Success: Nicholas Goodin a published author at just 12

HE might be just 12 years old, but Nicholas Goodin is already a published author.

Nicholas was just nine when he was challenged to write a children’s story that used fictional characters to introduce young readers to real facts about animals.

Four years later the finished product, The Great Race of Kakadu, has hit the printer and will be released on February 28.

Now a Year 8 student at Emmanuel Catholic College, Nicholas said the story followed an emu named Elliot who loves racing but could not enter the air race because he was a bird that couldn’t fly.

“The animals come together and make an agreement that Elliot should be allowed to participate in the land races,” he said.

He said he had always enjoyed reading and writing and had loved experiencing the publishing process.

“I love letting my imagination run wild, and I like creating different characters for different stories,” he said.

“The Great Race of Kakadu has an excellent moral which is to get back up, even when people try to knock you down, and always do your best.

“I also think that children will read it because it was written by someone who is a similar age.”

Nicholas said he was already working on his next book in the ‘Kakadu Adventures’ series and hoped to continue writing into adulthood.

Visit www.austinmacauley.com/book/great-race-kakadu to purchase the book.