Jamaican Author Pens Book for Children

A 31-page fictional novel titled, ‘Land of the Mermaids’, has been written by Jamaican author, Maxine Hylton, for children six to 10 years of age.
In the book, Miss Hylton, who resides in South Florida, tells the story of how the island of Jamaica acquired its name.
‘Land of the Mermaids’ is her first attempt at publishing children’s books, and Miss Hylton has created a colourful mythical adventure through the Caribbean using fantasy.
The author told JIS News that she was inspired to write such stories recalling her childhood days when she listened to the delightful tales told to her by her parents. “When their reservoir of stories was depleted, they would create their own stories to keep me entertained,” she said.
A mother of two children, her desire is to write books with which children of colour could identify. In that regard, she has also sought to pen stories in a fun way, so that the young reader will not be bored.
According to Miss Hylton, she found that stories were frequently written from a western viewpoint. The heroes were never of African descent, she added. She currently pens her stories during her spare time and later reads to her children at nights.
Her ultimate objective is to furnish the Jamaica tourist industry with copies of her publication, and personal travel journal so that young tourists can record all of the special people, places and events they experienced during their trip to the island.
Miss Hylton is founder and President of Books are Oakay, Incorporated, a book distribution company. She served as a member of the Jamaica Constabulary Force where she led several youth clubs and organized fund-raising, educational and entertaining events for young people.