GEORGETOWN, Del. - Máximo César Castellanos, a young author, began writing books at six, published his first book at seven, and now, at 15, he has published 10 books in English and 10 in Spanish, exploring the action, adventure, and suspense genres.
"When I was little, my parents would always take me to public libraries, and I would read books, and we would check out different movies, and that would always inspire me to create my own characters and my own stories," Castellanos said. "Eventually, I started writing down my stories and publishing them into books."
Seeing how far Castellanos has come fills his parents with joy, especially considering their involvement in the editing process.
"I never imagined that my son would want to write a book," Allison Burris Castellanos, his mother, said. "We're proud of him that he's able to pursue what he's passionate about. I think as a parent, you always want your kids to find their passion, so that's a very exciting thing to support them and be there when they're able to realize some of their dreams."
Castellanos has received multiple awards for his work. His book "Dr. Pren y los Días de su Infancia" won the Gold Medal for the Charlie Ericksen Best Book Written by a Youth in the 2021 International Latino Book Awards. The following year, "Dr. Pren y el Ataque de los Gérmenes" earned the same honor, and "Dr. Pren and the Days of His Childhood" received an Honorable Mention for Best Chapter/Young Adult Book Spanish to English Translation in the 2022 International Latino Book Awards.
At the 2023 International Latino Book Awards, "Dr. Pren y el Secreto de la Fórmula" was awarded the Gold Medal for the Charlie Ericksen Best Book Written by a Youth, while "Dr. Pren and the Attack of the Germs" won the Silver Medal for the Best Chapter/Young Adult Book Spanish to English Translation. "Dr. Pren y el Secreto de la Fórmula" also received an Honorable Mention for Mejor Libro Capitulado de Ficción para Jóvenes, or Best Youth Chapter Fiction Book.
"I feel very proud to be able to write stories in Spanish and English because it's helped me share my stories with people that speak both languages, and it's helped me motivate other bilingual kids to read and write in both languages," Castellanos said.
Castellanos looks forward to publishing new books this summer. Meanwhile, his existing works are available at the Georgetown Public Library.