At seventeen years old, Jessica James, is already a published author. Her book — about   a runaway child trying to find meaning in his parents' death — was published this year.

 

"In my book Running from the Inside Out, the main character is running towards something," said Jessica, a senior at North Babylon High School. "There are characters from different backgrounds — Caucasian and African American, rich and abused — who help him find meaning in his life. He wants to stop running."

Jessica hopes that this book will help kids struggling with small problems as well as largerthan life issues. "I wrote this book because kids often go through grown-up situations," said Jessica. "And sometimes adults just can't picture that. If I can reach just one person and help that person to figure out how to deal with a difficult situation, I would be happy."

So, how does a teenager from a stable two-parent home write a book about losing family that also features a character who is abused? While coming home from vacation one day, Jessica looked outside the car window and spotted a billboard about domestic abuse. "There was a young girl clinging to a ragged stuffed animal," she said. She had known some friends who dealt with domestic abuse. When she saw that sign, it triggered something inside of her: she had to help.

She began to write. When she finished the story, she asked her former sixth grade teacher at Robert Moses Middle School in North Babylon — Kerrie Nocella — to edit it.

"I have heard Jessica say that when she gave it to me 'I red penned it,'" said Kerrie Nocella with a selfconscious laugh. "But it was such a good start. I told her that this is how every great writer begins … She was so mature, she was actually able to embrace that and go with it. She brought it back and forth to me several times throughout seventh and eighth grade."

"When I got my story back, there were red marks everywhere," Jessica agreed. "But Mrs. Nocella encouraged me and told me that they were not 'mistakes' but improvements. She said that it was a great story that could reach a lot of people. She believed in me when other people didn't. So, I retyped it."

Once that was done, Jessica thought it would be easy to get the book published, but she was wrong. She received many denial letters from publishers. Eventually, while surfing the web, she found Xlibris, a book publishing company that agreed to publish her work.

It has taken years to get this book written and published. At one point, "I stuffed the book under my bed," Jessica said. "But sixth months later, I wiped the cobwebs away and reread it. I thought, 'Wow, this is really good.' And I continued from there."

She is so proud that the book is done. Now, it gives her time to focus on other things like the yearbook club, marching band and the Bible club. She also likes building computers and driving with no destination in mind, she said with a big smile. Despite her literary triumph, she wants to pursue medicine in college.

"I have been teaching for 15 years," said Nocella. "And this is the highlight of my teaching career. Jessica's dedication is amazing. I just can't put it into words."

Jessica will speak at the North Babylon Public Library on Friday, December 5 at 7 pm. During the event, entitled "Meet the local teen author," she will talk about the process of getting published.

"This is exciting and doesn't happen very often," said Marc Horowitz, the North Babylon Library director. "It's really sensational that such a young person wrote a book. We are so excited for her."

In December, Jessica will also speak to students at North Babylon schools Marion G. Vedder Elementary and Woods Road Elementary, as well as autograph copies of her book at Robert Moses Middle School. Previously, she has spoken to kids at Forest Public School 71 in Ridgewood.

The book is available for purchase on the Xlibris Web site. It is dedicated to Jessica's family for "seeing potential in me before I saw it in myself" and Mrs. Nocella for "giving me the tools needed to make my dream a reality."

Teenage author Jessica James from North Babylon will sign copies of her book at the North Babylon Library on December 5 at 7 p.m.