Writing a book can be a daunting task even for professional adult writers, but 8-year-old Dillon Helbig accomplished this feat in a matter of days. His 81-page graphic novel, “The Adventures of Dillon Helbig’s Crismis,” was written in a hardcover journal with colored pencils. Dillon even added a label on the back of the book stating “Made in Idho” [sic] and an illustrated spine label. Without telling anyone, he took the book to his local library in Boise, Idaho, and placed it among the children’s books.
Dillon’s book quickly captured the hearts of his local librarians and patrons, and the library officially added it to their collection. The library’s Facebook page shared the news and announced that Dillon’s book had won the first-ever Whoodini Award for Best Young Novelist, a new award created in his honor. Dillon’s determination and passion for writing has inspired many, proving that age is just a number when it comes to pursuing one’s dreams.
According to local news station KTVB, Dillon’s graphic novel features himself, his mother, Santa, a portal, and a giant carnivorous turkey. He had been dreaming of placing a book on the library shelf since he was five, almost half of his life. Despite having to sneak past several librarians to quietly place his book on the shelf, Dillon successfully achieved his goal. He stated that he would always be sneaky, similar to how he gets chocolate. The way the adults handled Dillon’s creativity and determination was commendable. His mother informed the library about the book’s presence to prevent it from getting lost or taken, and the librarians made sure to circulate the book rather than simply returning it.
According to Lake Hazel Branch Library manager Alex Hartman, Dillon’s parents were concerned that the librarians might remove his book. However, Hartman assured them that the book was safe at the library, and the librarians actually adored it.
Hartman stated, “It’s a good story, and it deserves a place on our library shelves.”
At the time of the local news report, there were only a few people waiting to check out Dillon’s book. However, according to The New York Times, as of the end of January, the waiting list has grown to an astounding 56 people. If each person kept the book for the maximum four-week checkout period, it would take four years for the people at the bottom of the list to get their hands on it. Dillon’s experience has even inspired him to pursue a career in writing, with plans to switch to game creation when he turns 40. In the meantime, he’s already working on the sequel to his first novel, which he plans to call “The Jacket-Eating Closet,” based on true events. This is truly impressive, and Dillon deserves praise for pursuing his dream, his mother for supporting him, and the librarians for fostering a child’s creativity.