Devin Fogle's Time Travel Romp

The Epic fifth-grader turned an idea he had while avoiding social studies homework into a historical-fantasy book

Epic student Devin Fogle on a family vacation. Fogle wrote a book in which he travels back in time to several important historical periods, including construction of the Eiffel Tower and the emergence of Halley's Comet. Courtesy photo.

What began as an effort to avoid homework turned into a published book for one determined Epic student.

Devin Fogle, now 11, wrote and published "Devin’s Time Travel Tree Swing" when he was 9. The idea for the book came from a moment spent swinging in his backyard.

He said inspiration struck while he was supposed to be working on social studies homework. After taking out the trash, he went outside and began swinging while his grandmother, Debbie — whom he calls Nana — watched nearby.

“I felt like I was going back to 1982,” Fogle said.

When his grandmother told him that 1982 was the year his father was born, the idea quickly developed into a story about time travel. Fogle and his grandmother decided to turn the concept into a book using the swing as the way the main character travels through history.

In "Devin’s Time Travel Tree Swing," Fogle visits several historical time periods for five minutes at a time, the length of one spin on the swing. The book includes visits to the construction of the Eiffel Tower, the appearance of Halley’s Comet, the dinosaur age and other historical moments.

Fogle said he did not have a favorite part of the book because each time period played an important role. He said he especially enjoyed the section about Halley’s Comet due to his interest in space.

To create the book, Fogle described scenes while his grandmother helped generate images to visualize the story. Fogle then selected the images he felt best matched the scenes and wrote descriptions to accompany them.

Not only did the project spring creativity in him, it also helped Fogle grow academically. He has apraxia, a neurological condition that can make communication and memory more challenging. His mother, Wendy, said writing the book helped him develop research skills and better understand his social studies lessons.

One chapter contributed to Fogle earning a perfect score on a class assignment about the Eiffel Tower.

After several rounds of editing, "Devin’s Time Travel Tree Swing" was published on Amazon. His grandmother is a published author, so she was able to help him navigate the complexities of Amazon and book publishing.

Fogle said seeing the finished book was a meaningful moment.

“I finally had something people could see,” he said.

Now two years later, Fogle participates in book signings at libraries, farmers markets and local author events with his grandmother. While he has not yet decided on his next project, he hopes to write more books in the future.

Fogle’s experience shows that creative ideas can come from everyday moments — even unfinished homework.

"Devin's Time Travel Tree Swing" is available here.