Young author’s book deals with big themes

For most 11-year-olds, publishing books most likely is not at the top of their list of things to do.

For Zy Saturnees, writing is just part of who he is.

The Sandyston resident published his first book, “Jill the Chick,” last November.

It took him only a few months to write and edit the novella.

”It took about a month to write the first draft and then a few more months to edit it,” he said.

The novella is about a determined chicken named Jill, who discovers that a group of pesky farm rats is stealing grain from the farmer. Jill must rally the other farm animals to overcome the language barrier between the animals and the farmer.

“It’s about justice, injustice and teamwork,” Zy said.

Those themes are especially prevalent in Chapter 12, his favorite.

“It’s when she (Jill) rallies all the farm animals together. I like that she goes to the farm animals and sees that each of them has their own talents and helps them all fit in together to work for a cause.”

Throughout an interview, Zy demonstrated a profound love for storytelling with the focus and motivation of someone who has been writing for decades.

His characters are well-rounded; each carries a set of complex morals and emotional weight.

Zy explained that his love for writing started three years ago. “I started writing in the third grade.”

Among his influences, he listed his father, a published author, and mentioned that his family members are avid readers, which inspired him to read and write more.

Sue-Ni DeStefano, co-owner of Broad Street Books in Branchville, recently hosted a book-signing event for Zy. She called him a kind young man who should be proud of his accomplishments.

His advice for other young authors: “Keep following your dreams, never give up and whatever story you have - work on it and it’ll be good.”