Local author's anti-bullying book now in its fourth printing

A local author’s first book is so popular the author has become a bit of a celebrity since tcits recent release having been featured on TV and the Baton Rouge daily newspaper.

The identity of the author is unexpected. Marcayah Carter, a 9-year-old student at Dorseyville Elementary School, who was picked on by classmates after she got eyeglasses a year ago.

The bullying didn’t bother Carter, she said, but she did begin writing a children’s book entitled “Don’t Be a Bully: Always Love.”

The first edition sold out, in part because Iberville Parish Sheriff Brett Stassi, who is contributing a copy of the book to every school library in the parish.

“It’s a breath of fresh air to have a young child who has experienced bullying to write a book at such a young age, so that other people might be able to avoid some of the bad things that happened to her,” Stassi said.

Carter said she hoped her book helps stop bullying. She clearly understands the prevalence and magnitude of today’s’ bullying. “People commit suicide because of it,” Carter said.

She has already given copies to children at a toy and bike drive and to churches and she is looking for other places to put the books. It’s already earned the Plaquemine girls a new friend, a recipient of the new book.

“One girl told me it’s helped her to stop bullying,” Carter said. “Now she wants me to be her friend.”

While this is all very mature and says a lot about Marcayah, she’s also an ordinary 9-year-old girl.

The daughter ofErica Franklin-Carter and Marcus Carter, Marcayah has two older brothers, Marcus “MJ” Jr., 14, and 11 year-old Enijah.

Her mother, Erica Franklin-Carter, said they’d been putting out bags with an autographed copy of the book and a T-shirt.

“She’s been putting these bags together to five to some of the kids who’ been bullied,” said the author’s mother, who is also an author.