Child Writing Prodigy Tweeting Up $10,000 for Haiti

Adora Svitak is one of those kids it's hard to believe actually exist — a child prodigy, a genius. A self-described "educator, poet and humanitarian" called by others "a tiny literary giant," she published her first book, a collection of short stories called Flying Fingers, at age seven.

Now, at 12, she is attempting to raise $10,000 for Save the Children's relief efforts in Haiti through her Twitter account. She has committed to donating one penny for each new person who follows her, with the goal of netting 1 million new followers. She will also donate the proceeds from sales of her books, Flying Fingers and Dancing Fingers, at the eTech Ohio conference at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, where she was scheduled to give the opening keynote address on Monday.

This is not the first time she's put her publishing prowess to charitable use. She donates all profits from sales of Flying Fingers in China to a Tibetan orphanage. And after massive floods threatened children in Vietnam in 2007, she raised $30,000 to help them.

What will the young writer post on Twitter that might draw 1 million followers? She plans to write inspirational messages, and post videos of her teaching, which she hopes will motivate others to develop their own talents.

She is, after all, a veteran teacher already. In the basement TV studio in her Redmond, Virginia, home, she records daily 50-minute video lessons that earn her $300 a piece. In the corporate arena, she earns as much as $10,000 for speaking engagements.

Something tells me she might be able to reach her $10,000 goal. And then some.

Photo courtesy of michperu via Flickr