Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Adam Donnelly

13-YEAR-OLD AUTHOR

Teen writer touring new book about 2017 Wildfires in support of first responders

Jul 11, 2019 | 3:41 PM

KAMLOOPS — For many aspiring authors, writing a book is something that takes years and years, with re-writes and revisions upon re-writes and revisions.

For one B.C. teenager, he’s already written a trio of books. Nathan McTaggart and his family are currently touring around British Columbia promoting his third book, which takes places in the Cariboo and is based on the 2017 Wildfires and the firefighters who fought them.

At 13 years of age, McTaggart is already a prolific author. On Thursday morning, he was at Kamloops-South Thompson MLA Todd Stone’s office, promoting his third book titled “Brandy and Her Super Hero.”

“It’s about a dog named Brandy who gets separated from her family because of the forest fires and [she] has agility training,” McTaggart explains. “[Brandy] helps out during the forest fires and gets reunited with her family at the end of the book.”

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Nathan takes his inspiration from real-life events and experiences he’s had. The Coquitlam teenager and his family were on vacation during the 2017 Wildfires, but a chance encounter with a Cariboo resident helped shape this story.

“We base it out of Williams Lake because [Nathan] met a hockey player at a camp in Coquitlam,” Nathan’s Dad Keven explains. “The reason [the player] was there was because he was from Williams Lake and he was displaced.”

Image Credit: CFJC Today

Nathan wrote his first book “Santa and his Super Hero” when he was just eight years old. His teacher at the time had the rest of the class illustrate the text. Five years later, Mrs. Shinkewski’s class has now illustrated all three of Nathan’s books.

“I think all of [the illustrations] are amazing,” Nathan says. “The class did such a great job. A lot of people like the one of the Mexican firefighter because he has a big mustache. Probably my favorite is the one beside it because it’s my Uncle Gord who passed away just recently. I really miss him, so it’s a really cool thing.”

A portion of proceeds from each of Nathan’s books goes to different charities throughout B.C. His first book benefitted the BC Professional Firefighters Association Burn Fund. His second helped the Canucks For Kids Fund. For “Brandy and Her Super Hero,” he chose a pair of charities: Firefighters Without Borders Canada and the Pacific Assistance Dogs Society.

“Oh man, I’m so proud of him,” Keven says. “He never wants to stop. This trip has been a lot of driving and interviews… He’s not complaining. He just wants to get out there and get the word out, then move on to the next book. He has the outlines for another four or five books.”

You can order Brandy and her Super Hero, or Nathan’s other two books from www.NathansSuperHeroes.com. The books are $20 each, or you can get all three for $55. And like any author, Nathan will happily sign the books before they ship.