10-year-old boy from South Brunswick, NJ, publishes his first book in support of St. Jude
For 10-year-old Shiv Badgujar, writing comes “easy.”
The rising fifth-grader at Monmouth Junction Elementary School in South Brunswick said he enjoys using his imagination to create stories full of adventure and fantasy.
A school assignment inspired his first attempt at writing something longer than short stories or essays – an 80-page adventure novel.
“That’s where he wrote the first chapter of the book,” said Shiv’s mother Ruhi Malgaonkar. “And we thought, ‘Oh, wow, he’s never been to an orphanage. He can imagine a boy in an orphanage and a headmaster? Talking to them about fantasy stuff?’ And then we asked him, ‘What happens next? What happens next?’ And then he started writing chapter by chapter. To the point that he finished the book in one weekend with seven chapters. We thought, ‘Well, that’s very nice.’
This school assignment and encouragement at home led to The Battle of Cerulea Pentalogy, Shiv’s first novel.
The book, published in May, tells the story of three friends – Max, Tiño and Alex – who live in an orphanage.
They are given a mysterious object by an ancient guru that allows them to travel through the blue, pink and purple galaxies and experience a series of adventures with dragons, aliens, distant lands and treasures while fighting battles against beasts and searching for the precious stones of fire, water, earth and the galaxy.
“I have been writing stories since second grade,” said Shiv, the only child of Malgaonkar and Amit Badgujar, the book’s publisher. “With this one, I just wanted to express my feelings and write about friendship.”
The self-published book is aimed at readers ages 7 to 12 and reflects Shiv’s storytelling skills and vivid imagination. Several classmates have read the book and asked for an autograph.
“On the day of the release, he was really nervous,” said Malgaonkar. “He was wondering, ‘What will my friends think? Will they like the story?’ I told him that he has given them something to enjoy. He may get mixed reviews and should be OK with that. But thankfully, everyone, even his friends’ parents who have read the book, have showered him with so much love.”
Shiv had a clear vision for his book. He also did the preparatory work, like correcting spelling and punctuation errors and working out Mama’s AI illustrations. He was very involved in the entire process, Malgaonkar said.
While the future adventures of Max, Tiño and Alex are unknown, Shiv knows he will continue writing fiction. He is already planning another novel.
“I really enjoy writing. It allows me to let my imagination run wild,” he said.
Shiv hopes the book will inspire other young writers to express their own creativity and hopes that “their parents will be proud of their children’s artwork and display it, no matter what it looks like.”
When Shiv is not writing, he enjoys spending time with friends and playing or watching cricket and football. He also enjoys helping with cooking in the kitchen and playing video games.
Shiv has supported St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital since 2018 and pledged to donate 100% of the proceeds from “The Battle of Cerulea Pentalogy” to the nonprofit organization.
“The money will be donated to the hospital to help needy children,” Shiv said, “and help them survive cancer.”
The book is available online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble for $6.50.
For more information about Shiv and the Battle of Cerulea Pentalogy, visit shivbadgujar.wixsite.com/book.
Email: [email protected]
Cheryl Makin is an award-winning features and education reporter for MyCentralJersey.comPart of the USA Today Network. Contact: [email protected] or @CherylMakin. To get unlimited access, subscribe or activate your digital account today.
“They have these fundamental skills and are able to add value right from the start!” Assiniboine College – DiscoverWestman.com
Love’s Travel Stop and Country Store coming to Belmont County
Travis Kelce attends Taylor Swift’s show in Dublin after his teammate’s wedding | SportsTalk 790
About The Author
