Young author's 'Bug on a Bike' rolls out to local students

AVON LAKE — Sophia Lee Triska's writing career started with a bike ride. Two years ago, the then-4-year-old jumped on a tandem bike with her father, Michael Triska, to pedal around their Avon Lake neighborhood. That's when she started happily shouting, "Bug on a bike," over and over. "It was cute. So we came home and started writing it out, and it's grown from there," Michael Triska said. Now Sophia is in kindergarten at Powers Elementary School in Amherst, where her mother, Heidi Triska, teaches first grade. Amherst Schools are helping the family celebrate Sophia's blossoming literary talent. The father-daughter team sat down in October 2020 to turn "Bug on a Bike" into a children's book, crafting it into a story. They sent a board book mock-up to a freelance illustrator in Ukraine, and now have published both "Bug on a Bike" and "Park in the Dark," available for purchase on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. The Triskas are now working on more titles: "Counting with Bug on a Bike" and "Bug on a Bike ABC's." Sophia and her father jumped back on their tandem bike over spring break, and talked about her love of insects. "Bugs are pretty," the 6-year-old said, wearing a ladybug dress — she also loves butterflies and grasshoppers. Michael Triska said Sophia's love for books comes from nightly story times. They read for about an hour every night. "It pays off," he said. "How can you say no when she wants to read everything?" Now the Triskas are working on getting a literary agent and sending out letters to publishing houses. In the meantime, Sophia's books are being used by Lorain County teachers to craft lessons. Michael Triska recently visited virtually with students at Washington Elementary in Lorain, talking about writing prompts and listening to kids read their journal entries. The dream, he said, is to see library editions of "Bug on a Bike" and the family's other books published. Contact Jason Hawk at (440) 329-7122 or news@lcnewspapers.com.