By Addison Gernenz | Intern
Once a year, Fabled Bookshop & Cafe hosts a Local Author Book Faire to showcase local authors to the Waco community. On Feb. 19, three young authors were included in the array of writers.
This event drew a large crowd — nearly 300 people — and the store became crowded with attendees walking around the bookshelves, perusing the different displays and exhibited books.
Eleven-year-old Reyna Shanks is one of the showcased authors at the Local Author Book Faire. Shanks published a poetry collection last April titled “Chapter 10.”
While this is her first big poetry break, she has been writing for most of her life. “Chapter 10” is an assembly of poems from when Shanks was 10 years old, all written by Shanks herself. Now, almost 12, Shanks has stepped into her “author shoes” more confidently.
“I’m not used to this attention,” she said. “It’s a little intimidating, but it’s exciting to see where I could be someday.”
“’Chapter 10′ started out as just me writing in my room,” Shanks said. “It’s mostly my thoughts. I would be feeling a specific thing, and I would start to write it down. One of them is about a tree and what I think about them, what feeling they give me.”
Shanks’ love of writing began with a deep love of reading.
“I love ‘Little Women,’” Shanks said. “I love ‘Matilda.’ I read a lot of Roald Dahl, Shel Silverstein. I read a whole bunch, mostly realistic fiction, but some classic books.”
Shanks attends Lake Air Montessori Magnet School as a sixth grader and said she dreams of having her book published, but she knows it’s a lofty goal. She describes the feeling of holding a bound book of her published writing as “surreal.”
“Chapter 10” invites readers into the mind of Reyna Shanks, elevating the simple things in life through the eyes of a child — trees, pets, moments of quiet — into magic.
Reyna Shanks was not the only young author Fabled was hosting.
Tabitha and Clayton Buttner co-published “Tails of Adventure” in September, a book featuring a short story by each author. They published with help from their parents, but writing was done independently.
Twelve-year-old Tabitha and 10-year-old Clayton both wrote their short stories about dogs.
“Mine is about these dogs who are stuck in their house in a snowstorm,” Tabitha said. “They have to get it out, but it’s hard because they are blocked in.”
Clayton’s story takes a more historical twist.
“It’s the Titanic,” he said. “In this case, it’s called the ‘Pup-tanic.’ It’s about dogs who are on the Titanic. They all go into the rooms at once, and then simultaneously the doors lock. They have to figure out how to get out.”
While Tabitha and Clayton are both homeschooled, they said that they are both large readers.
“I’m a bookworm,” Tabitha said. “My family can never get me out of a book; I have to physically take myself out of a book.”
As a lover of literature, Tabitha said she will read about anything. Clayton has a strong affinity for historical fiction or action books and is currently reading “Way of the Warrior Kid.”
“I love reading, and I also really love to write,” Tabitha said. “The opportunity to write this short story and give it to people to read isn’t something I thought I’d get to do, at least not for a while. We’re really thankful.”
