4th-grade author a winner 4th-grade author a winner (June 11, 2004)

Huff School student wins mystery writing contest

By Julie O'Shea

He's no Stephen King or Tom Clancy. But just give him a few years, and Arian Dehnow's name could very well be gracing the top of national bestseller lists, his teachers predict. Last week, the perky author was already seen happily signing autographed copies of his first published work, a short story entitled "Mystery in Naira Forest."

That's pretty impressive for a 10-year-old who just finished the fourth grade at Huff Elementary School this week.

"I don't really feel famous," Arian said with a shrug, during an after-school interview last Friday. "I still have the same friends and the same everything. I still feel the same. No one's treating me differently."

This may be so, but Scholastic, which published his story, is already touting Arian as an "award-winning" mystery writer.

Last year, when Arian was just 8, his third-grade teacher Marilyn Higa, encouraged him to enter Scholastic's "Lucky Book Club Boxcar Children Mystery-Writing Contest." Out of the thousands of entries received from second- and third-graders around the country, there were just 10 winners. Arian was one of them.

"He has just this amazing gift with language," said Heather Larkin, Arian's fourth-grade teacher. "The thought behind his writing is extraordinary."

The contest asked students to write a short mystery story featuring the four siblings -- Violet, Henry, Jessie and Benny Alden -- of the popular Boxcar Children series. Arian's story, along with those of the nine other winners, was published in a 57-page anthology this year.

"I didn't like (my) story that won. I thought it was boring," Arian lamented. "I didn't like the plot, but I thought it was good enough to (submit.)"

Arian, obviously his own worst critic, said he wished he'd added a few more subplots in his story, which he wrote in two weeks.

"He likes to surprise the reader," Larkin agreed. "He is very aware of the reader. That is his secret."

Arian received 100 copies of the paperback collection of the winning short stories, which he sold for $2 apiece at Huff last week. The young writer, who's also a skilled poet, according to his teacher, said he made $44 at his first book signing. Arian donated half of these earnings to Huff, the other half, he said, he's keeping for a rainy day.

"I'm going to save it for maybe college," Arian said.

He's already thinking about the future, adding excitedly that he'd like to eventually write Hollywood scripts with his cousin Zachary, also 10. The two have already jotted down a few ideas, Arian said, mostly involving futuristic cars and mystical animals.

"I'm interested in making movies out of stories," Arian said, "because then you can make a lot of money, (and) me and my cousin already have our (dream) house planned out."

E-mail Julie O'Shea at joshea@mv-voice.com

E-mail a friend a link to this story.