NIXA, Mo. – A gifted 10-year-old boy has published his first children’s book based on an extraterrestrial adventure and has hopes to turn it into a series.
Chauncey Pyle, a student at the John Thomas School of Discovery near Springfield, has received widespread support from the community after writing and publishing “Dreams from Outer Space.”
The 67-page, seven-chapter book follows two kids, Charlie and Landon, who find themselves the subjects of an alien plot to spy on human dreams. Eventually, the two take an incredible journey to save a magical axolotl, a salamander found in Mexico.
It took Chauncey from summer break until his Christmas break to complete his book. Chauncey told The Heartlander that creating the pictures at the beginning of every chapter was the easiest part, but he dreaded the five week editing process. He is also a fan of reading fiction books and said his two favorite authors are Roald Dahl and J.K. Rowling.
Chauncey sells “Dreams from Outer Space” on Amazon while teachers, classmates and community members have purchased copies directly from the family. The book is currently being displayed on monitors throughout the school to advertise the book and inspire other children. “Dreams from Outer Space” has also found a home on the shelves of the Nixa Library.
Chauncey’s inspiration started at home as his father, Enoch Pyle, is a published author of two novels himself. Additionally, like many kids, other inspirations included saving up money to get a pet cat and buy an expensive Lego set.
There are plans to make the book into a series, but Chauncey has not decided on a name for his series just yet.
“Chauncey is a very accomplished writer. He writes well above a typical fourth-grade level,” said Chauncey’s fourth-grade teacher, Chris Wilson. “He has been writing in my class for quite awhile. His ability to create description, narration and dialogue is very advanced. He is able to use figurative language and create imagery so the readers, when they’re reading it, can see the story. Those are complicated things to do for a young kid.”
Wilson said that after presenting the novel, “The Landry News” by Andrew Clements to his class, Chauncey took it upon himself to start writing a school newspaper formerly called “The Pyle News” – now named “The School Times.”
“Dreams from Outer Space” is currently ranked #483 on Amazon’s children’s science fiction books and is priced at $9.99. Chauncey encourages those who order a copy to request an autograph because he would be more than happy to sign it. Those interested can purchase a copy of the book on Amazon here.
