SPOTSWOOD — Amid the woes of a budget crisis, one Spotswood student has given school district and borough officials a reason to be proud.

Danielle Ternyila, a freshman at Spotswood High School, recently published her first novel, sparking enthusiasm from teachers, peers and members of the Board of Education.

Writing, editing and publishing the book has turned a casual hobby into a serious passion for the 15-year-old, also proving that lofty goals are within reach.

“It was a great lesson for me,” said Janet Marshall, who was Danielle’s eighth-grade language arts teacher at Memorial Middle School. “Danielle, as a 14-year-old girl, had a goal and persevered until it was attained.”

“Dependent on Rose,” Danielle’s teen fiction romantic thriller, is the story of twin sisters, age 16, who inherit magical powers from their grandmother. Published by Kid- Pub Press under the pseudonym Danielle Paige, the story takes a twist when one of the sisters falls in love with her twin’s enemy. Though she would never want to hurt her boyfriend or sister, she may change her mind when she sees her sister attempting to murder her boyfriend. A fight between the two would counteract their powers.

The young author, building on a simpler plot line she had come up with in fourth grade, started writing the book out of boredom one winter day in eighth grade. She never expected it to amount to anything more than being something to do, but as she began to rework and rewrite it, the work became a full-fledged novel.

“I took that book from fourth grade and turned it into something else,” she said. “The idea is still there, about the sisters, but it ended a lot differently and is more complex.”

It took Danielle about three or four months to write it and another year or so to edit and publish the book. She received tips and encouragement from her friends and teachers throughout the process.

“Danielle is a wonderful girl, quiet and quite shy,” Marshall said. “Her spirit comes out on the written page, and she knows how to tell a story.”

When Danielle started eighth grade, she was “already an avid reader and had learned many of the skills needed to become a great writer,” Marshall said. “Danielle did not find this to be a laborious process as many students often do.”

There were several opportunities during eighth grade to write essays and stories, and Marshall said the young author excelled with those assignments.

“She always worked really well during the editing process [and] had the determination to improve on a piece without just finishing it for the grade,” Marshall said. “What is even more wonderful is that she has her high school and college career ahead of her to enhance those skills.”

When Danielle informed Marshall that she was writing a book, the teacher offered suggestions about publication.

“She was really encouraging with it,” Danielle said of her former teacher.

KidPub Press then helped her through the editing and publishing process.

“I did not read the book until she gave me the signed copy,” Marshall said. “At first, I was beyond words. Then I cried, especially when she brought me the signed copy hot off the press.”

Local officials have taken great pride in Danielle and recognized her at Board of Education and Borough Council meetings.

“She’s an extremely talented young lady who puts a lot of desire and effort into everything she does,” said Superintendent of Schools Walter Uszenski. “But her love and joy is to write, and for us to foster that ability and implement that through our rigorous language arts curriculum is elating.”

Uszenski said the example is not just an indication of the quality ofMarshall’s teaching, but of all the district teachers.

“This is just a reflection of the outstanding work the teachers are doing in the classrooms,” he said.

He said officials are proud of Danielle for publishing a book at such as young age, and also proud of all the students who “are accomplishing tremendous things in leaps and bounds in all areas.”

“This is a district that has so many wonderful children in it,” said Marshall, who started working in Spotswood in 1977. “I cannot imagine working in any other district.”

Danielle said she hopes to write many more books into the future.

“Since [publishing the book], I’ve been writing a lot more,” she said, noting that she one day hopes to become a fiction author.

In addition to her teachers, family and friends, Danielle said she is inspired by New York Times best-selling author Melissa de la Cruz.

Some of the proceeds from “Dependent on Rose,” which can be purchased on kidpub. com and amazon.com, will benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Danielle, who is the oldest of three children, with a brother in eighth grade and a sister in sixth, noted that she is grateful to classmate Joanna Eaton, who did the artwork for the front and back covers of the book.

“Danielle has a gift for storytelling, and I know that I will be reading many more of her books in the future,” Marshall said.