Thomas County Middle School seventh-grade students in Mrs. Rhonda Smith and Mrs. Retha Lee's classes have recently become published authors through a national student publishing program.  As part of the publishing process, students planned, wrote, and illustrated their own books using a free publishing kit provided by Studentreasures Publishing.  

Each class created their own book, with each student contributing a page that he/she wrote and illustrated.  Students brainstormed topics for their books and then held a class vote to make the final decision on the topic.  Publishing a book in the classroom engages students through hands-on learning and inspires a love of reading and writing.

Pictured below are published authors along with their teachers.  Seated in the front is Hailey Adams.  Seated from left to right is Daviyon Johnson, Celeste Evans, Savannah Beasley, Mikayla Graham, and Myrajo Williams.  Standing from left to right is Mrs. Rhonda Smith, Caleb Kinneer,  Johneishia Williams, Samuel Gonzalez, and Mrs. Retha Lee.

In the second image, Samuel Gonzalez, Celeste Evans, Mikayla Graham, and Myrajo Williams are pictured reading their class book.

In the third picture, students are displaying the page in the book that they wrote.  Pictured from left to right are Daviyon Johnson, Hailey Adams, Johneishia Williams, Savannah Beasley, and Caleb Kinneer.