Starting small

By KYLE RIDLEY

For the News & Messenger

Gainesville author Kevin D. Garrahan's first book explores the tug of war between speaking up for what is right and staying silent out of fear. "Third House Down Hidden Cove" tells the story of Dan, a somewhat popular adolescent who is uncomfortable with how his good friend, Eddie, harasses another classmate.

Dan worries about backlash in sticking up for the underdog, but also cannot rest easy with ignoring the situation. Will Dan risk friendship by staying true to his beliefs, or will he silence himself to remain in good social standing?

Garrahan, 43, has taught sixth grade at Louise Archer Elementary School in Vienna for 13 years. The George Mason University graduate said he hopes young people will read his novel and realize they play a key role in creating a more positive environment.

"I have given talks on the book and its content and find the audiences of young people knowingly shaking their heads at much of what I say," Garrahan said. "They see these situations and I hope I give them an alternative to simply looking the other way or worse yet, following along with the crowd."

Q: Describe the process of writing "Third House Down Hidden Cove."

A:I remember seeing a lot of negative images for young people out in the world and I got a little down about that fact. I decided that I could continue to complain about the situation or I could attempt to do something about it… I started working on the book about 12 years ago and finished it about two years later… I simply kept at it until the tale was told.

Q: Was being an author always a goal of yours?

A: It is something I wanted to do long before I became or even had the idea to become a teacher. I simply wanted to tell stories and found myself as a young man writing short stories first. The idea of a whole novel seemed daunting at first, but since I had written many short stories, the idea came to me that each of those short stories took about as long to write a single chapter in a novel, so I gave it a shot.

Q: Did you base the content or characters on personal experience?

A: I always tell my students that the real joy of writing is you get to create characters, settings and events that don't exist until you say they can. I find that really fires them and makes them want to tell stories too. Having moved so often as a child, I am able to take pieces of people and events I have experienced and fit them all together like a patchwork quilt.

Q: How do you approach writing material for young audiences?

A: Having taught sixth grade for so long now, I have the opportunity to read a great deal of literature geared toward young audiences. I also have the benefit of seeing and talking with the target audience for my work on a daily basis and get a great feel for how they might respond to what I have written.

Q: Being a teacher, you must encounter similar dilemmas with your students. How have your students responded to the book?

A: I believe they have seen and perhaps experienced bullying. I think they are thankful to have something that offers an opportunity to discuss the issue and hopefully arrive at solutions. The counselor at my school has started using the book as a way to expose the issue and get students talking about it. My students were thrilled when they heard I would have a book coming out… Many of my students… have read the book and given me high marks for what I have produced. That is no small thing and I'm grateful for their enthusiasm and feedback.

Q: You have given talks on bullying and peer pressure. Do you consider these to be growing problems?

A: I think there has been greater attention paid to the issues of bullying and peer pressure in recent years, perhaps it is a growing problem and why we see more attention paid the topic. That is why I felt it was important to tell this story. I feel, too, that the book sends the message that you don't always have to change the world to change the world. Sometimes that change is small and it starts with each of us. If everyone could endeavor to be a little more considerate of others, great changes would be effected.

Garrahan is currently working on a sequel to "Third House Down Hidden Cove," as well as a book of short stories.

Kyle Ridley can be reached at