When presented with the opportunity to write a children’s book, Autumn Lindsley jumped at the chance. The UNK sophomore published “Gregory’s Great Farm Adventure” with support from Unite for Literacy, a nonprofit organization aiming to expand the personal libraries of families across the nation.
Lindsley is an aspiring novelist and hopes to become a published fantasy author.
“It’s always been like that kind of dream on the back burner,” Lindsley said.
Lindsley fell in love with reading at an early age. Her parents encouraged her to read books instead of watching television or playing with electronics. Her love of reading and the constant exposure to storytelling that came along with it inspired her to pursue writing herself.
Lindsley is majoring in 7-12 language arts education and minoring in music. She is a member of Sigma Tau Delta, the international English honors society, and plans to become a high school English and language arts teacher.
In addition to teaching, Lindsley wants to continue to write. She has submitted pieces to “The Carillon,” UNK’s annually published literary magazine, and is working toward an accelerated master’s degree in creative writing.
In the summer of 2023, Lindsley worked as a coordinator for Nebraska 4-H, a youth development and leadership program. Unite for Literacy partnered with the program to create STEM backpacks, which provided garden-themed books and activities for families across Nebraska. Lindsley and other 4-H coordinators were asked to write the books for the project.
“Gregory’s Great Farm Adventure” tells the story of Gregory the cat looking for his friend Miles the mouse. He checks different areas of the farm, from the tomato patch to the flower garden, in search of Miles. Throughout his adventure, Gregory tells readers information about the plants he comes across and provides tips for gardening.
During the writing process, Lindsley knew she wanted her book to tell a story rather than just be instructional. She also knew the most impactful story would be one that was engaging for readers. One day, she was following her cat around the farm she lived on, and the idea came to her.
“Rather than listing a bunch of steps, if you have a little character who can act something out and that the kid can empathize with, it makes them want to read more,” Lindsley said.
The students were responsible for producing their own concepts, writing the stories and choosing photographs and illustrations for the book. The process took about three months. The books were published in the Unite for Literacy’s digital library and physical copies were created for the backpacks.
Lindsley used a combination of photographs of her cat and drawings to illustrate her book.
“I really enjoyed the experience because both the high school and college students got really interested in their books, and they really enjoyed the process of writing and producing something,” said Ann O’Conner, Nebraska 4-H project manager.
Since coming to UNK, Lindsley has found a community that supports her writing ambitions. A mutual interest in creative writing has helped her bond with her roommate, Abby Trantham. Trantham said her friendship with Lindsley has helped them both stay motivated with their writing.
“Having people here that I can talk to about my passions, like reading and writing, is one of my favorite things,” Lindsley said.
“Gregory’s Great Farm Adventure” by Autumn Lindsley can be found at https://www.uniteforliteracy.com/ngr/library/nebfourh/book?BookId=2596.
