By Joshua Price/Sports Editor
Westbrook Christian Elementary School sixth grader Joshua Buchi-Ahiabuike is more than just a good student – he is a published author.
Buchi-Ahiabuike completed Beginning of the Maelstrom in 2011 and recently held a book signing in the library of Westbrook Christian School. Buchi-Ahiabuike addressed classmates, encouraging them to explore their imaginations and putting their thoughts on paper.
Buchi-Ahiabuike’s Maelstrom is a science fiction story, which involves magical creatures in a setting similar to a medieval feudal society. The story pits good and evil in a struggle to save society from an evil force (The Helix).
Buchi-Ahiabuike started writing Maelstrom at the age of ten and completed in less than two years. He insists that writing the story was not much of a task because it was so much fun.
“I have a big imagination and I have a lot of things to say,” he said. “ This book is a [product] of my creativity. I just started putting my thoughts down on paper and went from there.”
Buchi-Ahiabuike is an avid reader of most anything he can get his hands and eyes on. He said Maelstrom was inspired by two of his favorite science fiction authors.
Buchi-Ahiabuike is not finished writing the Maelstrom saga. The second novel in the series is titled King of the Gods.
“I plan on writing a series of four books. I am currently 600 pages into the second book and hope to have it finished soon.”
Buchi-Ahiabuike said King of the Gods should be completed and released this summer.
Buchi-Ahiabuike started writing at the age of seven. He scored a record 546.9 points in the Accelerated Readers program as a third grader at Ezell Harding Christian School in Antioch, Tennessee.
Any person interested in obtaining a copy of Buchi-Ahiabuike’s work should contact Westbrook Christian School at 256-442-7457.
Joshua Buchi-Ahiabuike is the son of Dr. Smithson and Chinyere Hope Buchi-Ahiabuike. He lives with his family in Rainbow City.
“I am very proud of Josh’s accomplishments,” Westbrook Christian Vice Principal and head varsity baseball coach Matt Kennedy said. “His efforts should be very encouraging to any student who wishes to write a book.”