Over the past year, Alex Romania has written, illustrated, and finished her first book titled The Forest. We spent Wednesday evening asking Alex what has inspired her to write, what her story is about, and what it took to create her first book. Alex is 10 years old and in the fifth grade.

Trevor: What inspired you to write a book?

Alex: Well, I was at a bookstore with Girl Scouts, and my mom and I were asking a bunch of questions. I was trying to find a specific book and see if they had it, and when they did, I asked my mom if I could get it. I really like make-believe stuff and learning strategies, and this book, Wings of Fire, really inspired me to create my own story.

Trevor: What's the name of your book?

Alex: It’s called The Forest.

Trevor: What is it about?

Alex: The summary is all on the back page, (Alex showed the room the handmade book and the synopsis on the last page.) It is about three girls, Sara, Juliet, and Larua. They went on an adventure into the forest and saw many beautiful things like butterflies and flowers, and how it's important to live your life in the moment, enjoying the beauty of creation.

Trevor: Wow, this looks amazing, and you wrote, illustrated, and published it all on your own?

Alex: Yup!

Trevor: How long did it take?

Alex: Um, six or seven days… Well, really, I’ve been working on it all year long. I draw really fast, but halfway through the sketches I just kept getting more ideas about what to write. So, I’ve been creating this book pretty much all summer long. But it took me six days to finish all of the sketches; I just put in too much detail, which takes a lot of time.

Trevor: What's next? Are you planning to make this book a series, or create something new?

Alex: Probably something new. I’ve been brainstorming; I think I'm going to create a new story about dragons.

Trevor: Wow, that is so cool. Thank you for sharing!

Alex: You’re welcome!

Our kids here at Crossroads are incredibly talented. This short interview with Alex is only a small fraction of the amazing abilities that our children have. Each week, we spend time learning more about one another and how God has given us the ability to create amazing things. Join us on Sundays at 10:10 to learn more about the amazing talents our kids have!