Emma Wilson Publishes Her First Book At Age 13

Emma is pictured with the owners of Short Stop Printing,
Klevis & Sara Kokareli, who printed “Shipwreck Reef”.

You have no doubt heard that sailors are “called by the sea” but the call of the sea expresses itself in the heart and passion of a young Englewood area girl for another reason. Meet Emma Wilson, whose love of the ocean has resulted in her writing and illustrating a children’s book about friends who band together to help clean up the ocean. “Shipwreck Reef” tells the story of Shelly the sea turtle who recruits new friends, Tipp the black tip reef shark and Hammy the hammerhead shark, to assist her in cleaning up her home reef polluted by the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Geared for elementary age readers, the book nevertheless can educate all ages about ways to help protect our oceans and waterways.

Emma has embraced her passion with marine life since preschool and she has been educating herself on marine biology since then. She has taken classes at Mote Marine Laboratory and wherever else she can find sources to learn more. Her future plans are to pursue marine biology in college. Currently Emma is a student at Student Leadership Academy in Venice.

Emma has an entrepreneurial spirit and started earning money at the age of four by selling homemade muffins at a local farmers market. At age eight, she started painting pictures of marine life and selling them at craft fairs. Even more impressive is the fact that Emma donates 10% of everything she makes to Mote Marine Laboratory, Clearwater Marine Aquarium, the Georgia Aquarium, and the Bimini Biological Field Station Shark Lab in the Bahamas! She definitely uses her money to support her passion. Emma was given a Young Philanthropic Award by Mote Marine in 2022 for her donations.

Emma wrote and illustrated “Shipwreck Reef” at age 13 and says it is the first in a trilogy series. Her book was published by Short Stop Printing here in Englewood and owners, Sara & Klevis Kokareli, showed their support for Emma by holding her book launch there on November 4th. The book sells for $10, and you can pick up a copy locally at Culture Coffee, 405 W. Dearborn Street. It can also be purchased online at Emma’s website: artbytheoceanfl.com. If you would like to meet this remarkable young lady, she will be holding a book signing on Saturday, December 9, 11am to 1pm, at Culture Coffee.