Friends from Homer Glen school teaming up again to release their second book.

A group of young students at Oak Prairie Junior High School in Homer Glen were given a simple writing prompt in their class. The task was to incorporate a willow tree into their story and let their creativity flow from there. And that's exactly what they did.

Brainstorming together, five girls came up with a unique idea for their story. They imagined the willow tree filled with stuffed animals, and from there, a tale of a young girl, her sorrows, and her perseverance emerged. It was a story that they were all passionate about and together, they brought it to life. And thus, "The Old Willow" was born.

The girls decided to self-publish their book on Amazon, and it was a hit. Encouraged by the success of their first book, they are now working on their second book, "Jane's Story," which is currently in the editing process.

Lilly Barrett, one of the authors and now a seventh grader, shared the inspiration behind their story. She explained how they started with the image of a little girl holding onto her stuffed animal, and then incorporated the willow tree from the prompt. The story revolved around the girl's sick mother, her struggles, and her regret for not being able to save her.

Set in 1876, the story takes a surprising turn when the main character, Elizabeth Anderson, dies and finds herself in limbo. She is given a choice between saving herself or her mother, and the girls' writing skills keep the readers on the edge of their seats.

Lilly, who lives in Homer Glen, also shared their writing process. They would all call each other and come up with ideas together, writing it all down on a Google doc. They even worked on it during free writing time in school and on FaceTime at home. In the process, they not only created a book but also formed strong friendships.

For Mia Wegworth, who lives in Lockport and has always been passionate about writing, the characters they created felt like real members of their group. She shared how she felt connected to them, especially the protagonist of their new book, Jane. Mia admired Jane's wit and ability to be someone she wasn't, in a good way.

The girls also expressed their gratitude towards their English Language Arts teacher, Carrie Blackburn, who was a great supporter of their book. They dedicated their book to her, and Mia shared how they valued her honest opinion and trust in their writing.

For Sophia Carriel, also from Lockport, this was one of her first experiences with writing. She admitted that it was challenging to come up with ideas at first, but eventually, they all worked together and created something amazing. Her favorite part was trying something new and stepping out of her comfort zone. Her love for J.K. Rowling's writing only added to her passion for the project.

Faith Miller, who never saw herself as a writer before this project, shared how working together and creating a story that was entirely theirs changed her perspective. She found joy in the process and the final outcome and described it as a fun activity that they all loved doing together. They would often call each other and work on the book simultaneously, even during lunch breaks.

Annie Corrigan, from Homer Glen, said that this experience opened her eyes to the world of literature. She found it more personal and satisfying to connect with a story that she had written herself, rather than just reading it. The girls also enjoyed talking about books so much that they started a book club, which they attend during lunch breaks in the library. Emily Wedewer, the school library media specialist, has been with them from the beginning and has watched their progress with admiration.

Blackburn, their English teacher, shared the purpose behind this writing assignment. She wanted the girls to write whatever came to their minds and express their thoughts and emotions through their writing. She was amazed at how sensitive and observant they were, picking up on things that others might not have noticed.

She also appreciated how well the girls worked together and learned to be open to each other's ideas. As a seasoned teacher who has been doing this exercise for 25 years, Blackburn was impressed by the girls' leadership skills and their ability to compromise and collaborate. She also noticed the dark tone of their story and was taken aback by it. However, she also acknowledged that the girls were mature and had a unique perspective on things.

In the end, Blackburn shared her love for the girls and their writing. She appreciated their thoughts and opinions, and was proud of the young writers they had become. The girls may have written a dark story, but their writing skills and ability to work together shone through, making their book a success. Janice Neumann, a freelance reporter, was inspired by their story and shared it with the Daily Southtown for others to read and appreciate.

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