Ninth Grade Academy teacher Clayton Moon, who goes by Boxer Moon for his pen name, recently had a children’s book published called Where Peanut Butter Jelly Sandwiches Come From. The book is illustrated by his daughter Sara Moon and it follows the travels of Jolly the Frog and Lazy the Lizard as they embark on a hunger-driven adventure to Peanut Butter Mountain.
“I wrote this story in 1992 when I was a junior in high school. My mother, Susan Moon, loved the story and put the handmade book away for safekeeping. My mother and I searched for the book off and on through the 2000s, but we could not find it,” he said. “My mom and I would argue about the location of my handmade book from time to time. She would just smile and say she knew where it was. My mom lost her battle with cancer on October 9, 2012. As a family, we still wondered about the location of the Peanut Butter Sandwich book. We would look every so often for the book but to no avail. Coincidentally, on Mother’s Day 2019, as I was gathering some old hunting gear for my father and emptying an old box, the elusive Peanut Butter Sandwich book appeared. I was so excited, and I knew Mom was smiling down on our family. I asked my daughter Sara Moon to revamp the illustrations so we could get this children’s book published in 2021.”
The book is dedicated to Susan Moon who taught in Lamar and Upson counties. It says, “To Susan L. Moon (1952–2012), loving mother, inspirational teacher, and mentor. Rest in peace.”
Where Peanut Butter Jelly Sandwiches Come From is currently available on all major sites such as Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and Books a Million.
Like his mom, the author is fostering a love of story creation in his daughter, Sara Moon, who illustrated the elusive Where Peanut Butter Jelly Sandwiches Come From. She has contributed art to the following stories: Rainbow Butterfly, Oglethorpe Estates and Where Peanut Butter Jelly Sandwiches Come From and she has received multiple commissions for artwork. Her art is displayed on her Instagram account @scribblingsara.
Moon has been a public-school teacher for 21 years and was selected as the 2008 and 2021 STAR teacher for the Pike County school system. During his years of teaching, he has entertained many students with his outlandish stories. He captivates his audience by using wild animals, reptiles or birds as his main characters.
He is married to Melinda Moon and has three children, Seth, Greylen and Sara. His family supports his storytelling with ideas and illustrations. Being an avid outdoorsman, many of his tales are devised from his encounters in nature. He said he enjoys the spiritual tranquility found deep in the Georgia woods.
His students self-published a book in 2020 titled Sanna-Tizer Disinfects the Substitute: The Heroes’ Journey of a Teacher and Her Second Grade Students, which raised more than $1,200 for local families affected by COVID-19. Clayton Moon currently lives in Thomaston and teaches for the Pike County School System.
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