Eight-year-old self-publishes her first children's book
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| Messenger photo by Tara Figurski |
| Shauna Cruz self-published her first children's book at 8 years old. She wants to be a writer when she grows up. |
Eight-year-old Westside resident Shauna Cruz has wanted to be a writer as long as she can remember and is excited to see her first book in print.
With the help of her mother, Kelly Cruz, she has self-published her first children’s book, “Baron Buntonhood’s Adventures: Grandma Comes to Visit.”
The book is part of a series Cruz has written about a little boy named Baron Buntonhood.
The first story tells of Baron’s visit with his Grandma. She has come to visit for four days and the two kick off her visit by baking a cake together.
“It’s about a little boy and he had a special adventure,” Cruz said.
A third grader at Alton Hall Elementary School, Cruz said her classmates were excited for her.
Kelly said Cruz wrote the book when she was 6 years old. She came up with the story and transcribed it for her older sister. The next challenge was to find an illustrator for the book, Kelly said. After several failed attempts, she decided to draw for the book herself.
“We looked for an illustrator,” Kelly said. “We couldn’t find one. I used to draw when I was younger.”
Kelly owns a barbershop on the Westside.
She contacted a family friend who found a company that agreed to publish the book.
When asked why the main character was a young boy, Cruz said she did not want her character to be a teenager.
“Shauna has three sisters which is why the book might be about a little boy,” she said.
Kelly is excited to see her daughter’s book published. She believes it is up to parents to push and encourage their children’s talents. Her next step is to publish the book in hardback.
“I don’t know where this little girl came from,” Kelly said. “She is so different. All she does is sit around, draw and write.”
The next book in her series is “Baron Goes to the Pet Store,” about Baron’s adventures in picking a new pet for himself. He considers a wide variety of animals including dogs and cats.
“He gets a fish because it’s quiet,” Kelly said.
A website for Cruz’s book is under construction. Anyone interested in purchasing a book can contact Kelly Cruz at 288-3860.