The Martlet

Tara Saracuse has known she wanted to be a writer since Grade 1.

“I remember sitting cross-legged on that terrible, scratchy carpet. Our teacher was reading us The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. I was in awe,” said Saracuse.

“That was the first time I realized you can make pictures with words. It must’ve been the fourth or fifth day of Grade 1, and I said to myself ‘this is what I’ll do,’ ” she said.

This March, Saracuse’s dream will come true with the publication of Island Kids, her first book. Saracuse, a fourth-year UVic writing student with a focus on non-fiction, will be graduating in April with one book already under her belt.

“It’s hard to believe,” she said.

Island Kids was eight months in the making. Under the tutelage of writing professor Lynne Van Luven and history professor John Lutz, Saracuse wrote her book as a directed studies project. She even earned school credit.

“I’m a really self-driven person,” said Saracuse, but she acknowledged that she never could have finished the project without the mentorship and guidance of Lutz and Van Luven.

“They were both amazing. They were there for every question, every concern,” she said.

Saracuse’s book is now complete, at 232 pages and approximately 60,000 words. The book is a series of stories told by historical characters, ranging from ancient First Nation tales right up through modern 2009 narratives. The book covers events like the Port Alberni tsunami in 1964.

Island Kids is the third book in a series including Kidmonton and Rocky Mountain Kids by Linda Goyette, who worked as Saracuse’s editor. The fourth in the series, Northern Kids, is currently in the works.

“These books re-define how we teach history,” said Saracuse. “Instead of dates and names, they really connect reality with history. These are real people, real lives. Kids read this and say ‘these kids are just like me.’ ”

Saracuse was initially interested in the project because she was exploring the concept of non-fiction. She wondered if a story could be told in an “invented” or “imitative voice” without jeopardizing its authenticity.

Though both Goyette and Saracuse pain-stakingly studied the letters, voices and stories of their subjects, could it still be considered true if they were writing in someone else’s voice?

“It’s a conundrum,” Saracuse said.

Ultimately, she decided that though her book doesn’t meet some of the basic tenets of creative non-fiction, the rules are different for children’s literature. She believes children’s creative non-fiction could become a genre of its own.

“It’s a good PhD question,” said Saracuse, with a laugh.

She plans to continue writing while pursuing her Master’s and PhD. Ultimately, she’d like to become a teacher.

“I walked on campus and I decided right away this was the perfect environment for me. If I could, I would just be a professional student forever,” she said. “But since they’re not paying me, my other option is to become a professor.”

Island Kids will be in print in March.