WATCH: 12-year-old Maika Branch has just finished writing her second book “The Sister of Serenah”, as Shelley Steeves reports, Maika’s adventure into writing has created some magic of its own.
MONCTON – A 12-year-old from Moncton is making a name for herself in the literary world.
This week Maika Branch finished writing her second book called “The Sister of Serenah.” Maika says the book is an inspiring tale of two young girls on an adventure in a magical world.
“It’s about two sister’s Larah and Skye who live in this sprawling forest called Serena. They live off the land, their wits and of course their powers to morph,” she said.
Once this book is published, it will be Maika’s second novel. She wrote her first book at just 10 years old.
Scribbled out in pencil in her notebook she wrote “Calagarmii Cliffs,” which has already sold more than 900 copies.
Maika says her love of writing started when she was very young and had developed a love of reading.
“If I get in a fight with my brother or I am angry about something or sad I can just go to a completely different place in a book,” she said.
“It’s a whole world you are making it’s like a portal into another completely different place.”
Her ideas she says are born while playing in the woods.
“I love being in the forest, it’s so fun and I get pretty much all my inspiration from there.
Maika has developed such a confidence in her own writing, it’s helped her mother, Lidia Branch, pen her own story.
“I had a half-written manuscript in the attic but that material I was working on was a memoir and it was very hard to write,” she said. “It was very emotional, a lot of feelings and sensations to writing the story.”
After 14 years, Lidia says she finally found the courage to finish her own book called “Baby Jonah.” The book is her memoir about the emotional journey and birth of Maika’s older brother who was born premature.
“I said, ‘We’ll write together how about that?’ and she thought it was a great idea.”
Lidia says the experience was healing and her mentor – Maika – gave it rave reviews.
“It has a lot of cool stuff in it and I think it’s a really good book,” she said.
A great review from an already accomplished author. Her latest books hints to the fact that she’s growing up.
“I want people to take me seriously but also with the sense of magic that a young person has, I don’t want to lose that. There is a little romance in this one I am trying it out, testing it out,” she said.
Maika’s latest book should be in print and ready for purchase this fall.
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