General Douglas MacArthur High School senior Sydney Schneider recently turned her middle school English project into a published children’s book, creating the storyline and illustrations herself. The book, titled Chip and Dip, was recently published on the website Blurb and is currently available for purchase.
As an eighth-grader at Jonas E. Salk Middle School, Schneider was challenged to create an original book with the theme of epiphany as part of an English project in Nara Denson’s class. When she turned in the assignment, Denson was impressed and encouraged Schneider to get the book published.
“She has an incredible, natural talent,” said Denson. “Hearing about what she did with this assignment affirmed my career choice as a teacher.”
“I think it’s incredible,” added Principal Joseph Sheehan. “The time and energy that she put into this book speaks volumes about Sydney’s character.”
Once the book was published, Schneider surprised Denson with a hardcover copy of Chip and Dip and signed it as a thank you to her former teacher. Chip and Dip is a story of friendship between two characters who solve a stinky problem. Schneider worked throughout the summer to create her book on Blurb, bringing her creativity to life with her drawings.
“I’m really excited,” said Schneider. “I always wanted to get it published. I definitely want to write more in the future.”
She hopes to turn the book into a series with Chip and Dip going on different adventures. Although she enjoys writing and drawing, Schneider’s ultimate goal is to become an elementary school teacher in the future. With a passion for education, she enjoys babysitting and looks forward to reading her own story to the children.
Schneider plans to travel to schools throughout the Levittown School District to read her story to students, including Denson’s classroom where the story all began.
—Submitted by the Levittown School District
