Area author provides hometown lessons through out-of-this-world plot
Lead Summary
By
Brandy Chandler-brandychandler@gmail.com
What if you had the gateway to another world hanging around your
neck? Adventure, superpowers, and lessons in morality right at your fingertips?
A family heirloom and a history of helping children learn the magic of reading prompted a Lynchburg area woman to pick up a pen and begin creating her own tale of other worlds, with hometown morals, that emphasizes the importance of working together.
Mary Banks has written a book titled "Maggie," a fantasy story of an alien invasion, superpowers, and the very real moral that "with great power comes great responsibility."
Banks said the idea came from an gem, a quartz crystal called a Herkimer Diamond, she inherited that wears around her neck. The clear stone has a black spot on the inside.
"I visualized the stone as a meteor, and that's how the aliens came to Earth," she said. "The black spot is the door where the aliens come out."
According to the back cover of the book, "It is the year 2020. NASA
has discovered a sudden oncoming meteor that will hit Mars within six days from the first speed measure. A group of three astronauts ... are sent onboard Missioner 110 to record the meteor's impact to the fiery planet. As the countdown closes, the meteor with a blue-green flaring tail, called 'Maggie' crashes straight to the planet. Contrary to primary predictions, however, Maggie bounces off Mars, barely scratching the red planet."
The meteor then heads toward planet Earth, where "a secret unfolds and a fight for existence begins" as "thousands of people are put to sleep, awakened only by a special crystal and awakened with superhuman abilities like telepathy and telekinesis."
Banks said that she wanted to write a book that children not only wanted to read, but that helped prompt them to pay attention and stay engaged in the story.
The book is designed to be read by a group or class, with lines assigned to individual characters, much like the script to a play.
"I volunteered at Lynchburg-Clay Elementary," Banks said. "I would watch children in reading groups, and sometimes they would have a hard time paying attention. The books are written to help children read in a group, taking a character and reading the part. Children love to take part and my hope is they will pay attention more so they don't miss their part and will promote reading. After all, everything we do involves reading. You can't eat in a restaurant, get a job or drive a car unless you can read."
Hoping to include a many children as possible, one of the characters
is a gorilla that communicates through sign language, so children who speak with the use of ASL (American Sign Language) can take a part in the reading.
Banks said she wanted to write a book that contained no bad language
or violence.
"I try to show there is a better way, other than violence," she said. "I wanted it to be an escape for children who can get frustrated reading. I wanted them to be able to read something that was not really mysterious or frustrating. Fantasy is a wonderful way to escape the stress of life. After you read "Maggie" I would ask you, 'What would you do if you had these powers?'"
Banks said she hopes the book can make her readers think, but also have fun.
"Some of the things I hope children come away with when reading this book (is that) family is most important. Next comes community, and working together for the common good," Banks said.
"Maggie" features discussion on how you treat aliens, including some aliens "that do bad things." Banks said that she hopes children will learn a lesson on how to treat others, whether or not that "alien" is from another planet, another country, or is just different.
Previously a newspaper social editor, Banks said the bulk of her storytelling experience came from her interactions with her children and grandchildren.
"I always told them little stories to teach them lessons and to let them know how children were supposed to behave," she said.
On Nov. 9, Banks presented a copy of her book to LC Elementary third-grader Brandon Young, who she got to know while volunteering at the school. While she was in the school's library, she signed a copy of the book she had previously donated to the school.
Banks said that she may have a sequel rattling around her imagination, but she wants to take some time to think it through and see how "Maggie" is received here on Earth.
For more information on "Maggie," visit www.dorrancebookstore.com or
What if you had the gateway to another world hanging around your neck? Adventure, superpowers, and lessons in morality right at your fingertips?
A family heirloom and a history of helping children learn the magic of reading prompted a Lynchburg area woman to pick up a pen and begin creating her own tale of other worlds, with hometown morals, that emphasizes the importance of working together.
Mary Banks has written a book titled "Maggie," a fantasy story of an alien invasion, superpowers, and the very real moral that "with great power comes great responsibility."
Banks said the idea came from an gem, a quartz crystal called a Herkimer Diamond, she inherited that wears around her neck. The clear stone has a black spot on the inside.
"I visualized the stone as a meteor, and that's how the aliens came to Earth," she said. "The black spot is the door where the aliens come out."
According to the back cover of the book, "It is the year 2020. NASA
has discovered a sudden oncoming meteor that will hit Mars within six days from the first speed measure. A group of three astronauts ... are sent onboard Missioner 110 to record the meteor's impact to the fiery planet. As the countdown closes, the meteor with a blue-green flaring tail, called 'Maggie' crashes straight to the planet. Contrary to primary predictions, however, Maggie bounces off Mars, barely scratching the red planet."
The meteor then heads toward planet Earth, where "a secret unfolds and a fight for existence begins" as "thousands of people are put to sleep, awakened only by a special crystal and awakened with superhuman abilities like telepathy and telekinesis."
Banks said that she wanted to write a book that children not only wanted to read, but that helped prompt them to pay attention and stay engaged in the story.
The book is designed to be read by a group or class, with lines assigned to individual characters, much like the script to a play.
"I volunteered at Lynchburg-Clay Elementary," Banks said. "I would watch children in reading groups, and sometimes they would have a hard time paying attention. The books are written to help children read in a group, taking a character and reading the part. Children love to take part and my hope is they will pay attention more so they don't miss their part and will promote reading. After all, everything we do involves reading. You can't eat in a restaurant, get a job or drive a car unless you can read."
Hoping to include a many children as possible, one of the characters
is a gorilla that communicates through sign language, so children who speak with the use of ASL (American Sign Language) can take a part in the reading.
Banks said she wanted to write a book that contained no bad language
or violence.
"I try to show there is a better way, other than violence," she said. "I wanted it to be an escape for children who can get frustrated reading. I wanted them to be able to read something that was not really mysterious or frustrating. Fantasy is a wonderful way to escape the stress of life. After you read "Maggie" I would ask you, 'What would you do if you had these powers?'"
Banks said she hopes the book can make her readers think, but also have fun.
"Some of the things I hope children come away with when reading this book (is that) family is most important. Next comes community, and working together for the common good," Banks said.
"Maggie" features discussion on how you treat aliens, including some aliens "that do bad things." Banks said that she hopes children will learn a lesson on how to treat others, whether or not that "alien" is from another planet, another country, or is just different.
Previously a newspaper social editor, Banks said the bulk of her storytelling experience came from her interactions with her children and grandchildren.
"I always told them little stories to teach them lessons and to let them know how children were supposed to behave," she said.
On Nov. 9, Banks presented a copy of her book to LC Elementary third-grader Brandon Young, who she got to know while volunteering at the school. While she was in the school's library, she signed a copy of the book she had previously donated to the school.
Banks said that she may have a sequel rattling around her imagination, but she wants to take some time to think it through and see how "Maggie" is received here on Earth.
For more information on "Maggie," visit www.dorrancebookstore.com or
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