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Wilbraham native celebrates success of book series

By Danielle Paine

Reminder Assistant Editor



WILBRAHAM - Town native Suzanna Henshon, is toasting the success of recently authoring a children's book series, a career she credits to local teachers of her own childhood.

Henshon's books, titled "The Millie Series," include "Mildew on the Wall" (2004), "Spiders on the Ceiling" (2006), and "Ants on the Atlas," to be published in 2008.

"It evolved into a series when kids wrote me after the first one saying that they wanted a sequel," Henshon said. "So it wasn't exactly planned."

Henshon actually wrote the beginnings of "Mildew on the Wall" when she was just 14 years old. Once she began to take writing seriously after getting her doctorate, Henshon gave the story a second look.

"I was really lucky that the Wilbraham schools provided such a wonderful nurturing environment for young writers," Henshon said about her childhood hobby turned career. "I really have a sense of gratitude to the school system. From the day that I walked into kindergarten I just had wonderful teachers."

Three teachers in particular, Jane Leone, Milton Barnes and Deborah Gormley, are a credit to her success as an author, Henshon explained.

"I'm trying to pass on some of what I received," Henshon said about now being a professor of creative writing at Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Meyers.

The three books of the "Millie Series" tap into what Henshon calls a universal theme, a young girl who rebels by refusing to clean her bedroom.

Instead of cleaning, in "Mildew on the Wall," Millie starts a business by charging money for tours through her mess. Later books follow mischievous Millie into a slew of fifth-grade misadventures.

Although Henshon is gaining success among imaginative children, her most recent work targets their parents and teachers. Coming this Spring from Prufrock Press are Henshon's "King Arthur's Academy: Descriptive & Narrative Writing Exercises" and "Haunted House: Descriptive & Narrative Writing Exercises." Both are creative writing books for grades three through five. "Notes from a Writer," is another of Henshon's recent projects, a short manual of encouragement and advice for parents and mentors of gifted young writers.

Henshon said that the most amazing part of the journey to becoming an author has been gaining the ability to let students to learn from her mistakes. She hopes to guide them more easily into the publishing process, avoiding some of the rejection she was confronted with.

Another great outcome of the Millie series in Henshon's eyes is getting fan letters from children and making a positive impact on their lives.

"It is like I'm just beginning really," Henshon said. "Hopefully there are a lot of stories ahead."