Your idealism and energy reflect the spirit of our Nation.

It really is a great story, and I encourage you to continue writing. Your enthusiasm for reading is a wonderful example to other children. Keep up the good work!

Young Author Makes A Splash!

One might expect that the author of a book nominated for several awards would have years of experience and perhaps several books under her belt. However, Riding the Storm Out was written and illustrated by a nine-year-old girl, McKenna Andrews.

Making Waves!

In the current issue, we show you how little heroes are making a big impact in the lives of many on the Gulf Coast.

McKenna Andrews is another little hero who, amidst the floodwaters of Katrina, is creating waves of inspiration.

McKenna Makes A SPLASH!

"Most 9-year-old girls are busy with all sorts of activities, McKenna has achieved something extra exciting she's the published author of Riding The Storm Out!

Based on true events when 8 dolphins were swept away into the gulf when hurricane Katrina battered the American coastline, this short, illustrated story looks at a different side of the hurricane. Captive dolphins that have been bred in aquaria don't know how to hunt and could starve to death. McKenna has Noah as a young Dolphin who knows a big storm coming but hasn't been moved like some dolphins to a safer hotel pool. He has heard the word Katrina but doesn't understand it. Soon he is out in the open, and worse still alone. This changes when he meets a wild dolphin called Zack who introduces him to his pod and begins the rudiments of teaching him how to survive.

This follows real life events in that the domesticated dolphins were quite keen to return to their unnatural life. No 'so long and thanks for all the fish' from Noah and friends. Noah son finds that a lot of things sting and you have to use teamwork to catch - gosh - live fish. McKenna, a nine year old has asimple story, with plenty of emotion and wonderment in it. Part of a young author's project, the prose is matched by a series of photographs, some colour and some b&w and is bookeneded by two quotes from D.H. Lawrence, not one you would think of who would write about the sea.

Mckenna has a strong young talent and you can expect more quality product from her soon.

In a similar vein to current New York Times bestseller Owen Et Mzee- about the unlikely friendship between a baby hippo and an aged tortoise after 2004's devasting tsunami - this tale, although fictionalized, follows a group of dolphins swept out to sea after Hurricane Katrina destroyed the Marine Life Oceanarium in Gulfport, MS.

Curiously, Storm's author is a nine-year-old from nearby Petal who visited the dolphins each Summer.

"Although Hurricane Katrina brought about many tragedies, the storm also sparked many tales of survival.

Nine year old McKenna Andrews of Petal found inspiration for an adventurous story as she kept up with the news on the Gulfport dolphins swept out to sea during the storm."

(from full page story page 59, Sept/Oct 2006 issue of Mississippi Magazine)

Your story is very creative and also includes prior knowledge of real life experience.........

Brilliant! You will go very far.

McKenna's book, "Riding The Storm Out," is a fascinating tale inspired by the true story of dolphins from the Marine Life Oceanarium in Gulfport who were pushed to sea during Hurricane Katrina.

The illustrations bring this fictional tale to life and make it an enjoyable read for people of all ages.

Being 9 years old is something in itself, but being musically and athletically talented is nothing short of well rounded.

However, McKenna Andrews has raised the bar on what a child is able to accomplish -- to write and publish a book and choosing striking pictures to compliment it.

.... Riding the Storm Out is truly a book from the heart.

Only in Mississippi, land of dreamy dreams and storytellers of all ages could a nine year old pen a wonderful story from a dolphin's perspective during recent Hurricane Katrina!

... A little girl with a big heart and bigger imagination captivates with this story.

...We invite you to read this story to your family for its sheer entertainment and to let children know they must try to follow their dreams.

As the old adage says, big things come in little packages and after meeting 9 year old McKenna Andrews I've never believed it to be more true.

... McKenna has written about Noah, a six year old dolphin that was part of this pod and what he might have experienced while on his own in the wild. She has written through the eyes of a compassionate child, similar in style to that of a sensitive adult. The exquisite photographs included in this book do not take away from the content but rather enrich what is destined to become a classic for all ages. This book does have the pulling heart strings quality found within Shel Silverstein's "The Learning Tree."

I enjoyed having her on my radio show.

....While in the ocean, Noah is amazed and overwhelmed by the new enviornment. Having lived in captivity his entire life, he is fascinated by the variety of creatures he has never seen before and makes a new friend for life in wild dolphin Zack, who helps him find his family.

This young author spins a tale of adventure.

McKenna Andrews is a natural-born storyteller. She offers a unique perspective on Hurricane Katrina and its effect on the dolphins at Marine Life Oceanarium.

In her book "Riding the Storm Out" McKenna does a wonderful job of putting the reader in the middle of the ocean with Noah, Zack and the other dolphins. It's a very refreshing book.

... This is a timely story for young readers, especially Mississippians who experienced the trauma of Katrina.

McKenna followed the rescue of the dolphins closely and created a story that could be told only by a clever girl and her favorite dolphin, Noah.

The story of Noah being lost in the vast waters of the Mississippi Sound was a great success when I read it to elementary students.