Hi, I am Elliot's mother. I want to share his journey with you, his readers. Elliot is a 12-year old who studies at Chinese International School in Hong Kong. People see him as a boy who loves reading and writing, has wild imagination and wicked sense of humour. I see him as a determined young man who struggled but persevered.

 

 

When he was 3 years old and applied to Chinese International School, his admission application was almost rejected. He then struggled though lower primary, having diagnosed with processing issues, and could not start writing a full sentence until 3 years ago when he was in Year 5 (9 years old). However, that did not stop him. He always loved stories and loved creating stories. With the help of CIS teachers who never gave up on him, he worked hard and ended up developing an obsessive reading habit and fell in love with the English language. In Year 6, his written stories became the highlight of class discussions.

 

12 months ago, Elliot announced that he wanted to be an author and an English teacher when he grows up. I expressed to him that I felt it was silly to wait until being "grown up" to pursue one's passion, especially when those passions actually did not have any age requirements. He then started writing The Ravenwall, hoping to have it published when it was finished. He also started to teach young kids to read Engish books. On 14 August 2018, he announced that he finished 200 pages of "The Ravenwall".

 

 

Every time I read Elliot's The Ravenwall, proud tears would fill my eyes. Without any outside tutoring or support, nor help from his parents, he pushed himself out of his supposed disability and reached for the stars. Elliot is a real author now and he is no where near grown up yet. 

 

I am proud of Elliot. I hope his readers are proud of his drive and perseverance too. Thank you for all your support.