Nila Dhinaker (Speller 5) has already published a book online, and is working on another.
The Gilbert, Arizona seventh grader researched Titanic survivor Selma Augusta Emilia Asplund and published a fictionalized version of what her journal might be.
She's writing a fantasy called "Swept Away," about a girl names Callie who plans the perfect vacation to Hawaii, and gets lost.
The Bee, she said, helps her with her writing and vocabulary.
Nila feels pretty good about the competition so far. After the preliminary test, she was planning to stop by a Smithsonian.
The biggest surprise of her trip so far?
"It's so green here," Nila said. "It's really cool."
