UNION COUNTY, N.C. — Thomas McDowell Junior has always loved to write.

So when the pandemic hit, he spent the majority of his time doing just that.

“I have a journal…a kind of personal journal where I write how I feel, especially during the pandemic because a lot of stuff was happening," he said.

When McDowell along with the rest of the country watched George Floyd’s death this summer, he channeled his emotions into a book.

McDowell's book is called the Story of Issac, and people are portrayed as animals.

“Each character in my book is different," he said. "They could be the same species, but different and that’s kind of one thing I’m really trying to portray is perspectives.”

His book focuses on issues that impact our own society such as segregation, prejudice and racism.

McDowell's mom Christina is a teacher at East Union Middle School in Union County.  

She shared her son's book with other teachers who are encouraging their students to read it.

“My principal was talking about getting a couple of copies in the library," she said. "When I walk through the halls, I see kids holding it and it’s simply because they didn’t read it they just looked on the back and said 'this kid is cool and then they read it.'”

As more people read his book, McDowell hopes it will inspire others to think about how we choose to treat one another.

“I want people to connect and understand that it’s okay to be different than other people," he said. "You just need to learn to respect people.”

McDowell says he’s sold over 50 copies of his book and is currently in the process of writing a sequel.

You can learn more about his book and purchase a copy here.