Class act /An outstanding young Western New Yorker
Arielle Bielicki has just published her first book, with a second on the way—and she’s just 14.
“I enjoy writing because it’s a way to open up my imagination,” said Arielle, a ninth-grader at Keshequa Central School in Nunda. “I can express myself on paper and share my dreams with the world.”
Arielle started her writing career at age 12, when she penned an essay in a nationwide contest geared for students 8 to 18.
Going up against the older kids, “I didn’t think I had a shot, but I entered the contest anyway,” said Arielle, author of the children’s book, “The Mystery of the Stolen Cookie.”
“I started writing before a family vacation to Walt Disney World. My dad said that we couldn’t leave until I wrote the essay.”
The delay was well worth the wait. Arielle said that when she returned from her vacation, “I received a letter that said I had won second place.” Her prize: a gift card from Dell, which she used to buy a laptop
computer.
Since then, Arielle has published other essays, poems, and a second children’s book, “Princess Lily and the Magical Wish,” which comes out this spring.
“The Mystery of the Stolen Cookie” also was born from a competition. Arielle was chosen by a panel of judges as the winner of a middle school children’s book-writing contest that resulted in publication of her first kids book, which features vivid illustrations by artist Christopher Norton.
The school project was made possible through a grant, “Pen, Publish, and Promote,” that took students through the actual process of writing a story, having it illustrated, and promoting the work by creating flyers, invitations, posters and conducting a storytellers seminar and a book signing.
Know a young outstanding Western New Yorker? Tell us about your nomination, including age, date-of-birth, address and phone number for possible publication in Class act. Sorry, photos can’t be returned. e-mail lcontinelli@buffnews.com Or write to: Louise Continelli, The Buffalo News, P. O. Box 100, Buffalo, NY 14240.
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