NASC student publishes her first children’s book

Northern Adelaide Senior College student Kirsty B. publishes her children’s book on recycling soft plastic in response to Australia’s growing waste problem.

‘Where did my wrapper go?’ follows three children discovering their favourite yogurt snack wrapper might end up in our oceans and harm oceanic wildlife if not recycled properly.

“I am very passionate about recycling,” says Kirsty.

“It’s something I have always tried to do my best at. I think we don’t recycle enough and lots of my friends and family don’t know what to recycle and then they recycle the wrong things.

“I just feel like I should educate my children so they do the right thing.”

The book represents her outcome for Research Project, a subject all students studying Stage II must complete.

Phillip Stewart, Kirsty’s teacher for Research Project, says he’s impressed with Kirsty’s journey from concept to a published physical product.

“Her interest, her passion all along, was recycling and her idea was to look at recycling of plastics (or lack of recycling of plastics), what happens to them when they get into the oceans, and the impact it has on wildlife in the oceans,” says Phillip.

“Like most learners who are doing Research Project, it starts to morph in various directions.

“Kirsty in the end decided to combine two passions, which was the concern about the environment, recycling and her three children.

“Eventually, the idea sort of hit her – ‘Well what if I could create a book which I could give to my children and it would talk about how to recycle and the impact of poor recycling and what you should do from there?’

“So that’s how the idea of the book came about.”

Through discussion with Phillip, Kirsty realised that her brother could help with the illustrations and that she could publish her book through a print-on-demand service.

“I’m not a fan of research project, but I’m really happy with my outcome, so I guess it balances out.,” says Kirsty.

Kirsty’s advice for new and existing Research Project students?

“Just pick something that you’re passionate about. To keep you going for a whole semester it has to be something you enjoy,” says Kirsty.

Copies of her book are available to borrow in the Northern Adelaide Senior College school library.

Want an outcome like Kirsty’s? Enrol at Northern Adelaide Senior College for 2021. Enrolments now open. Call (08) 7285 1600 to learn more.