Little boy (8) secretly places his handwritten book in the library, now there is a long waiting list to read it | Abroad

In a red-covered notebook, Dillon wrote down his Christmas adventure, which he illustrated with colorful drawings. When he finished the story in mid-December, he decided to share it with other people. And for that he came up with a plan. The boy was just waiting for the right moment to perform it, according to The Washington Post.

During a visit with his grandmother to the library in Boise – the capital of Idaho – he saw his chance. Holding the 81-page book entitled “The Adventures of Dillon Helbig’s Crismis” to his chest, he walked past the unsuspecting librarians. Then Dillon shoved his story on a children’s bookshelf among the other children’s books—unbeknownst to his grandmother. No one had seen him do it.

“It was naughty,” Dillon said of depositing the book secretly. But the result is “pretty cool,” he added. But the boy could not remain silent for long. He confessed his roguish act to his mother Susan.

But when they returned about two days later to where he had left the book, it was gone. Helbig inquired at the library if anyone had found Dillon’s notebook and to please don’t throw it away. Fortunately, manager Alex Hartman had good news. “Dillon’s story was far too special for us to even consider getting rid of it.”

After all, Hartman and a few colleagues had discovered and read Dillon’s book. They found the adventure where an exploding star is placed on a Christmas tree and then catapulted back to the North Pole very entertaining. The manager also read the book to his 6-year-old son Cruzen, who said it was one of the funniest books ever.

The library staff agreed that the book, however informal and unconventional, met the selection criteria to be added to the collection. So Hartman asked little Dillon’s mother for permission to put a barcode on the notebook and formally add it to the library collection.

Dillon’s parents enthusiastically said yes and the book is now part of the graphic novels section for children, teens and adults. The library even awarded Dillon its first ‘Whoodini Award’ for best young novelist – an award the library created especially for him, named after the library’s owl mascot.

And that the award is completely justified, is apparent from the enthusiasm of the reading public. ‘The Adventures of Dillon Helbig’s Crismis’ is now so popular that there is a one-year waiting list.

If a book has a long waiting list, the library will usually purchase additional copies, but this is not possible with this unique copy. An e-book version of the book may be coming soon so that more people can read it.

“Who knows, Dillon may grow into a writer later on,” said his mother. Some of the children in his class have stated that they now also want to write stories. “It’s nice to see how he inspires other kids too,” said Susan.

But Dillon also has great news for his readers. He is working on a sequel to ‘Crismis’. His dog Rusty will make an appearance in it. He is also working on a book about a closet that eats coats. Enough reading material for his fans to look forward to.