First published in the December 2020 issue of Baton Rouge Parents magazine and its website.
Sophia Lurue Guyton learned to read when she was three, and by
the time she was seven, she had already published her first book, The Adventures of Mia and Jace.
“God gave her a message and told her that he wanted other people to know
about him,” says Tabitha Lamb, Sophia’s mom. “Her goal was to write a
letter to everyone in the whole world.” Once Sophia realized the
enormity of finding so many addresses, she decided to write a book
instead.
Available on Amazon, the 32-chapter book about life lessons on character
and integrity was completed in five months, and the stories feature
characters based on herself, older brother Jace, and several of her
favorite toys.
A third grader at Math Science & Arts Academy West in Plaquemine,
Sophia, now eight, hasn’t published anything more since the book was
released. “She’ll think about it every now and again,” Tabitha says.
“She actually has enough to write another one. She hasn’t said that
she’s ready yet.”
Tabitha has a very strong religious background, and the family starts
their mornings and ends their evenings with Bible study, so the content
of Sophia’s book wasn’t all that surprising.
A gifted student, Sophia loves art and reading. Spending time with her
miniature poodle, Snowball, has been one way she’s been surviving the
changes wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sophia’s writing ability and concern for others are just two of the
characteristics that make her such an amazing kid. “She’s so considerate
and very articulate and intelligent, even though super, super shy,”
Tabitha says.