At the age of 12, Taylor Sinett independently wrote and illustrated a children’s book.  Now a senior, this bright mind has since published two more books, adding to her collection of riveting stories.
In the past five years, Taylor has written three books: Weasel on an Easel, Jack on a Plaque, and Furry and Fabulous: The Life and Times of Taylor Swift’s Cats.  All three books together have raised over $36,000, which has all been donated to a few charities of Sinett’s picking.
Sinett’s writing career was initially sparked by her desire to help encourage her cousin Casey, who was battling ulcerative colitis.
“I’ve always wanted to do more than just sit by her hospital bed,” said Sinett.
Recognizing Casey’s strength and perseverance throughout her battle, Sinett wanted to have the characters in her stories reflect these same attributes.  In 2012, she began to work on her first book: Weasel on an Easel.  The entire story was based on a drawing she had illustrated in camp earlier that year: a weasel perched upon a miniature easel.
Taylor was able to take this simple drawing, and turn it into an incredibly motivational story that teaches kids about believing in themselves, and never letting anyone get you down.  “All of my books have a message of perseverance and self-confidence,” said Sinett.
The story follows main character Fredda, and her persistent desire to become a supermodel.  As the story unfolds, Fredda runs into several complications as she gets turned down by numerous different modeling agencies.  Despite her challenges, she continues to believe in herself, even when the overwhelming majority views otherwise.  Eventually, she achieves her dream and becomes a supermodel, all due to her self motivation and confidence.
An extreme amount of work was put into the creation and publication of this story. So, at the end of a long year full of sketching and drafting, Taylor published the book in 2013.
Taylor’s first book turned out to be the most successful of them all.  Fredda, and her inspiring lesson, has raised over $16,000.
With her cousin in the back of her mind, Sinett already knew what she wanted to do with the money: donate it to The Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America.  Shortly after her donation, she visited the Cohen Children’s Medical Center to read her latest book to the children who were patients there.
The joy she felt after reading to the patients at the Cohen Children’s Hospital is what inspired her to write her second book, Jack on a Plaque, which was published in 2015.
“After I realized that my books were helping more people than my cousin, I was inspired to keep writing more,” said Sinett.
This next book is a tale about a yak named Jack who becomes marginalized because his hoof is abnormally small.  As the story progresses, Jack is constantly seen as lesser due to his hoof situation.
Similar to the previous book, Jack never ceased to believe in himself and his own abilities.  This lead him to overcome his obstacles and become the leader of the yak pack.
The proceeds from this book, which came out to be $10,000, were donated to the Cohen Children’s Hospital.  By utilizing this generous donation, the hospital was able to buy two new vein finders, which enable the doctors to find veins in children more efficiently.
After the publication of her second book, Taylor began to regularly visit places where she could read her books to more kids.  She has been to Manorhaven Elementary, South Salem Elementary, Cohen Children’s Hospital, The Sid Jacobson Jewish Community Center, Woodhull Intermediate School, and Mount Sinai Hospital.  She has also attended Harbor Fest, and the LINC NYC Reading Everywhere Month Fair.
“She is such an inspiration for our youngest writers, and gave them the message that anything is possible,” said principal of Manorhaven Elementary School Mrs. Bonni Cohen.
Taylor’s third book, Furry and Fabulous: The Life and Times of Taylor Swift’s Cats, was published in 2017.  The story was inspired by the singer Taylor Swift and her two cats: Meredith and Olivia.
In the story, the two cats are under the impression that they are the famous ones, and that Swift is their inferior.  Ultimately, their journey teaches them that the thing that matters most is not fame, but friendship and love.
This feline tale produced over $10,000 for the Companions in Courage Foundation.  This specific foundation is one that helps the family members of one battling an illness.
Only a couple months after her third book’s publication, Taylor’s accomplishments were thoroughly recognized when she was selected to be a part of the Town of North Hempstead Women’s Roll of Honor.  So far, she is the youngest recipient of this prestigious award.
Sinett has numerous accomplishments thus far, but the young writer is far from finished.  She is currently in the process of writing her fourth book which will benefit the I Got Your Back Foundation, one that helps children who have parents that are going through cancer treatment.
While going through the process of writing three children’s books, Sinett has not only aided several organizations and helped kids learn some of life’s most valuable lessons, but she has also learned something herself.
“This whole experience has taught me that a lot can come from a small idea. For me, it all started with a weasel,” said Taylor.