Kinston authors look to motivate youth
By Janet Sutton
There's plenty of well-known writers in the publishing world, and now residents have the chance to recognize two familiar names on the authors’ list, Lillie Streeter Williams and Alvin G. Woods.
Last year, Lillie Streeter Williams released her first book, Tools for Teen Transformation: Perfecting Your Own Destiny, an interactive workbook for parents and youths. Known as "Coach Lily," Williams has been involved in childhood education for almost 30 years, serving as a principal and school teacher.
After years of working one-on-one with students and leading motivational workshops, she wanted to write a book to empower others and provide an outlet to talk about issues children face in and outside of a school setting.
Tools for Teen Transformation: Perfecting Your Own Destiny is a twelve-chapter workbook that contains a parent and teens share section, self-evaluation scenarios and inspirational quotes along with Williams’s words of wisdom. It lists activities that adults can do with a young person that promotes communication and expression.
Williams hopes the book will bond parents and teens together. The chapters cover topics such as cyberbullying, catfishing and toxic people among other modern-day concerns. The last 10 pages of the 126-page book are for writing words of affirmation and statements of gratitude. In her writings, Williams focuses on changing and developing the mindset.
"The goal is to save somebody's life," Williams said. "Our goals are to change their minds, give them new ideas and give them strategies to live better lives."
Another author who saw the need for a life-changing book for teens was Alvin G. Woods. He co-authored the book, My First Jumps: Coach Anthony James: From Special Education to Recreation Leadership, with Anthony James.
A native of Kinston, Woods grew up in Lincoln City and attended Adkin High School. After relocating to Charlotte, he met and befriended Anthony James, who later revealed to Woods that he had a story he wanted Woods to tell. In My First Jumps: Coach Anthony James, Woods captures the life of the USA Track and Field World Youth Coach’s journey through overcoming sickness, being in special education classes from second grade to eighth grade and becoming a Hall of Fame athlete.
Over the course of eight years, James and Woods conversed and compiled moments of his upbringing until they decided to put them all into book form. In November 2019, they released the 91-page book to help kids overcome their fears and teach them perseverance.
"Don't let what you see with your natural eyes limit you; there is that supernatural that takes place when one believes," Woods said. "It's an inspirational story that can give any individual hope about what one can accomplish."
