Mansfield Patch's Whiz Kid of the Week: Cullen MacIntyre

A child’s imagination can be a remarkable thing. One third grader is just beginning to use his creativity and hone his writing skills.

Cullen MacIntyre wrote a poem last fall about winter. He submitted it to Hutch, a children’s creative magazine upon his teacher’s encouragement. Many of Rayna Freedman’s students did the same. MacIntyre was lucky enough to have his poem published in the Spring Edition, which was released on June 17.

For MacIntyre’s mother, Susan MacIntyre, this was an incredibly proud, yet surprising moment.

“His writing has just started blossoming,” she said. “I didn’t know what kind of writer he was until this year.”

MacIntyre’s poem was a school assignment. He enjoys some aspects of winter, but prefers summer. His favorite things about winter are the Christmas presents and the chance to build snow forts. Another upside is that he is not put to work shoveling.

His mother now knows how imaginative he is. Freedman called her in and read her an excerpt from a story MacIntrye had written in class and the incredibly proud mother was shocked.

“He uses very descriptive language,” she said. “When his teacher was reading some of his stuff to me, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, he wrote that?’ He has an incredible imagination.”

He has some trouble with dexterity, so he has a scribe to write down the stories he comes up with at school. He also writes and draws pictures at home and carries a detective’s log around to write down ideas that come to him.

This creative young man is also a history buff. He said that if he could write about anything it would be gladiators and the Coliseum. He prides himself on his ability to name some of the gladiators and the weapons they used.

“My favorite thing is learning how to use the Gladius and the gladiator helmet,” he explained.

He could go on and on about his passion for gladiators, as well as Star Wars. He retains so much information about the things he loves, it is no wonder he writes descriptively.

MacIntyre liked being published in Hutch and said that he would like to try again. He would not write a poem, however, he would prefer to write a short story.

Susan MacIntyre would be very supportive if her son chose to submit to Hutch again.

“I think it’s phenomenal to expose them at such a young age to what writing could be, the potential of writing, the potential of creativity,” she said. “I think it’s really phenomenal.”

MacIntyre and his family are very proud and excited about his accomplishment. They celebrated at the publishing party at the Blue Bunny Bookstore in Dedham and he was honored at last night’s School Committee meeting with the rest of his published classmates.

If he keeps his creativity and descriptiveness alive, this young author is sure to achieve more success in the future.

To see MacIntyre’s contribution to Hutch, as well as his classmate’s contributions, pick up a copy of the newest edition of the magazine online or at the in Dedham.