Parent Teacher Magazine Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Nov/Dec 2015 | Page 6
A novel idea
Teen publishes book, shares experience with students
KIDS’ TICKETS $10
Ages 2-12. ExcludesTotal Access, Front Row and Gold Circle seating.
No double discounts. All tickets $2 more day of show.
JAN. 8
Fri. 7:30 PM
JAN.9
Sat. 2:00 PM
Sat. 7:30 PM
TIME WARNER CABLE ARENA
Buy ticketsat Ticketmaster.com,
RetailLocations
Time Warner Cable Arena Box Office or call 1-800-745-3000
© 2015 Feld Motor Sports, Inc.
232715
Competitors shown are subject to change.
4 • November/December 2015 • Parent Teacher Magazine
Ardrey Kell High has its
own in-house author in junior
Andrew Daly. The 16-year-old
has produced his own novel
and is using his experience
to inspire other students
in Charlotte-Mecklenburg
Schools.
Andrew began writing
“Portal of Vaal,” a youngadult fantasy book, as a short
story when he was 12, but
it evolved into a novel that
he completed in three years.
The self-published work was
released May 30.
The book’s young hero,
Motorthud, wakes up with
amnesia in the land of Vaalbara, which he finds he is destined to save.
Andrew based the book on his experience with a Minecraft community
server, which is for online gaming, and is a member of the Charlotte Writers
Club’s science fiction/fantasy group, which provided valuable critiques as he
refined his work.
“Fantasy is a lot more interesting,” said the young author, adding the genre
lessens the restraints on what can be included in a story. “Most books are
about war, relationships, birth and/or death, but with fantasy, anything goes.”
Andrew said he was reading chapter books by the age of 5 and was drawn
to fantasy by the characters. As he got older, he was influenced by the action
in the Alex Rider spy novel series, which features a teenage protagonist who
works for MI6, the British intelligence agency.
Andrew’s mother, Jana Case, said that when he was little, the two of them
read all the time. She said reading is something she always has loved and that
it was important for her to pass that on to her son.
“When he was in preschool, they asked me to bring in books for him to
read because he was already at a first-grade level, and they had nothing to
give him,” Case said. “Andrew will continually read three to four books at a time
and has loved it his whole life.”
Andrew had the opportunity to share that love of books with other
students in June, when Andrea Hsu, his fourth-grade teacher at Elizabeth Lane
Elementary, asked him to speak to her second-grade class. Hsu said Andrew’s
writing always had a special voice, and with the district’s focus on literacy, he
is inspiring students to read, write and pursue their dreams.
“My whole class was so excited to hear a book was based off Minecraft
and that it was written by a ‘kid,’ especially an alum of ELE,” she said.
“Whether young or old, seeing the author in person makes a book relevant,
but a young author gives a student hope, dreams and desires they may not
have thought were conceivable.”
Hsu said her students asked pertinent questions, with one specifically
about the style of Andrew’s writing. She said the experience for him and her
students gives life and meaning to the writing process they learn in school,
and that interest is the key to learning in any subject area.
Andrew said he will be speaking to more students this year, including an
older group at Jay M. Robinson Middle, and he hopes he can be a positive role
model.
“That would feel great,” he said of inspiring other students. “Even if
they just wrote a short story, knowing they created something from their
imagination, that’s insane.”
Andrew is working on the outline for a sequel, although he said it will
have its own themes. He said he’s been told that writing a book is faster the
second time around, and while he intends to continue writing as a hobby, he’s
more realistic when it comes to thinking about his future career.
“The writing industry isn’t what it used to be – you can’t sit in a cabin and
make money,” he said. “It’s best to rely on it as a side project.”
“Portal of Vaal” is available on amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, smashwords.com
and parkroadbooks.com.-