Waxahachie Elementary School Student Won Contest to Publish Children's Book

Brek Bradshaw is a 5th grader at Shackelford Elementary School in Waxahachie, but he's more than a student.

"I have a job," Bradshaw said smiling. "It's an author."

Bradshaw won a book writing contest last year to have his book 'Chicken Bot and the Golden Egg' published.

"His story was just catchy. The title was catchy," David Flores said.

Flores came up with the contest idea and published the book under his bilingual Brownie Books company, which he started after seeing a cultural hole in the book market.

"I just knew that...there were stories that need to be told," Flores said. "Even if an agent doesn't pick up my book, or if a publishing house doesn't pick up my book, I just wanted to tell a story."

Flores helped make Bradshaw's book bilingual, with tests in English and Spanish.

"Well, I think that's pretty cool some people in different cultures can read my book," Bradshaw said.

Bradshaw's original book draft came with his own sketches of the characters, which were made into digital illustrations.

"Well the chicken was ok, it was the chicken bot," Bradshaw said. "They made it green and I kinda wanted it orange."

So in the final book draft, it's orange. The book is being sold in some stores and online.

"I thought it would be, like, awesome and stuff," Bradshaw said. "Which it pretty much was."

"We are teaching him a life lesson that his creativity can be compensated," Flores said. "So you can do something that you love and it can be your livelihood."

Flores would like to hold the contest again this year, and maybe expand beyond Shackelford Elementary. They are looking for a donor to help with publishing expenses.

"You don't have to be an adult to do something big," Bradshaw said.