Rising Author: Magdalena Garcia, Home School

The ninth annual includes 13 students from throughout the district.

Magdalena Garcia is the Home School winner, with her book, The Day the World was Saved.

Campbell Patch asked seven questions of the 11-year-old sixth grade student and here is what she had to say.

Campbell Patch: Why do you like to write?

Magdalena Garcia: I like to write because it gives me a chance to express myself without all the other opinions of other people. I don't really like writing summaries or reports because those hardly ever let me put down my own opinion. Writing independently allows me to show other people what I think. 

Patch: What do you like to write about?

Magdalena: I like writing fantasy stories about people from my life or people with the same personalities as people in my life. In other words, I usually write made-up stories about me and my friends or people like me and friends. In particular, I like writing about God.

Patch: What is your favorite book?

Magdalena: I probably couldn't pick a favorite book in a million years, but I can name a few series I love reading. I enjoyed the Narnia series, the Pendragon series, The Land of Elyon series, the Royal Diaries, and stories written by Hans Christian Andersen.

Patch: Do you have a favorite character? What do you like about them?

Magdalena: Out of all the books listed above, some of my favorite characters would probably be Asian and King Caspian from the Narnia series, Bobby, Uncle Press, and Courtney from the Pendragon series, and Alexa from The Land of Elyon series. I like these characters because of their taste for adventure and their friendly personalities.

Patch: Do you have a favorite author? What do you like about them?

Magdalena: I think my two favorite authors would probably be C.S. Lewis and D. J. MacHale. I like C.S. Lewis because he talks about adventure in his Pendragon books.

Patch: What is your book about?

Magdalena: My book, The Day the World was Saved, is about a girl named Kate who, while taking a boring hiking trip with her family is transported into the Garden of Eden and is given a mission from God to save her family and friends. To do so she travels into the past, putting all her trust in God.

Patch: Why is writing important to you?

Magdalena: Writing is important to me because it is something fun to do in my free time and whenever I'm finished with it and it turns out good, I can give copies to my friends and family for them to read.

Excerpt of The Day the World was Saved is under photos to the right.

To read, vote on and purchase this book, visit this site.

The award ceremony takes place Nov. 9, 7:00 p.m. at Barnes & Noble in the Pruneyard.