📚 He wrote a book at 8 years old — then secretly placed it in the library. What happened next made school history. A red notebook, a Christmas adventure, and one brave little author… Dillon Helbig’s story proves that big dreams can start small — and that magic can happen when you believe in your own work. Read the full heartwarming story in the article below!👇
Eight-year-old Dillon Helbig is a second grader at a regular school in the town of Boise, Idaho. And no one could have guessed that this young boy would soon become a real author! We want to share this unusual story of how his book came to be.
Dillon wrote his book, “The Christmas Adventures of Dillon Helbig,” by hand in a regular red notebook. It’s a fun adventure story that he also illustrated himself using colored pencils.
In his book, Dillon wrote about exciting winter adventures — like a New Year’s star exploding and his own imaginary journey to the North Pole. He made himself the hero of the story and filled it with creative ideas.
Proud of his work, Dillon wanted other kids to read it too. So, without telling anyone, he quietly placed his notebook on a shelf in the school library. He didn’t ask the librarians for permission because he was worried they wouldn’t accept it as a real book.
When he came back a few days later to check on it, the book was gone. Dillon felt sad and, along with his parents, started looking into what had happened. He was afraid someone had thrown it away.
But as it turned out, librarian Alex Hartman had found the notebook. He was impressed by the story and thought it deserved to be part of the library’s collection. He contacted Dillon’s parents to ask if they would allow the book to be officially added with a barcode — and they agreed.
The library recognized Dillon’s notebook as a real graphic novel.
To everyone’s surprise, more than 55 people signed up to borrow the book — a huge number for a school library! Since each reader can keep the book for up to four weeks, some students may have to wait a long time to enjoy Dillon’s Christmas adventure. It’s become a true hit!
