young author
Eight-year-old boy smuggles his own book into the library – now everyone is scrambling to read it
Dillon Helbing’s book is now a hit at the Boise library
© Ada Community Library / Facebook
Not only is eight-year-old Dillon a keen reader, he also writes. With a bit of audacity, he placed his own book in the local library, where it’s now a hit.
Library staff in Boise, Idaho, were amazed to find a book on a shelf that didn’t actually belong in the library—it wasn’t by a well-known author, it didn’t have a properly designed cover, and most importantly, it wasn’t professional been printed. In fact, the 88 pages of content were written by hand and illustrated with pictures.
It turned out to be written by Dillon Helbig, an eight-year-old city boy. The second year hadn’t even tried to disguise his authorship. On the contrary, even the title has autobiographical traits: It is “The Christmas Adventures of Dillon Helbig”, told by – as the author says – “Dillon himself”. The boy had made up the story himself, written it down, and smuggled the book onto the library shelf.
Library accepts the book by Dillon Helbig
“I wanted people to read it,” he told Good Morning America. On a visit to the library with his mother, Dillon placed his work among several other books. “That was naughty,” he admits mischievously. He later told his mother about it, but the book was nowhere to be found. When asked, it turned out that the librarians had already found it. A little later, the library published the story on Facebook.
In the book, Dillon recounts being carried by the poinsettia to the First Thanksgiving and to the North Pole while decorating the Christmas tree. The Grinch also shows up. The library staff had a great time, reports Alex Hartman, library manager. His six-year-old son also liked the story.
And he’s not alone in that. The library now has Dillon’s book in its inventory and anyone with a library card can borrow it. And the demand is huge: at least 55 people have already put their names on the waiting list to get the copy. If each of them keeps the book for the four weeks allowed, the waiting period amounts to more than a year.
Sources: “Good Morning America” / “Washington Post” / Ada Community Library