When her local library closed due to the pandemic, a five-year-old girl from Queens decided to write her own series of books on superheroes.
Egypt Bush, who just started first grade, and her dad, Rahiem, love to read books together. They would often visit the local library to find fresh books to read together. However, when the pandemic hit, they were stuck with only a handful of books at home.
Speaking to CBS2, Egypt said that her dad read all the books to her and came to the point that he grew tired of reading the same stories over and over. So, he came up with a challenge to Egypt: come up with your own book.
Egypt's writing process
Egypt accepted the challenge. Speaking to Trinidad and Tobago Newsday, Egypt said she writes her stories in her little notebook before sharing it with her family. She also would tell bedtime stories to her parents, and in turn, they record the stories.
His father recalls that on the first day, she told him a very elaborate story that he enjoyed. She then wanted to do it again the next day, he said. With the help of Rahiem and wife, Shaleem, all of Egypt's stories written in her notebook and the recorded bedtime stories were compiled to create her first series of books - "Egypt's Everyday Superheroes," with Egypt as the main character.
They also worked with an illustrator for the books' illustrations. Her mom said that Egypt was particular about how she wanted the characters to look like. Shaleem said that Egypt wanted the characters to look like her. She said that her goal is to inspire kids, especially African-Americans like herself, to see themselves as "superheroes."
The books tackle COVID-19 from a child's point of view and how everyday acts of kindness can help fight the virus. Egypt said her books include everyday superheroes such as doctors, nurses, and bus drivers. Shaleem said that the stories in book series are important because they let kids see themselves represented as the books' main characters.
Rahiem said that while we think children don't really pay much attention, they absorb more than we realize.
Egypt's other interests
Apart from writing books, Egypt also loves visiting her mom's native country, Trinidad and Tobago, every summer. Her mom said that Egypt loves Trinbagonian heritage and always looks forward to spending summer in Trinidad. This year, though, they were not able to travel because of COVID-19. However, whenever she gets to visit TT, it would be the beach, Emperor Valley Zoo, Queen's Park Savannah, and Royal Botanical Gardens that are top of her list.
Egypt attends online classes for now and loves English and Science. Her mom said that these subjects represent her dream of becoming a doctor and an author someday. When it is already safe for everyone, they plan to meet with kids who purchased Egypt's book for some read-along.
When asked how many books she plans to write, Egypt's reply: One hundred. It will take a lot of work, she said, but she will not give up. As for her next project, it will feature herself and her dog, London.
