A Sixth Grader’s Dream: AMS Student Publishes Her First Book
At just 11 years old, Lydia Girard, a sixth grader at Ames Middle School, has already achieved something most people only dream of—she’s a published author. Her book, Hidden Glaciers, is a fantasy adventure that brings together two of her greatest passions: writing and dragons.
A Dream Years in the Making
For Lydia, writing has been a part of her life for as long as she can remember. “One of the big things was I have loved writing for a long time and it had been a dream of mine for a long time, and I finally got the opportunity in fifth grade,” she said. That opportunity turned into Hidden Glaciers, a story that allowed her imagination to take flight. “The other thing was I have always thought dragons were fascinating and I really wanted to incorporate them into the story somehow.”
Though writing has been a passion for Lydia for some time, it wasn’t always that way. “Yes, I have enjoyed writing for a long time. Not always, but I did for a while before I started writing Hidden Glaciers,” she explained. Once she found her love for storytelling, there was no turning back.
Creating Her Own World
The process of writing the book was exciting for Lydia. “I think the best part of writing my book was the fact that I could write anything I wanted. I got to choose everything: the characters, the setting, the personality, all of it, and that felt really cool.” Having complete creative control over her story was one of the most rewarding parts of the journey.
However, the road to publication wasn’t without its challenges. “There were a lot,” she admitted. “One of the bigger ones, though, was editing with grammar. There were multiple times even after we published some copies, we found multiple grammatical errors that needed to be fixed.”
Lydia’s mother, Nancy Gebhart, admits she didn’t get to read the story until it was finished. What most impressed her was the complexity used in building the story brought a sense of adventure while being woven into important social lessons that reflected Lydia’s values. All the while, Gebhart knew her daughter had the persistence to see a project such as this to completion, including all the editing, revising, and communicating her vision with an illustrator.
“I am so proud that she wanted to contribute her voice in a larger context through publishing her story,” adds Gebhart. “It’s scary to create something and put it out into the world not knowing how people will receive it. I admire her bravery.”
Despite the challenges, Lydia stayed determined, making sure her story was as polished as possible before sharing it with the world.
Bringing Hidden Glaciers to Readers
As her story took shape, Lydia started to think about taking the next step: publishing. “I think I started thinking about publishing the book when I really started to get to know the book’s characters better, and I thought other people might want to read it that I didn’t know, and publishing it would give them that opportunity.”
Publishing a book is no small feat, but Lydia had a strong support system. “I think the most significant help I had while writing and publishing the book was my Mema. She is actually a published author herself and was with me every step of the way.”
With her grandmother, Cathie Gebhart’s, guidance, a retired lifelong public school teacher, Lydia navigated the challenges of editing, formatting, and finding a publisher.
Through this process, Lydia gained valuable insight into what it really takes to publish a book. “I think just how much work it takes to get a book published. Even with a smaller one like mine, because you have to incorporate the editing, finding a company that will publish your book, and many more things.”
A Rewarding Achievement
After months of hard work, Lydia finally held her finished book in her hands. “It feels really rewarding. I worked really hard to get to where I am, and being able to hold my own book in my hands makes me really proud of myself and everything I’ve accomplished.”
Readers have responded enthusiastically to Hidden Glaciers, and Lydia has received plenty of positive feedback, which has been really helpful. One moment in particular really stands out though.
“My favorite reaction I think was when I was doing a presentation about my book at the library. I was getting ready to present, and this little girl walked up to me holding my book,” said Lydia. “I had never met her before, and she said she ordered my book online, and she had loved it so much, she came to my book reading just to meet me. It was one of the best moments of my life knowing that this person loved my book so much that she came to my book talk to meet me. I will never ever forget that moment.”
Looking to the Future
According to Lydia’s mother, her hope for Lydia’s future is that she explores her passions and the things that bring her joy. She acknowledges that what may be hardest is trusting herself and feeling continually safe and confident in sharing her writing with the world.
“Selfishly I hope that continues to include writing,” adds Gebhart, “because I love her voice and point of view as a writer.”
Luckily, Lydia has no plans to stop writing anytime soon. “Yes, I would really like to continue to write books, and as for what kind, I really like fantasy, so I think that will continue to be my main genre of writing, but I think I might do science fiction or realistic fiction every once in a while.”
When a 6th grader becomes a published author, it’s more than a milestone—it’s a powerful reminder of what’s possible when young people are supported in pursuing their passions. Lydia didn’t just write a book; she followed a dream, committed to a process, and shared her voice with the world. Behind that success are the adults—teachers, parents, librarians, mentors, even memas—who took the time to listen, encourage, and believe. It’s a testament to the impact of nurturing creativity and confidence in kids. When it comes to inspiring kids, the best advice comes from Lydia’s mema, Cathie Gebhart.
“When you see the spark of interest, go for it,” she said. “If your student is interested in something you know nothing about, learn about it with them.”
For other kids who dream of writing a book, Lydia has some advice: “It’s a difficult journey to publish and write a book, but you just got to keep persisting, and the end result is really rewarding. I will never forget the first time I held my own book in my hands.”
With her determination and creativity, there’s no doubt that Hidden Glaciers is just the beginning of Lydia’s writing journey. But, most of all, her story reminds us that when we empower students to believe in themselves, incredible things happen.