Last summer, Javan Allison, a student at Norwood Elementary, attended the inaugural session of PageSlayers Summer Camp. Less than a year later, he’s the published co-author of a new children’s book series: The Adventures of Javan and the 3 A’s. Javan and his mother, Monique Cooper, co-wrote the first book, #AsthmaSucks, which was released this past March. Since then, Javan has performed at readings and held book signings, taking the idea of Slaying to new levels!
Can you tell us a little bit about The Adventures of Javan & The 3 A’s? The Adventures of Javan and the 3 A's is about a boy named Javan who describes how he feels with his disabilities through imaginary adventures. The 3 A's stand for Asthma, ADHD and Anxiety. Javan was diagnosed with all 3 and has been tackling these illnesses on a day to day basis.
What kind of book is it? The book is an informative yet educational children's book to help children understand their disabilities so they can better communicate how they are feeling, and for parents to understand them from a child's perspective.
What inspired Javan to write his own book? Javan had an opportunity to meet a young writer on a school field trip and knew then [that] it was possible to be a writer but didnt know how to go about it until [he] attended camp last summer with PageSlayers.
When did Javan first start writing creatively? Javan started writing creatively at [PageSlayers’] writing camp when he wrote about his dad's red junky car. It was a unique passage about his dad's car and he was very detailed and he brought humor to it as well.
How do you think PageSlayers may have affected Javan’s writing process? PageSlayers played a great impact on Javan's writing; [the camp] was his push to start writing and they made it fun [and he realized that it’s] also a great thing to be a Writer/Author.
Do you think Javan will keep writing more books? Yes, the first book that was published on March 30th, 2018 was #AsthmaSucks, which is the first book in the 3 book series. This is where Javan describes how he feels and ways to prevent severe attacks [within his] imaginary adventures. The next two books to be released will focus on the topics of ADHD and Anxiety.
Where can other students, parents, and supporters find the book? You can find the books on Amazon.com and BarnesAndNoble.com.
