A Fentress County educator mentoring a local student author to help publish children’s books for fellow students across the Upper Cumberland.
Reading Ambassador Belinda Payne said eighth-grade student Reese Smith began her writing journey in the fifth grade after receiving a hamburger-shaped toy. Payne said Smith used the toy as inspiration for her first published book, titled The Burger Goes to New York, which is currently available for purchase on Amazon. A page in the novel is dedicated to “Ms. Belinda.”
“I actually did not know it until the day that we went for the reveal, and when I saw it, of course I was very emotional,” Payne said. “But, you know, sometimes teachers don’t always get, and I wouldn’t necessarily say credit because, you know, that’s not why we do it either, but sometimes you don’t see the impact that you make on a child immediately.”
Payne said she recently requested that Smith write a new story to commemorate the upcoming 250th anniversary of America. Payne said the student completed the story in a single afternoon and saw it published in the local newspaper.
“I saw the potential in her writing and she has an unbelievable imagination,” Payne said. “Like when I asked her to do this story, she immediately, you know, like I said, she did it in an afternoon. And then she said, ‘Ms. Belinda, you know, I’m kind of thinking about writing more stories.'”
Payne said the new story explains the historical reasons behind the national celebration through the perspective of a talking hamburger. Payne said she intends to continue encouraging Smith to pursue writing as a future career path.
“I do see that that is something that she definitely has in her future,” Payne said. “I think that she would be a wonderful inspiration because, one, she is a child. And two, the fact that she has something that she can be proud of too, that is a published book.”
Payne said Smith’s success serves as an example for other students in the Upper Cumberland because it demonstrates that writing can be a tangible achievement. Payne said her role as reading ambassador involves showing students that both reading and writing can be done for personal enjoyment rather than just for school assignments.
“Sometimes it’s good for a kid to be able to express themselves, you know, not something that’s for a test or for an assignment or something, but like, for joy,” Payne said. “Because one of the descriptions that I have in my job title is to encourage kids to read for fun. So writing can be for fun too.”
Payne said she believes children relate better to stories written by their peers. Payne said she expects to have a lifelong connection with Smith because of the impact they have had on each other through the writing process.
