A new book has been published which features stories from two local children.
Like many parents in the spring, mum Sadie Bryant from Andover was struggling to find fun and interesting things for her children to do during lockdown.
Sadie told Love Andover, “I found an author called RA Powell on a Facebook page who was offering a creative writing course and decided to get my two, Finley and Belle, involved.
“As part of the course, they both wrote a story, ‘Rainbow Puppy’ was written by Belle and ‘Mo and his Magnificent Mountain’ was Finley’s story.
“They then entered the ‘Rainbow Writing Competition’, which Mr Powell ran over the summer. Belle gained the highly commended award in her age category”.
12-year old Finley who is in Year 7 at John Hanson and 10-year old Belle Bryant who is in Year 6 at Balksbury Junior School took part in the course and then won a competition to get their stories into print.
“When the lessons and competition were over”, adds Sadie, “RA Powell contacted the parents asking if we would be interested in putting all the stories together to form a book. I thought it was a fantastic idea.
“It has been very exciting seeing the book come together these past couple of months. Me and my husband could not be prouder of our two little published authors.
“A massive thank you to RA Powell for bringing the idea to life”.
Finley and Belle’s stories are featured in the new book which is published this week called Rainbows During Lockdown. It’s a collection of 58 rainbow-inspired tales written during lockdown by children as young as four from across the world.
Proceeds from the book will help raise money for charities that help vulnerable people during Covid-19.
Sadie told us, “We are aiming to raise as much as we can for these two fantastic charities that have worked so hard during Covid-19 to keep vulnerable people safe.”
The book is released by Blossom Spring Publishing and is available online at Amazon and at Waterstones. 100% of the author’s royalties are being donated to ICUsteps, the UK’s only intensive care patient support charity, and School-Home Support, a charity which helps families living in poverty to ensure their children are in school and ready to learn.
Mr Powell told us, “I really enjoyed reading Belle and Finley’s stories; they are both different and offer their own unique take on the rainbow theme.
“Belle’s story is incredibly sweet and touches upon losing a beloved family pet, while Finley’s story is set in Peru and shines a spotlight on greed and unsustainable tourism.
“It has been a real privilege to work with them as they have been receptive to feedback and open to suggestions during the editing process, which are important qualities for any aspiring author”.
Find Rainbows During Lockdown on Amazon here.
