News - Norfolk Academy

Fifth Grader Adam '29 Has Already Written His Own Book - With More On The Way

Dec 13 2021

Adam Musselmani '29 still has more than a year of Lower School left, but he already is an accomplished author.

Adam began writing shortly after the Covid-19 pandemic hit. That was in spring 2020, when all schools in Virginia were closed as a safety measure, required to switch to online learning. That left students with extra time - no bus rides or extracurricular activities to fill their afternoons, and no one was doing much socializing.

One day, Adam's mother Rana Musselmani gave her son a laptop and suggested he start writing. He first tried to write a movie script but soon decided he'd pursue a book instead.

Adam has always had a vivid imagination. When he was about 4 years old, he imagined what it'd be like for fruits and vegetables to come to life. What would they say? What would they do? Where would they go?

Harkening back to that idea, Adam began writing. After about four months, he had a first draft. That's when he and his family entered the next phase of the book process. He worked with an illustrator for pictures, and through about a year of writing edits.

His book, VIP Fruits, was published in November. Adam has created his own website for the book and it is available on prominent websites like amazon.com and through Barnes & Noble.

“It's so incredible to see what I've created," Adam said.

He learned that the writing process is not easy. He hit writer's bloc at times, overcoming it by “going with the flow and typing," realizing he could always go back and re-work his words later.

Adam's determination to see the project through stood out to his mother, as did his ability to bring the characters in the book to life.

“I was impressed with his ability to create this dialogue," Rana Musselmani said.

After the book published, Adam hit the touring circuit, doing interviews for radio and television to promote his work. On December 11, he was part of a Book Launch Party at the Meyera E. Oberndorf Central Library in Virginia Beach.

Adam's not done yet, though. He's working on a sequel, which he hopes to publish in about a year.

The joy of enticing readers is not his only goal, though. Writing about fruits and vegetables has made him appreciate all he has access to, and realize how much less fortunate some people in the world are. He hopes his books raise awareness of the need to help the less fortunate.

“To be hungry is so awful," Adam said. “I hate that people are starving."

Adam's website: https://vip-fruits.com/

Adam's WAVY-TV article: https://www.wavy.com/news/local-news/norfolk-student-uses-down-time-during-coronavirus-pandemic-to-write-book-give-back-to-the-community/

Adam's 92.9 FM radio article: https://www.929thewave.com/2021/11/30/10-year-old-from-chesapeake-writes-book-to-benefit-childrens-organizations-listen/?fbclid=IwAR1SS3ImfXfOCMfOIwzej68_4_XAH9FZzV-yMdoUdOYCUZw52tV95RyXaak