Michigan second grader publishes kids' book about learning from home amid COVID

YPSILANTI, Mich. (FOX 2) - School has become quite a different environment for kids across the world during COVID-19. Some are learning in-person still and others are learning at home. 

But one second-grader in Michigan is hoping to make his fellow students smile with a new book that he wrote and self-published himself - "Going To School Is Fun, Staying Home Is Too!" 

To kick off National Young Readers Week, David Smith III read his book to some of his classmates at East Arbor Academy in Ypsilanti Monday. 

David started writing the book in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic when all of the schools shut down.

"I want to say it was Mom's initial idea and then we just sat down over dinner and planned everything out and put it all together," said his father, who's also named David Smith. 

"I was really surprised that he was so ecstatic with the idea and he immediately got out paper and started jotting down his character ideas and the wording he was gonna say," said his mother, Phashaunta Hubert. 

David says the idea behind the book is quite simple: "I wanted to help other kids because of the virus."

And from cooking to playing video games, the book talks about ways kids can have fun in safe ways during the pandemic.

"This is at the top of my list in terms of things that have come out of it that are successful, and that would be him writing a book just to help his peers get through COVID," said his principal, Tenesha Newby. 

And David isn't ready to put down his pencil and paper. His dad says he's already trying to work on another book.