Eleven-year-old Mo’Riah Stewart can proudly say she is a published author, with the launch of her book ‘Journeys and Experiences Just for Kids’. Ten years old at the time the book was printed, she was joined by family, teachers, and schoolmates for a festive launch on April 4 at the Seventh Day Adventist School, where she has just rounded off the fifth grade.
Mo’Riah sat down with The Kids Herald to tell us a little bit about herself and her book. Mo’Riah said that she can remember writing from the age of six, and loves both acting and writing. To this end, she likes to write stories that can be acted out, as she draws inspiration from these types of stories. At school, her favourite subjects are English and Dutch, and she also enjoys Worship class, where story scenes and characters are often played out, bringing them to life. One of her stories was even inspired by one that she first heard in Worship class. In the future, she would love to be both a writer and actor.
“Ever since the third grade, all the children used to write stories, staple them together, and put them on the bookshelf. We used to read each other’s stories,” she recalls. “I used to make my own too, and in afternoon class, I asked my teacher if my stories could be read to the younger children. I kept doing that because I liked it, and felt like that’s what I wanted to do.”
Shortly afterwards, Ms. Sara Haynes-Cousins, who also teaches, writes and has an afternoon school programme, taught Mo’Riah what she needed to know about writing and putting stories together. Ms. Sara is also the editor of this book.
‘Journeys and Experiences Just for Kids’ is a collection of short stories, all about different adventures. A handy vocabulary list is featured up front. At the end of each story, reflective questions and puzzles help kids to think about what they just read. Fun animations for the book were made by Amazon, the company that published the book.
Mo’Riah’s favourite story is called ‘A Troubling Journey’, where a boy named Coban decided to go for a stroll one day, and a very good day suddenly turned into a bad one. At first, meeting friends and receiving nice gifts, Coban’s day took a turn for the worst when he was distracted and fell into a sewer hole. Even worse, it brought him a very long way from home and he lost one of his gifts. Other stories include ‘What A Prank’, ‘A Sight After Hurricane’, and ‘Friends Go On’.
Mo’Riah says she hopes other kids have fun reading the stories, and become inspired to create their own.
Teachers or parents interested in buying a book (recommended for grades 4 and 5) can contact Madichia Cannegieter via WhatsApp message +1 721 523 0654, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
