Clyattville Elementary School Media Specialist, Cindy Roberts, debuted her first published book, “Trixie Learns to Trust,” by reading it to her students before they left for Spring Break.

Roberts explained that becoming a published author had been her goal for years. Her book, titled “Trixie Learns to Trust,” follows the adventures of a raccoon named Trixie and was inspired by a real-life raccoon that kept returning to the author’s backyard. 

Though the character inspiration came recently, Roberts’ dream of being a published author began years ago. She shared her lifelong love of reading and writing and how she created entertaining stories to tell her daughter throughout her childhood.

“The only thing I ever wanted to do was work in a library,” says Roberts. “That’s where I was meant to be!” 

Roberts’ landed her first job in a library at the age of 6. 

“I was in my school’s library so much reading every book that I could find, so they eventually showed me how to check books in and out myself,” she expressed. 

Students gathered in the library, eager to hear the story written by their teacher. While there, Mrs. Roberts also explained to them the writing process she went through and the many drafts and revisions she made before settling on the finished product. The students were shocked to hear that the writing process of published authors closely mirrors how they work in the classroom. 

Mrs. Roberts also treated her audience to a presentation filled with real-life photos and facts about raccoons to gain an even deeper understanding and connection to the book.

“I want students to know how important it is to read books, and I want them to learn to love it,” Roberts proclaimed.

She says that students who claim they don’t enjoy reading simply haven’t found the right book yet. 

Roberts plans to make “Trixie Learns to Trust” the first in a series, then continue to write more books for children after the saga ends. She hopes that one of her creations could be the book that instills a life-long love of reading in a child.