scientist who studies and protects snakes.
“I think you shouldn’t always worry about what the rules say a good book should be,” Valley said. “Snakes are often the bad guy, but in this book the snake is a good, wise character who teaches good lessons.”
Valley originally wrote the story that would become the book when she was 8 years old. Recently, she and her mother rediscovered the story and decided to turn it into a book. They hired an editor and illustrator for it, and then Valley self-published the book on Amazon. She said she greatly enjoyed the experience, and she recommends other young authors give it a try.
“Reading and writing really open your mind,” Valley said. “Let your imagination take you wherever it wants. Just start writing. Even if it doesn’t make sense, you can go back and make it work.”
Ms. Ashleigh Rice, Valley’s eighth grade English language arts teacher, praised her for being a detail-oriented, hard working role model for her peers. She also pointed to the value of writing at every age level.
“It’s a reflection of where you’ve come from, your culture, your family, and your own ideas,” she said. “It opens up your world to different ideas, and that’s great.”