Eighth-grader uses imagination to pen, publish two books

Aiyana Thompson holds the two books she authored and illustrated.
Aiyana Thompson holds the two books she authored and illustrated.

One of Aiyana Thompson's favorite hobbies is to fill composition notebooks with stories.

Aiyana, 13, of Fulton, will spend hours working on her fiction books, and she always has more than one going at a time. So far, two of her novels have been published. Her latest, "Miranda Fishhook Goes to Middle School," was published in December by AuthorHouse. It's a sequel to "Miranda Fishhook Makes a New Friend," which was published in June 2010.

Aiyana said she enjoys fiction writing, because she can choose any topic she desires.

"It's like an escape for me," she said. "I can just go and get wrapped up in it."

Aiyana's newest book is about Miranda's transition from elementary to middle school. Miranda faces the scary aspect of new surroundings, teachers and students, Aiyana explains. She noted that she drew from her own experiences entering middle school for her book.

"It's a big jump from elementary school to middle school," she relates.

To help the tornado-stricken people of Dumas and surroundings, donations can be made to the Delta Area Disaster Relief Fund, care of the Delta Area Community Foundation, P.O. Box 894, Dumas, AR, 71639, or through the Arkansas Community Foundation, 700 S. Rock St., Little Rock, AR, 72202.