Kindergarteners of Shirley Hills Elementary School Received Red Carpet Treatment for the Book Barky the Mouse

At the age of five, some Houston County authors signed a book deal. The kindergarteners of Shirley Hills Elementary School have become published authors after collaborating to write and illustrate the book, Barky the Mouse. The school itself honored the students for their achievement at their book signing.

With a red carpet treatment, the school gave the kindergarteners the recognition they deserve for achieving such feat, which many authors worldwide could only dream of. Ashley Watkins is proud of her class for doing something worthwhile. The idea behind Barky the Mouse started with Carson Stanley, a student at Watkins’s class, and the son of second-grade teacher Lara Stanley.

Barky the Mouse caught the attention of Atlanta-based self-publishing company, LitFire Publishing, and decided to publish the story as part of its Sponsor a Youth Program, which gives young authors the opportunity to become published authors. With LitFire donating books to the whole class, these young minds were able to live the dream of becoming authors.

The involvement of teachers and parents greatly influenced the creativity of the kindergarteners, who proved it was possible to publish a book at such a young age. Through the fostering by Watkins in her kindergarten class, the students have experienced firsthand what it’s like to be able to write a book, more so have it published.

The school is also making sure the book gets the fame it deserves through book signing events, which allow the story to spread throughout the county. With the teachers’ efforts, the kindergarteners who teamed up to write, the book will get the acclaim they need.

A book signing event in school grounds is one effective breakthrough in marketing children’s books.

Here are other ways:

• Coordinating with local bookstores
• Storytelling in libraries
• Visiting schools
• Attending children book fairs

Barky the Mouse is available on www.amazon.com, www.barnesandnoble.com, www.litfirepublishing.com, and other online book retailers for around $8 a copy.

If you’ve got the knack in writing children’s books, check out these helpful tips.