Waxahachie, TX
April 10, 2019 | Mikayla Heldt
Southwestern Assemblies of God University (SAGU) alumna Christy Harrison recently released the second installment of her children’s chapter book series, “ Marty’s Crazy Adventures ”, titled “ Galaxy Zone ”.
“My children’s books are based on a puppet character that my husband and I have done for over twenty years now,” Harrison says. “His name is Marty and he’s a crazy red-headed 8-year-old boy.”
Before moving to Arkansas where they currently reside, Harrison and her husband Tony were children’s pastors in Texas. They’ve been using Marty as part of their illustrations for over twenty years but it wasn’t until Harrison became a librarian in Arkansas when she realized that she wanted to write her own children’s books about the character.
“I taught fourth grade for several years, and then I had this dream of being a librarian. Then through that process, I decided I wanted to write a children’s book myself. One dream sparked another dream,” she says.
The books explore the life of a young boy named Marty whose adventures teach him valuable life lessons. Harrison implements both spiritual and educational elements in her books.
“Each one has an underlying fruit of the spirit. My first book focuses on self-control, and then my second one is about Marty learning patience,” she says. “Since I’m a teacher as well, I also try to put in a mini-lesson at the end on figurative language, like similes or alliteration, for teachers to explain to their students.”
Currently, the Harrisons go into schools and do assemblies called Dream Big , where they discuss the process of becoming an author, and encourage kids to follow their dreams despite hardships they encounter along the way.
“I encourage them and talk about the obstacles that are going to come when they’re trying to make their goals and dreams happen,” Harrison says. “I just want these kids to dream and understand that they have value while encouraging them to read.”
Harrison graduated from SAGU in 1997 with a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education with a specialization in English. She loved how she was able to establish a “very, very firm foundation spiritually” and make lifelong friends during her time on campus.
“My relationship with Jesus definitely was strengthened so much, but the friendships that were made and how they impacted my life – you can’t put a price on it,” she says.
When asked to give any advice to aspiring book writers, Harrison says to go for it and not be intimidated.
“You’re going to mess up a lot and you’re going to have many obstacles, but you can do it. Follow your dreams.”
To learn more including how to purchase your own copy, click here .
Southwestern Assemblies of God University is a private, Christian university located 30 minutes south of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in Waxahachie, Texas. The university was established in 1927, and now offers more than 70 associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees on campus or online. More information is available at www.sagu.edu
