A 14-YEAR-OLD ORANGE County Catholic school alum recently released his first book.
St. Angela Merici Parish School graduate Evan Vargas published “Penny & Six” this past May after years of working on the story while attending the Brea-based school. The book follows the shenanigans of a cat named Penny and a hamster with human sentience named Six as they navigate the world with their caretaker Evan, who helps them learn important lessons about life. Vargas drew inspiration from his own cat and hamster, also named Penny and Six. “I like writing for kids, as it creates a sense of teaching — being able to educate the youth, the kids out there on morals,” Vargas said.
When he finds out a child has learned even the tiniest thing from “Penny & Six,” it makes him extremely happy.
“In a way, ‘Penny & Six’ has changed something, even just a tiny little speck in the world,” he shared.
Vargas, who is currently studying in the writing conservatory at the California School of the Arts in Duarte, is in the planning stages of a sequel to
“Penny & Six.” He sees the book becoming a series that follows Penny and Six as they grow. The first one shows young readers the importance of having good behavior no matter where they are or what they are doing. Vargas said teaching children morality is important to him.
“I think setting morals for kids in the future will help to create a better society,” he said.
Vargas credits his parents and St. Angela Merici Parish School for giving him a moral foundation that shaped him into the person he is today. Vargas started at St. Angela Merici in first grade. He said he grew up loving books like “Dog Man,” “Captain Underpants” and “Diary of a Wimpy Kid,” and soon started writing his own comics based on the characters from those series. It was during the summer before he started sixth grade that the idea of writing about his own pets came to him.
“I realized that they could make a good duo, kind of like a Tom and Jerry thing, so over the summer I started writing the first manuscript of ‘Penny & Six,’” he said. “It was way shorter than what it is now, but mainly just because I was getting some ideas out.”
Throughout the three-year process of editing, copy editing, finding an illustrator and publishing the picture book, Vargas said his family supported him every step of the way. His classmates at St. Angela Merici also encouraged him. Principal JoAnn Telles announced the book’s publishing to the entire school and even bought two copies at his Barnes & Noble book signing. “Penny & Six” is now available in the library at St. Angela. Telles said she hopes the book inspires other students to read, dream and even write their own books.
“‘Penny & Six’ is a fun adventure with an important message about making good choices, taking responsibility and learning from our actions,” Telles said. “I thought it was especially fitting for today’s students, as it encourages them to understand that their choices have consequences and that there is always an opportunity to learn and grow from our mistakes.”