Her work gives writers insight into the 10-year-old mind
By B.C. Manion
She’s only 10 years old, but Savannah Smith has already completed her first consulting gig and hopes it will lead to others.
The fifth-grader, who divides her time between Wesley Chapel and Bradenton, is represented by a boutique agency called TruVision Entertainment based in Toluca Lake, Calif.
Her first assignment, which she actually finished when she was 9, involved reading a manuscript of nearly 300 pages and offering her observations.
The arrangement included a confidentiality clause regarding Savannah’s compensation, but regardless of the pay, the girl said she was thrilled to get paid to read and offer her observations.
“I love to read,” said Savannah, who attends Bashaw Elementary in Bradenton.
The book — “The Heart Air Balloons and the City of Points’’ — was written by David Larson, who currently is working on a new pilot for the Disney XD channel. The book is a fantasy in the same vein as the Harry Potter books.
“It was very interesting. I absolutely loved it,” Savannah said.
Even though it was a pleasure, it also was a time-consuming chore.
“It was a very long book. It was like two Harry Potter books put together,” she said.
To make the task more manageable, she divided the book into 50-page increments.
She made notes on the manuscript as she went along.
She circled words she didn’t understand. She noted when sequences of the story seemed out of sync. She pointed out dialogue that didn’t ring true to her.
“It took a little longer than it probably would now,” the 10-year-old said. “I’ve improved on my reading,” she explained.
Besides his current project, Larson has worked on film projects such as “G” and “American History X” and television programs including “Ruby and the Rockits” and “Just Shoot Me.” Larson made numerous revisions based on Savannah’s comments, according to Jordan Roberts of TruVision Entertainment.
“He took her input very seriously and made huge changes based on her notes,” Roberts said in a news release.
Savannah said she loves reading because it takes her on fun and interesting adventures.
“I like how it paints a picture in my mind and how I can really imagine things,” said Savannah, who particularly enjoys mysteries and adventure stories. At the moment, her favorite books are Nancy Drew mysteries.
She also enjoys writing and can see herself becoming a writer one day.
For now, she just keeps a journal, which chronicles family vacations and other activities.
On some pages, she simply draws arrows.
Those parts of the journal, she said, are private.
