Photos by Douglass Huxley Jackson Middle School science students, Principal Jeffery Kisner, back left, and local author Don Stansberry, second from right, held an unboxing at the school to celebrate the release of their new collaborative book called ‘The Wild of Wild Wonderful West Virginia.’ The nature book, written and illustrated by sixth- and seventh-grade students, features information and facts about species found throughout West Virginia.

VIENNA — Jackson Middle School students and local author Don Stansberry held an unboxing at the school to celebrate the release of their new collaborative book called “The Wild of Wild Wonderful West Virginia.”

The nature book features information and facts about species found throughout West Virginia.

“I’m really proud of the product we’ve put out,” Stansberry said. “The teachers did a great job. The kids did a great job. The administration let things run and tried to aid it in every way they could.”

Students from the sixth- and seventh-grade English Language Arts class worked on the project with each contributing six to seven detailed pictures and accompanying paragraphs about various animals. 

“You could personally choose what you wanted to do,” seventh-grader Harlan Wolfe said.

The book features unique and intriguing information about various species ranging from the golden rainbow trout and stink bugs to the more dangerous wildlife like the copperhead snake. 

“I looked up how many people have died from its venom each year,” seventh-grader Kerrigan Keller said. “I thought it was really interesting to see how many people have actually had a fatality from it.”

Students even explored the more mysterious cryptids such as the Flatwoods Monster.

“In West Virginia, in the 50s, some kids were out playing games, and they saw a meteor strike the Earth, so they went to go check it out, and saw this monster come out,” Wolfe said. 

George praised students and told them they should be proud of the work they did.

“It might feel like just a story you wrote for school, but this is something you can show your kids or grandkids someday,” George told students. “Reality is you have to write. You’re in school. You learn to write… so now you’re writing with an actual purpose.”

There are currently 500 copies of the book for sale for $20 a piece and will be available at the school until the last day for students on Monday and copies can also be purchased at West Virginia Credit Union in Vienna. George said half of all the proceeds from sales will go back into the school. 

“We’re hoping to use those proceeds to fund our PBR program, which is a Positive Behavior Reinforcement program, and hopefully update some of the bathrooms here,” George said. 

She said people can call the school at 304-420-9551 to purchase a copy and that they are still looking for other area businesses who might be interested in selling them. 

“Contact me if there’s any way that anybody has any ideas that we would have avenues to sell them, or contact the school if they would like to buy a copy,” Stanberry said. “I’d even come and deliver it myself if we can get a bunch of orders.”

Jackson Middle School science students unboxed a nature book they wrote and illustrated, with the help of local author and former teacher Don Stansberry at the school. The book will be sold at the school and copies can also be purchased at West Virginia Credit Union in Vienna. Half of the proceeds will go back into the school’s Positive Behavior Reinforcement program.