Mariem Elchoum,  Port Richmond High School Class of 2011, and PRHS English teacher, published her first children’s book, The Magic Peanut, on December 15, 2022. The story is about a rotten apple who was being bullied for being rotten and what he learns as he tries to change that about himself.  

   Mrs. Elchoum’s 6th grade teacher gave her the inspiration and encouragement to write. “When I was in 6th grade my teacher asked our class to write a story about whatever we wanted. She said there were no rules. It could be about anything. That is when my love for writing began, and The Magic Peanut was produced. If it wasn’t for the assignment my 6th grade teacher, Sister Maya, asked our class to do, I probably would have never written the story,” Mrs. Elchoum said. Mrs. Elchoum’s high school teachers also had a positive impact on her writing career. Ms. Troianiello’s writing activities prospered her writing because they were engaging. Mrs. Elchoum was part of the culinary program at PRHS. Mr. James Ryan’s advice to his class to always take the initiative stayed with her beyond her high school years. “…it definitely pushed me to get things done as opposed to waiting around for things to just happen,” said Mrs. Elchoum. 

     Her experience as a teacher and a mother influenced Mrs. Elchoum to create a specific message for her readers. “When I first wrote the story, the creativity and the gist of the story were there, but the essential lesson and development happened after I became an English teacher and a mother. I try to read to my children as much as I can, so anytime we have story time, I find myself analyzing the story. I try to think about the message the author is conveying to the reader,” Mrs. Elchoum said. The message she conveys to her readers is that it is important to be kind, respectful, and accepting of everyone despite having different beliefs. “I hope that children learn life lessons from my stories. I have another story coming out soon. It is called Orange, the Famous Astronaut. My goal is to create fun interactive ways to entertain, engage, and teach kids important life lessons,” Mrs. Elchoum said.  

   Mrs. Elchoum’s advice to anyone who dreams of authoring a book is “If you believe you can do it, make it a priority, and get it done. It’s important to ask questions, research, and be patient. Everything takes time, but if you are consistent and determined you might surprise yourself with what you can accomplish.”