NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Hampton 7th grader Eli Mackey shows me around what you could call his second home: The Virginia Living Museum in Newport News.
Moe the otter seems to show off for his young audience.
The 12-year-old Hampton boy is a volunteer at the museum.
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On this day, Eli, his friend Lee and and little brother Nasir are on the hunt for turtles.
“Oh right there,” says Eli spotting a few turtles in the water. “You see all the way back there? That cluster? Its like three turtles!"
Of all the cool creatures here, turtles are Eli’s favorite.
“What got me interested in turtles was my first turtle," Eli says. "His name was Bowser, he’s a red-eared slider. They're interesting when they bask, and when you watch them when they're eating — it's pretty fun."
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Eli likes turtles so much he’s written a book about them.
“So, my book is Turtle Tales: Discovering the Watery World of Terrapins," says the new author. "It's a nonfiction book targeted to people 9-12 on native species of turtles in America."
Eli’s mom says she’s not surprised by her 7th grader’s initiative and confidence.
“They call him 'Grandpa Eli,'" said mom, Jara Clark. "He’s very mild mannered, very respectful, just loving and just... innovative.”
Eli had some help from a Virginia Beach-based nonprofit called The Bennett Center, which taught him some entrepreneurial skills.
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“He’s taken it and run with it," said Bennett Center founder Alasha Bennett. "He’s spoken in front of city council he’s spoken in front of the school system.”
But he’s not stopping here.
“I would like to do summer camps and I want to get my book in libraries and school and all that stuff,” says Eli.
You can already find his book on Amazon, and even check his website for book signings.
“This a life skill that no one will ever be able to take away from him so any business he decides to do after this is gonna be a success,” says Bennett.
