Last spring I was contacted by two aspiring comic strip authors at Raintree Montessori School. Ryan Malloy and Kaleigh Merrill, then in fifth grade, called and wanted to know what all went into getting a new comic published.

We chatted a bit. The school year was coming to an end. I didn’t hear more, and I assumed that end-of-school projects and celebrations and then summer activities would bring the girls’ ambitions to an end.

But when September came around I had an email from the girls, who wanted to set up a meeting to pitch their strip, “Charlie and Spot.”

The girls came to visit me, having secured a ride from an adult at Raintree. I have many adult visitors who are not nearly so well prepared. They asked good questions, had neatly organized examples of their work and were articulate and focused. Their idea was that they and others would submit occasional strips to the newspaper for publication in print or online.

I say no every year to syndicate sales people who want me to take new comic strips, but we like to make room in our Friends and Neighbors section for our readers’ achievements. I thought our readers would be as impressed with the students’ efforts as I was, so I said we’d make a home for some of their work if they’d submit it. We talked about how to go about submitting the comics, and off they went back to school.

In mid-December I received an envelope with a handful of strips and a professionally written letter with an appropriately used semicolon in the first sentence.

Although my best Lawrence friends send their three children to Raintree, I wasn’t as familiar with the Montessori approach as I should have been. Head of School Lleanna McReynolds explained that the students’ efforts stem from the Montessori philosophy that what students need to learn is not contained inside the school. “Going out” and finding answers is essential.

The students must arrange everything themselves: find phone numbers, call and ask for meetings, find someone to drive them, map out a route to and from the appointment and formulate an approach to the discussion.

Today I’m able to share with you Ryan’s inaugural strip. At ljworld.com, the digital version of my column includes six additional strips.

If they sent the strips in December, why are you just now seeing them? My focus hasn’t been as unwavering as the students’. They have politely reminded me a time or two to get these published, and I admire their persistence.

I can’t say enough about how impressed I’ve been with these girls’ efforts. I expect we’ll see more great things from them as their school careers progress.

Charlie & Spot by Ryan Malloy

Unpaid Intern by Kaleigh Merrill

The Ugly Donkey and Peanut by Willoughby Lam

Super Bunny by Angie Clinefelter

Owl's Joke by Estelle Bass and Molly Kelly

The Caveman Revolution by Alyssa Carlson

And so, Mr. V.E. Teddy has failed again! by Jack Bellemere