Snips and snails and puppy dog's tales
Is that what little boys are made of ?
BY SHARON LORENZO INDEPENDENT CONTRIBUTOR
This fall Conor Bagley is headed for the eighth grade at Georgetown Day School in Washington, D.C. at age 13. Most of his peers will not have been published authors, yet Conor is ready to appear at Mitchell's Book Store for a signing of his children's book, "Ziggy McFinster's Nantucket Adventure" on July 28.

PHOTO BY JILL SANDOLE From left: Riley the Dog and his human, the author Conor Bagley, who will be signing his book, "Ziggy McFinster's Nantucket Adventure," at Mitchell's this Saturday from 10 a.m. until noon.

How this endeavor came about is an intriguing tale of its own. Inspired to write some fiction by a summer tutor, Conor wrote a story which his family was able to match with colorful drawings from Nantucket illustrator, Nadine Bernard Westcott, as well as a publication offer through Bonus Books, Inc. The final project is a thrilling tale of a snake and his sidekicks who cruise around the island to all their favorite haunts: The Nantucket Bake Shop, the airport, the White Elephant and, of course the waters off Eel Point, Conor's summer residence. As the son of Elizabeth and Smith Bagley, Conor is a refreshing preteen who loves his dog Riley and is intrigued with snakes and wildlife of all kinds. His favorite pastime is tubing off Coatue and basketball camp when not involved in adventures like this one. His mother Elizabeth was ambassador to Portugal under the first Clinton administration and is currently involved with her husband in the Hillary Clinton for President campaign.

One of Nadine Bernard Westcott's illustrations for "Ziggy McFinster's Nantucket Adventure"

The idea for a snake tale came from family visits during holidays to a special locale, the Musgrove Plantation which has been in Smith Bagley's family for many generations. Named after the Creek Indian princess, Mary Musgrove, who worked with Georgia's founding Governor James Oglethorpe in 1733 to help settle the colony, the place is filled with flora and fauna and many versions of snakes - some poisonous favorites of Conor's. He ran from a rat snake on a recent visit, he recalls, as it was ready to strike. Ziggy McFinster, however, is a magical creature who accumulates friends and a wife Bitsy to share in his many summer adventures. Sworgy the Seagull takes them flying to Great Point and Madaket Beach, landing in perfect spots for beach picnics.

I predict this is just the first of a series that Conor will prepare for a young audience as he himself is a fan of the Harry Potter creations and Lemony Snickett books. We all marvel at how these efforts have captured the imagination of today's youth and we salute Conor and

his determination to do the same. I