Starting kindergarten can be so exciting for many children. They get to meet new friends, learn about new things, and become part of a new community. But it can also raise a lot of worries for some children, such as “Will I make friends?” and “Will I like the teacher?”

Young author Parker J. Jackson felt some of those jitters when she started kindergarten at Holt Elementary School. She saw a girl that she wanted to talk to, but she felt nervous and unsure at first.

“I thought I wasn’t going to fit in, but then I got the courage to go up to Isabella and talk to her,” Parker said. They became fast friends, and in the fifth grade now, they are still friends.

When Parker was telling her grandmother Fatima Smith that story, her grandmother told her she thought that would be a great idea for a book.

“She wanted to let other children know that they do not have to be afraid to start a new school or a new grade,” Smith said. “You have to have the faith and the courage to just go for it.”

Smith’s neighbor worked for the publisher Purposely Booked, and she pitched the idea for Parker’s book. The publisher loved it, and the ladies got to work helping Parker’s book a reality. Now, the coloring story “The First Day of School Jitters” is available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. 

Parker decided on the title, wrote the story, and decided on the direction for the pictures, which were illustrated by a professional. She also decided on the cover picture, which included the outfit that her grandmother bought her for her first day of kindergarten.

“It really blessed my heart,” Smith said.

Parker began the process with her grandmother last November, and her book was published in February. Smith explained that the coloring aspect of the story makes it more interactive for kids, pulling them in and making them feel like they are part of the story.

There’s a courage pledge at the end of the book. Readers are asked to fill in their name and say “I __ pledge to be courageous in any challenge I face.”

Parker explained “Because sometimes you have to do things that you don’t want to do and you’re probably scared of the thing, so you can just find courage inside of you and do it anyway.”

Parker, now 10, said she’s had to be courageous many times in her life, including when she’s learning new tricks in gymnastics or moves on the soccer field. She said she likes to read and come up with her own stories, but she’s not sure about plans for any future books right now. 

“With a kid like her, she’s very intuitive. She needs a creative outlet,” said Parker’s mom, Dione Jackson. However, she said, “I don’t think she realizes what she did – that she wrote a book and how major that is.”

Jackson describes Parker as “the sweetest, most talented little girl” who is really helpful with her friends and other kids. “She’s just developing into a wonderful person,” Jackson said.

Her grandmother echoes those sentiments. “She is courageous and brave, and she has a heart to help others…. She’s the kind of person who wants to mentor others, to say ‘If I could do it, you could do it, too.’ Just by being brave, you never know, you could have lifetime memories with a childhood friend.”

“The First Day of School Jitters” is available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. It is also available locally by emailing fsmithproductions@gmail.com.