Michigan-based authors Cameron and Julian come and read to children in Cheboygan
Cameron reads the book “Sport” to children at Cheboygan’s The Book Store
Author Pamela Cameron reads to children from her book “Sport: Ship Dog of the Great Lakes” on Thursday, July 11, at The Book Store in Cheboygan.
CHEBOYGAN — One is from the West Michigan area. The other is a Northern Michigander at heart.
Whatever way you look at it, the children were in luck on Thursday because two authors came to Cheboygan and read their books at “The Book Store” on Main Street.
Shortly before noon, author Pamela Cameron arrived in Cheboygan. She is from Greenville and currently lives in Kalamazoo and read her book “Sport: Ship Dog of the Great Lakes” to the children in the book store.
The story centers on Sport, a puppy rescued from the Milwaukee River in 1914 by the crew of the Lake Michigan lighthouse ship. After the rescue, the dog was named Sport by the crew. Using historical documents and photographs, Cameron recounts the documented escapades of the dog who became the lake’s recognizable mascot – as a helpful crew member who hauled the ropes to shore, helped maintain the safety buoys, brought supplies to the lighthouses, and even played on the crew’s baseball team. Sport’s adventures teach readers about life on America’s inland seas and tell the story of how lighthouse ships helped keep the Great Lakes safe. The book’s illustrations are by Renée Graef.
“I realized there was a need for nonfiction and true books for children in the Great Lakes,” Cameron said. “It’s the story of his life. Just for fun, PBS announced a day or two ago that they were going to do a show and a sports program.”
“Of course I wrote it for children, but I didn’t know all the stories that children and adults told me – as my husband said, it brought joy to the world,” Cameron added. “The teachers really embraced it and enjoyed it in class because I taught third and fourth grade. This is the only book I wrote.”
Before Cameron arrived in Cheboygan, Kristie Julian, a Mackinaw City High School graduate and author, read from one of her many children’s books to the young children in attendance.
After living in Dallas, Julian eventually returned to Michigan with her children. As a creative person that she has been her entire life, Julian always wanted to make a children’s book one day. And lo and behold, her first book came out in 2020 and she’s been at it ever since.
“When I had my first child, I changed the stories to make them rhyme and sound better, and I thought I should write a children’s book one day. So when I moved back to Mackinaw to raise my three kids, I decided to just do it,” Julian said. “I’m afraid to admit it’s been fantastic for me because of Covid, but I figured out how to write my first children’s book.”
Since then, Julian has written ten books. She self-publishes her books and does her own illustrations and photographs, something she is very proud of. Her first book was “Hey Momma, did you see that?”, which is about the adventures of a mother and her son who go into the woods.
“I love it when someone holds the book in their hands,” said Julian. “When I make it for someone else, I’m even more excited about it than they are. It’s always about adventure and outdoor activities.”
While Julian, who works at Cheboygan Middle School, will continue to write books, she will also continue to encourage children to be creative and perhaps one day write their own book.
“I have to say that our kids here in Cheboygan are very talented,” Julian said. “They come to me all the time and I say, ‘Let’s start your comic. You draw ten times better than me,’ so I always encourage the kids. They show me their drawings and diaries.”
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