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Children love to have stories read to them and most of the time, they ask for the same story. This is the most common scenario inside a child’s bedroom right before going to sleep. However, it is only on very rare occasions when one finds the tables turned and it is the children who create the stories – and even come out with a book to be read and appreciated by fellow children. This is the situation with the Rabun brothers – 4th grader Miles and his younger brother, 2nd grader William – who wanted to write about the fun times they have with their grandmother. After putting their heads together and acquiring the support of their family, they penned their very first book, My Grandma’s Backyard.

My Grandma’s Backyard started out as a challenge from Grandma Rabun, according to Miles and William. They related, “She challenged us to write a book after learning about our good school grades in reading and writing.” They gamely took on the dare and came up with a fun-filled tale about their real adventures during summers with their grandmother — a lover of the Great Outdoors.

My Grandma’s Backyard is one special book made by kids – for kids. It also features the stunning illustrations of Atlanta children’s book illustrator, Tony Moore. A fun activity section is included in the book so that the readers can also share their own adventures.

The Rabun boys learned about Xlibris from their parents who were researching on regular publishing and self-publishing companies. They came upon the Xlibris site and were attracted to what they saw. They noted: “Xlibris offered publishing packages that were affordable for us to use our own money earned from other entrepreneurial efforts to pay for the book. We were also thrilled about the prospect of having control over the work from beginning to end.”

So far, the Rabun family has not regretted their decision to make Xlibris the publisher for My Grandma’s Backyard. In fact, it has been earning overwhelming responses. There have been city ordinances created in Raleigh, North Carolina, as well as in Atlanta and East Point, Georgia, proclaiming a special Young Authors’ Day in honor of Miles and William. My Grandma’s Backyard has also received favorable reviews from parents’ magazines and is now on several public library shelves.

With the success of My Grandma’s Backyard, Miles and William have already travelled throughout the United States and most recently to the British West Indies to promote their book with a full program designed to educate and elevate the minds of young readers and writers.

The Rabun boys have accomplished something that other people twice their age would only dream of achieving. They are indeed living examples of the ability of children not only to share their gift (of writing) with others while still in their youth, but also their willingness to take on adult-size challenges. What is their main ingredient in achieving their goals? They reply: “Our inspiration is to always carry our tools for success: Determination, Imagination, and Education.”

My Grandma’s Backyard may be purchased directly through Xlibris Corporation or Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

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