Itawamba County seventh grader inks publishing deal

DORSEY, MISS. (WCBI) – Many people dream of being a published author, but for an Itawamba County seventh grader, that dream will soon become a reality.

Wherever Elias Mask goes, he has a notebook with him, to jot down storylines.

“Kind of expresses me a little bit,” said Mask.

The seventh grader at Dorsey Attendance Center recently signed a contract with book publisher “Charlie’s Port”

A four book series titled “The Extra Ordinary Life of Elias” will feature fictional adventures with many surprises.

“The first book, the main character, who Elias, finds his Dad wearing an alien mask and he doesn’t know it’s his Dad and he finds him kissing his mom, so he thinks, ‘ I need to get rid of this alien,” said Mask.

Elias credited his creative writing teacher with sparking his interest in the craft.

“I think Elias is an inspiration to all of his classmates and just it really shows even a student from a little county school like Dorsey Attendance Center can do great things, if you persevere and work hard and he is a hard worker, we’re really proud of him,” said Leigh Eaton, Elias’ creative writing teacher.

Teachers, faculty , staff and students at Dorsey Attendance Center were so proud of Elias, they organized a pep rally, celebrating the young author’s book deal.

The band, cheerleaders and local dignitaries packed the school’s gym for the big event. Elias and his family said they are overwhelmed at the community’s support.

“I’m kind of amazed, I heard, we’re having a pep rally, I was like, what, my mind was just blown,” said Elias.

“The school here has been super nice, we have had nothing but praise and help from the school, local community also,” said Elias’ dad Terry Mask.

The first book in the series, “The Alien Invasion” is tentatively scheduled to be published next fall. In the meantime, Elias will continue collecting ideas for future books.

Elias plans on donating his royalties to charitable organizations. Regarding his future, Elias wants to attend Harvard, and be a robotic surgeon.