This 8-year-old's book is a hit at his library. He offers advice for aspiring authors
A boy finds himself magically transported to the North Pole. He's chased by a moose into a time portal that transports him back to 1621, where he joins the first Thanksgiving in colonial America.
Just when things can't get any crazier ... the boy is eaten by a giant turkey.
The latest Amazon bestseller? Nope — but it is the hottest commodity of the Lake Hazel branch of the Ada Community Library in Boise, Idaho. And it's the brainchild of 8-year-old Dillon Helbig, a second-grader who loves to read, draw and write.
Dillon has been flexing his creative muscles in storybook form since he was about 6. But recently he felt that the audience for his fiction shouldn't be limited to just mom and dad.
How Dillon snuck his book into the hearts of local readers
So, after he handwrote his latest story during Christmas break — The Adventures of Dillon Helbig's Crismis by Dillon Helbig 'His Self' (as it appears on the cover) — he hatched a plan to slip the book onto the shelves of the local library.
From a distance, the 81-page hardbound burgundy notebook looks just enough like a normal library book that Dillon felt he could sneak it in without much hassle. On a recent trip to the library with his grandmother, he put his plan into action.
"I covered this part with my hand and the rest with my body, so it looks like a normal library book," he said. "And I ran in and put it on one of the shelves — and then read a book. So I didn't look suspicious."
Dillon concocted the plan on his own, without telling his parents. Only later that night did his mother Susan ask where the book was. "He said he left it there at the library," Susan said.
When Susan called the library to see if they had put it in the lost and found — or worse, thrown it away — she learned that her fears were unfounded.
"It was clear to us that this was just a very special item," said Alex Hartman, a librarian and the branch manager of Lake Hazel.
The library found Dillon's book exceptional enough to accept it
Normally, the library staff reads book reviews before adding titles to the library's collection — but obviously this one didn't have any reviews, since it didn't go through the traditional publishing process.
"So several of the library staff, including our picture book selector, read through the book and we really just determined that it fit all of our selection criteria to be included in our library collection," Hartman said.
Speaking with NPR, Hartman was effusive in his praise of the homemade work, which he said spans genres, from fantasy to science fiction to historical fiction.
"Some of the illustrations are really quite imaginative and sophisticated in terms of perspective," Hartman said, noting a "really striking picture" of Dillon "inside of the body cavity of a giant turkey."
Dillon's parents gave permission for the library to place the book in its official catalog. At last count there were 125 people on the waitlist.
Dillon plans to stay busy with books
The library has heard from other children inspired by Dillon's story to write their own. And a local children's book author has now offered to work with Dillon to lead workshops for young readers at the library.
Encouraged by the public acclaim, Dillon is excited about the idea of his next book: a revised version of a previous one he wrote, about a closet that eats jackets.
"It's based on actual events," he said. "Every time I get to recess, I open the closet and my jacket is gone."
His mom and dad joked that it's a "jacket-eating closet" — and Dillon's next novel was born.
"It eats jackets for breakfast, lunch and dinner," Dillon explained.
Hafsa Fathima produced the audio version of this story.
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Transcript
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
A new book recently entered the catalog of the Lake Hazel branch of the Ada Community Library in Boise, Idaho. That normally wouldn't be news, but the author of this one is 8 years old.
DILLON HELBIG: Well, the title is "The Adventures Of Dillon Helbig's Crismis" by Dillon Helbig His Self.
SIMON: And that, you may have guessed, is Dillon Helbig. He loves to read, to draw and write. And he's been making storybooks since he was about 6. And he really wanted a book he wrote to be on a library shelf, where other people could enjoy it. So on a trip to the library with his grandmother, Dillon snuck one in.
HELBIG: I covered this part with my hand and the rest with my body, so it looks like a normal library book. And I ran in and put it on one of the shelves and then read a book so I didn't look suspicious.
ALEX HARTMAN: Once we did find it, it was clear to us that this was just a very special item.
SIMON: Alex Hartman is a librarian and branch manager at the library where Dillon left his book. He found the illustrations in Dillon Helbig's book to be imaginative and sophisticated, believed the story was told with a mix of science fiction, historical fiction and fantasy.
HARTMAN: He's magically transported to the North Pole, chased by a moose into a portal which transports him back in time to 1621, where he joins the first Thanksgiving in colonial America. He's eaten by a giant turkey. And the book ends on a cliffhanger with a message that there will be a sequel to the story.
SIMON: Boy, I want to read this book. Alex Hartman says librarians ordinarily read reviews of books before they add them to the library's collection. Dillon Helbig's book obviously didn't have the advantage of that official endorsement, but...
HARTMAN: Several of the library staff, including our picture book selector, read through the book, and we really just determined that it fit all of our selection criteria.
SIMON: So they called the Helbig family and asked to add it. And the book has become popular - I mean, really popular. When we spoke with Alex Hartman earlier this week, it had 87 holds.
HARTMAN: We did reduce the checkout period to two weeks from four weeks to try to get the book into more hands. But even at two weeks, 87 people are going to be waiting for that book for quite some time.
SIMON: And he says they've heard from other children inspired by Dillon's story to write their own. And a local children's book author has now offered to work with Dillon to lead workshops for young readers at the library. The public acclaim has made Dillon excited about the idea of writing another, a revised version of a previous book he wrote about a closet that eats jackets.
HELBIG: It's based on actual events. Every time I get to recess, I open the closet, and my jacket is gone. So my mom and dad made a joke about the - about it's a jacket-eating closet. So me and my dad thought that would be a good book. It eats jackets for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
SIMON: Yum, yum. And he has this advice for aspiring authors.
HELBIG: Step 1, think about what you're going to write. Step 2, pick up the pencil. Step 3, draw what your mind is thinking of. Step 4, make it into a library book. Step 5, sneak into the library and put it on the shelf.
SIMON: And, of course, step 6...
HELBIG: Don't look suspicious.
SIMON: All right - author Dillon Helbig and librarian Alex Hartman.
(SOUNDBITE OF BROKE FOR FREE'S "LEMONFADE") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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