8-year-old schoolgirl from Crawley publishes her first book and plans on more

Doreen-Zilpah Quansah, with the support of her mother Doreen Aboagye Addo, published her first book entitled ‘Diary of a Tween’.

The book is aimed at primary school children and is a realistic fiction story about friendship, self-love, as well as forgiveness. It will help tweens through friendship struggles while “simultaneously helping them celebrate their unique identities”, editor Monika Ribeiro said.

Diary of a Tween explores the life of a British, Ghanaian tween. It celebrates the unique experiences and culture of kids from the West African diaspora.

Author Doreen who attends Broadfield primary academy, got her inspiration from an author visiting her school and she liked the idea of writing a book so much that she decided to write her own one.

After being approached by Doreen’s mother with the story, editor Monika took a look at the story and decided to publish it as it was a “really good write-up” and gave a true representation of life in the BAME community.

The book celebrates diversity and inclusion in British culture, but represents kids from minority backgrounds. It has also been launched in time for Black History month.

The book won’t only help readers find themselves inspired by the story but it will also grow children’s ability to empathise with others from different backgrounds. Inclusive books challenge unhealthy stereotypes, prejudice, and bias at just the right time while the kids are still learning.

Author Doreen said: “I wrote the book because I liked the idea. An author came to my school and showed us sections of his book and I liked the thought of writing a story, so I decided to write one myself.

“For my next book, I was thinking about writing part 2 of Diary of a Tween but I don’t really have an idea of what the story will be about.”

Doreen’s mother said: “I feel so happy that Doreen’s has published her first book. When she first held her book I was so excited.

“I feel like I should motivate other parents as it is not too big of a challenge and parents should encourage their children to pursue what they love. Doreen loves reading and writing, and I am happy about the whole thing.”

The book was published by editor Monika Ribeiro, who normally works with adults but was amazed by Doreen’s story.

Monika said: “It was a really good write-up and a great skeleton for a story. It’s really important for people from BAME backgrounds to write and there is not enough representation and we don’t have enough character from minority communities. It was a great opportunity to represent an excellent family and an intelligent young girl.”

If your child enjoys relatable characters and realistic narratives, this book is for them. Here’s how the story goes. When 12-year-old Issy is rejected by her best and only friend Anna, she finds herself completely out of her comfort zone. She begins spending more time with Bethany who turns out to be quite fun even if she is obsessed with animals…

See more: Crawley independent children’s author; known as The Lego Lady writes books inspired by Bewbush Playbus history, Sussex charity officer explains why they swapped ‘family car’ for a bike, Passengers travelling through Gatwick Airport get taught the benefits of CPR by professionals from Surrey and Sussex Healthcare

The book is available to purchase from today (Oct 25) and you can grab your copy on Amazon.