GA Girl, 6, Publishes Book 'Sibling Love', Launches Business

MARIETTA, GA — A six-year-old Georgia girl is on a mission. She wants ‘every child' in the world to fall in love with reading, just like she did. Her first published children’s book, “Sibling Love” started taking pre-orders Sunday.

Aspen King, of Marietta, has been in front of books since before she could even talk, said her mother, Amiyra King. Now in the 1st grade, Aspen is reading herself. She started reading at a third-grade level in kindergarten.

Aspen told Patch that her favorite books are Junie B. Jones by Barbara Park. She said she has read 1,000 books and wants to write books to encourage "all kids to read."

The idea to write her own book was sparked from a bookstore visit. Known to speed through chapter books, Amiyra said she would take Aspen and her littler brother Chandler to Barnes & Noble every week. On this particular visit, an employee recommended some books for Aspen to try.

“She said, ‘Mommy, they aren’t really interesting’ and so I asked her what should we do. She said, ‘I know, we can create our own chapter book.’”

Amiyra said Aspen struggled to find books with characters who not only made her laugh, but who also looked like her.

The pandemic slowed their busy lives down and gave them the time they needed to begin the publishing process, Amiyra said.

“I told her that it would be finished before the end of 2020,” she said. “We unleashed our talents during COVID.”

Keeping true to her word, Amiyra soon found a publisher and let Aspen lead the project.

“She created the entire story, literally created everything. She chose the illustrator and the character. She’s the CEO.”

The book’s title, “Sibling Love” speaks for itself. It’s also about the promises Aspen made to her little brother.

The young author didn’t want to stop there, which is why she’s also working on a 30-day journal for girls of color called “Brilliant Me.” It’s a book of affirmations. They’re in the editing process now. She’s also working on her new chapter book series.

Her drive to create has always been a part of her, said her mother. The creativity is contagious. Aspen also encouraged her mother to write, saying that she was already great at speaking to other mothers in public. In July, Amiyra launched That Mommy Joy, a blog that “celebrates motherhood.”

Their projects influenced three-year-old Chandler who wanted to join the creative team. His book, “Oh, Monster Truck, Come Sleep With Me” is available for pre-order along with his sister’s book.

The King family is also launching a pajama line on Monday, Amiyra’s idea, but “approved” by the children, she said. Jammie Joy will offer a line for boys and girls, as well as a holiday collection. There will even be something for dogs.

The brand’s slogan is: “Encouraging child literacy, one jammie at a time. Always a book before bed.”

“Aspen knew Chandler would love jammies to go with their books,” Amiyra said. “Story time is their favorite time of day.”

She said she never imagined she’d be helping her children write books, but her goal is to make their dream a reality.

“I think I planted the seed and it just flourished,” she said.

When Amiyra is not working with them on that, she’s juggling multiple roles. Aside from being a mother, Amiyra owns two companies, still works a fulltime job, assists with homeschooling her children and more. Her secret?

“I just set goals and give myself grace,” she said, crediting her husband for the support. “It’s planning, prioritizing and just always looking for different systems to help me streamline processes and procedures. And prayer.”

Her hope is that Aspen and Chandler learn they can truly do anything they set their minds to, as long as they work hard, stay committed and surround themselves with positive people.

Both books are available for pre-order and can be purchased online. Check out Aspen’s Reading Corner on Instagram and follow That Mommy Joy to learn about Amiyra’s personal experiences as a mother.