On the second floor at a round table in the Hoboken Public Library, Mariacarla Bettocchi, a 10-year-old student at The Mustard Seed School on Willow Avenue, sits beaming at the latest edition of her homemade newspaper, the Happy Kayak.
“I got the idea last year,” says Mariacarla. “Last year I wrote the Mountain Class Review. It all started with my third grade teacher when she told us to write anything we wanted, so I thought I should do something different, and why not make a one-page newspaper filled with articles and pictures? People loved it and shared it with family and friends. I even handed them out to the teachers and sometimes at the library.”
The paper has become a passion and special hobby for the rising fifth grader. She plans to release it quarterly.
“My plan is to have an edition for each season, spring, summer, fall, and winter,” said Bettocchi. “ I’m in the fourth grade now and I have a lot to do and don’t always have a lot of time.“
Bettocchi is involved in extracurriculars including chess, Chinese language class, soccer, drama, and hopefully soon, gymnastics.
“I also have homework, math, spelling, and reading,” she said.
She likes to read in her spare time.
“I have 1,000 books. I come from a family of readers. Sometimes I read too much,” she added.
Bettocchi said she got the idea from a children’s magazine her family subscribes to called The Adirondack Kids.
With her version, she writes the articles and illustrates it herself most of the time, although she sometimes takes submissions from classmates.
“I’ve always liked old school stuff like the kids shouting and selling the newspaper in the movies.” –Mariacarla Bettocchi
“Sometimes I choose articles based on what’s coming up, like Valentines Day or something. I also include fun facts about animals or a guess-the-animal article,” she said, noting that she enjoys learning about animals.
“I just started drawing this tiny mouse, and including them,” said Bettocchi. “It’s my hobby. “
Bettocchi said she often has to cut her stories because they are too long.
“I’ve always liked old school stuff like the kids shouting and selling the newspaper in the movies,” she said.
She said she doesn’t always read the newspaper, but her favorite section is the comics.
“I really like the funnies and the short quizzes,” said Bettocchi.
She said her hardest obstacle when creating the Happy Kayak was the deadline.
“My time management is pretty good, but it’s a little hard still,” she said. “I really like the interviews.”
She said publishing a newspaper is important.
“It lets people know more about the world around them,” she said, “and it’s fun and exciting when the newspaper comes out. It’s like when I get excited when the mail comes.”
Publishing family
She said she recently made the transition from black and white to color copies.
“My mom is a big supporter,” she said. “She always tells me to follow my bliss. She helped me download and use this new app to do the paper. She helped me with the format. The first app we got didn’t work. We drew some of the art together, but it’s mostly me. My dad helps too.”
Her mom, Kasia Bettocchi, said, “It’s really all her. I just help when she needs me. She really loves it.”
Bettocchi said she isn’t sure if she will be a journalist when she grows up, as she has a lot of passions, including science.
“I have two maps in my room and I watch a lot of movies about animals and different countries,” she said. “I have a lot of facts stored in my brain. I think I’d want to be like an explorer or a photographer or a journalist maybe. Maybe I could do all of them! I just thought of that.”
Marilyn Baer can be reached at marilynb@hudsonreporter.com
