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Young girl authors inspirational children's book about finding yourself

J'ana Price Picture.jpg
Posted at 7:36 AM, Oct 13, 2021
and last updated 2021-10-13 09:50:20-04

RICHMOND, Va. -- James Price loves walking with his daughter J’Ana in Downtown Richmond.

It’s a freedom he doesn’t take for granted.

He admits that mistakes put him behind bars for a while.

"And that's where things kind of took off," said James.

While incarcerated, James wrote a fictional story called "The Comeback: I Raised These Streets." It was good enough to win a national book award.

But this story isn't about James. It's about little J’Ana.

She was inspired by her father to write her own children's book. It’s called "Finding Myself." And she loves reading it to anyone and everyone.

"I don't like meat because it gets stuck in my teeth," she read to us. “I will have to eat if I want desert for a treat."

She also loves to hear people like it.

"They read my book mostly," said J’Ana. “They look at the pictures. And my favorite part of my book is the ladder, the slide thing. I would say, 'Climbing up this ladder, yeah. I must get over my fear of heights. But I'm not even feared of heights anymore," she giggled.

It's a book about finding yourself and who'll you'll become. And she already knows what her next one will be about.

“That's going to be about a lesson of how to love yourself, and mostly about how you can love yourself. Like do things you like to do. And do things like piano, like me," said J'Ana.

She knows everyone makes mistakes. "Sometimes I mess up. But I just keep doing it and doing it and doing it and doing it…until I get it!"

It’s what you do to correct the mistakes that matter; a lesson her dad was happy to teach.

"It definitely makes me feel like the proudest man on earth," said James.

Watch for Rob Cardwell's education feature stories on CBS 6 News and WTVR.com. If you know someone Rob should profile, email him at rob.cardwell@wtvr.com.

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