"Interview with Author Paul George"
Paul George is seven years old, in first grade – and a first-time author. Based in Los Angeles, Paul learned his passion for reading books from his mother, a nurse who has made a point of dedicating time reading to him.
Paul explains that he has many hobbies including traveling, playing soccer, skateboarding and playing musical instruments. He thanks other children for being part of his motivation as a writer. He took time out of his busy schedule to tell us about his debut book, “The First Camel In Space,” which he not only wrote but illustrated. Paul is currently busy working on his second book.
Tell us about your book.
A year ago I went to Israel on Spring Break and rode a camel. I thought, they’ve sent dogs and monkeys into space, but not a camel. So I wrote a book about a camel, named Oogle. Oogle is really brave and ambitious. His goal is to be the first camel in outer space, and he has to overcome a lot of obstacles.
What obstacles did Oogle have?
Well, he lived in Masara, which is in Israel. So he applied to NASA online, and he beat out all the other candidates . And he had to overcome not seeing his family for a very long time. Also, the space suit was a problem. Dogs and monkeys have been sent to space. They don’t weigh much. But a camel is a whole other deal. He’s kind of fat. And he had to pass the underwater test. At NASA they train underwater because it’s weightless. But Oogle really struggled with that part.
You’re a man of many talents, you both wrote and illustrated the book. How long did it take you to finish it?
About two months. I dictated it to my mom, and she wrote it up. I have to thank my teacher. I always wanted to write a book, but when he gave me a deadline, I got serious.
Was it hard to write?
Well yes and no. In my mind I write stories all the time, so that’s easy. But it got to be a lot of talking and a lot of brainstorming, and that brainstorming was hard – it was burning my brain out after a while.
Why did you write the book?
I want children to feel relieved and happy in a fantasy world. In my book, there is ton of fantasy. You can escape the real world for a bit. You just gotta care about the fantasy in the story.
Are you writing a sequel?
No, I’m writing about a new hero. My next book is called “Super Fry and the Magnificent Lobster Man.” Super Fry fights bad villains. He needed a sidekick, so he recruited Lobsterman and they go forth together to fight villains.
Any final thoughts?
I have a special message for kids: The more you read, the more you get creativity. Read books to be wise. And my message for parents: If your kid wants to get better and smarter and read more, start buying books for them to read. And start with my book – you can find it on Amazon.
If you’d like to learn more, please visit: https://spaceseakid.com/
