Sequoyah Student Writes Children's Book

Editor’s note: the following story was written and submitted by Sequoyah High School student Kyle Renner.

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Story time is a gateway for the imagination. Children sit down, their parents pick up a book, and the kids are swept into a new world, an adventure unlike any other.

Sydney McHugh, a senior at Sequoyah High School, wants to bring the magic of story time to kids everywhere by writing her own children’s story.

“As a little girl, I always loved when my mom or dad would read me stories,” Sydney said. “By writing and illustrating a children’s book, I’m able to bring that joy to other kids who’ll hopefully read it one day.”

Sydney’s book aims to combine things that younger children love — wild animals, funny characters, and colorful illustrations — with something that parents love — positive messages for their kids.

“The story is about a young elephant who starts to think he doesn’t want to be an elephant anymore,” Sydney said. “He goes out and tries to be a giraffe and a flamingo, but at the end of the day, he realizes that he’s the best at being himself.”

Writing a children’s story involves the difficult task of taking a serious message and presenting it in a way that younger kids will be able to take to heart. Though Sydney had concerns about finding ways to turn a message of self-love into an enjoyable, humorous kid’s story, one of her biggest challenges was actually illustrating every page of the story.

“I’m not the best artist,” Sydney admits with a laugh. “Getting to illustrate the book has been another challenge, but I’m getting better. My first sketch of the giraffe character looked more like a long-necked dog! As I’ve worked more on the book and the drawings, though, everything looks nice and evenly proportioned now.”

For Sydney, who has been writing all her life, the children’s book is a challenge to put ideas on paper and write until the story is complete.

“I’ve always enjoyed creative writing, and the book has allowed me to stretch myself and my talents,” she said. “I’ve definitely seen a lot of growth in how I plan my writing and put stories together.”

This children’s book could the just the start of Sydney’s career: the high schooler is planning to attend the University of Georgia and major in communication studies.

“When I’m older, I want to pursue a career in publishing and creative writing,” Sydney added. “My children’s book is a step in working towards my future. Regardless of what I end up doing as a career, though, I can always find time to write. It’s a special way for me to express myself.”

Sydney’s end goal is to try to get her story published, to find a way to let kids laugh and learn from her story.

“I’m just trying to make kids happy,” she said with a smile.

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Image via Kyle Renner