Maika Branch loves getting lost in an adventure novel.

“It’s different than everyday life,” says the 11-year-old. “It takes me away from the present, it takes me to a place, that in real life, I know it’s going to be very hard to get to.”

A publisher recognized Branch’s flare for writing and told her if she wrote a book, he would publish it and which is exactly what he has done. 

After a class trip to Hopewell Rocks, Branch put pen to paper and came up with a story about Emily and Kayla, two girls who get lost in a cave on a class trip to Calagarmii Cliffs.

“One of the caves they explore, they find a magical world,” says Branch. “There, they get lost in this world and they have to make new friends and fight new evil enemies to get back home.

Since getting published in April, Branch has become an ambassador for literacy and has visited middle schools to talk about her passion for reading and writing.

“We heard a lot of families telling us that their children finally picked up a book, or finally started to write the story they always wanted, so it makes me feel very good,” says Branch’s mother Lidia.

In addition to getting to work with professional editors, being a published author is helping Branch with her future education. All the royalties form the book sales will go into a bank account to help her pay for post-secondary education.

“We see great potential in her,” says Lidia.

While she is proud of her success so far, Branch stays she still has one big dream that has yet to come true, to be on the Ellen DeGeneres Show.

“I’m trying to get onto that,” says Branch. “If people think they’d like, if they think I’d be good, send messages to her, cross your fingers.”

Branch says she will spend the summer immersed in books, looking for ideas to inspire her next chapter.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Sarah Plowman.