Official Kids Mag

new, black, poodle puppy named Koda. "Ninja Puppy" tells the story of how a lonely boy meets a very lonely puppy. The boy would like to adopt the puppy so they can be best friends, but it's not up to them. The decision is up to a wise ninja master. In the story, readers will find out how the ninja master decides to handle the situation and how the lives of the puppy and the boy are forever changed. Gunner enjoyed writing his first book so much that he decided to work on his very own series. Since the original "Ninja Puppy," Gunner has written four more books: "Ninja Puppy and the Donut Avalanche" (2020), "Ninja Puppy vs. Bigfoot" (2021), "Ninja Puppy in China" (2022) and his newest book "Ninja Puppy and the Too Good to be True Teacher," which will be released this summer. The newest book has already won an award in the Las Vegas PBS Kids Writers Contest! Local readers began asking about buying copies of his books. So, with the help of his parents, the books were published and are now in 39,000 different bookstores and libraries around the world. Altogether, Gunner's books have won awards in eight different state and nationwide PBS Kids Writers Contests to date. They are available on Amazon and wherever books are sold online. In many ways, Gunner's stories are a representation of his life and of the experiences he has had. As a child who has had his own obstacles to overcome, Gunner has shown incredible perseverance and character. Gunner has a condition called hyperlexia 3. Because of this condition, language, reading, vocabulary, spelling, letters, numbers and creativity come easily to Gunner. "Writing and drawing allows me to get all of my creativity out and I'm always wanting to do that," he said. But he had trouble with other things, like making friends and feeling comfortable in new situations. Writing books and being creative helped Gunner. His social issues are fading away as he gets older, he loves spending time with his friends, and now he calls hyperlexia 3 his superpower! The Ninja Puppy stories are adorable, funny, and full of exciting and challenging new words for kids. Each story ends with a valuable life lesson that Gunner has learned and wants to share. Through his books, Gunner hopes he can inspire children everywhere to read, imagine, set goals and work hard to reach them, be kind, and have self-control. "Never stop dreaming because it takes big dreams to accomplish big things," he said. "Don't give up because nothing good comes from giving up and hard work always pays off." And of course, he's a big fan of reading. "Reading is way better than video games and computers because you always get to go on fun adventures with the characters of the book and it's also better for your eyes. You also get to use your own imagination to visualize what is going on in the story, which is super fun!" Gunner and his mom are currently working on writing a chapter book series to go along with the Ninja Puppy picture books. Plus, he's been printing little Ninja Puppies on his 3D printer and making necklaces out of them to sell at schools and events. Gunner has also been working on building a Ninja Puppy video game. He hopes his books might become a TV show someday. Most of all, he hopes Ninja Puppy's message of kindness inspires others. "I am very happy that my writing is inspirational for other kids. I hope that my books can change the world to become more like my book character, Ninja Puppy, and spread friendliness and kindness." To learn more about Ninja Puppy or to order Gunner's books, ask an adult to help you visit www.ninjapuppyco.com. www.Of f icialKidsMag.com • JULY 2023 • 27

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