PUBLISHED: November 15, 2025 at 1:30 PM EST Since his first-ever glimpse of the Star Destroyer gliding across the movie screen in the 1977 film, “Star Wars: A New Hope,” science fiction has had Matt Leavens hooked. As a kid in 1987, Leavens’ world revolved around media like Star Wars and Transformers cartoons. The otherworldly tales were “awe-inspiring” — he wondered what it would be like to create a story of his own. So, he imagined a story and drew up some characters — Jedmo the mutant frog, who was inspired by Yoda’s character in Star Wars, and the Armored Spirits, whose appearance imitated that of a Transformer. Now a 51-year-old art teacher at Our Lady Of Lourdes Regional School in Coal Township, the decades-old characters and their sci-fi tale have made it to the printing press. Leavens’ debut novel, “51: Echoed Resurrection,” went on sale in late August. The 287-page novel presents a wiser, experience-informed take on the imagined realm of his teens. It pays homage to his loved ones, the life lessons he has learned, and his art — Leavens hand-drew the cover and over 25 illustrations interspersed amongst the pages. “It was like holding a bible,” Leavens said, recalling the night he received the first copy of his novel. “You fantasize about holding something you actually created, and it was right in front of me.” The front cover of local art teacher Matt Leaven’s debut novel, “51: Echoed Resurrection.” Leavens illustrated the cover and all drawings inside the book. (SUBMITTED) Learning to forgive About 10 years ago, Leavens went to his mother with a question that arose out of a trying time in his life: “What are my five biggest flaws?” He struggled with forgiveness, his mother responded. They didn’t discuss the other four flaws — truthfully, he was a little offended. With time, though, he realized that his mother had a point. And then, Leavens started noticing the number. Driving 51 miles per hour. Paying 51 cents at McDonalds. Hearing a student mention 51 somethings in a class presentation. For about two years, the number kept appearing randomly in his life. One day, curious, confused and a little creeped out, he asked a colleague on a whim whether the number had any special significance in the bible. He was stunned to hear that Psalm 51 discussed forgiveness. “I just got the biggest chill up-and-down my spine,” Leavens said. And then he wrote his novel in two weeks, tops. That first draft was just the barebones, of course. Since then, the novel underwent years of editing and workshopping before starting the publishing process, about three years ago. His novel was taken up by Page Publishing, based in Meadville. At its core, Leavens describes the finished product as a story about characters who can’t become heroes until they learn to forgive and accept the tribulations of their lives — a theme that Leavens has come to know well. A pen drawing featured in local art teacher Matt Leaven’s debut novel, “51: Echoed Resurrection.” Leaven made all the novel’s illustrations himself. (SUBMITTED) Mushrooms, skeletons and droids, oh my! The novel’s main protagonist is Jedmo the frog, who lives in the underworld of Xiju. One day while foraging, Jedmo discovers an ancient relic — a powerful helmet created by a Phoenix goddess long ago. One night, a fierce storm prompts the transformation of the helmet into a strange new being made of junk metal — the Armored Spirit. As the story progresses, dark forces come to play, from both the evil undead who seek the relic and Jedmo’s own past. With a cast of animal scavengers, droids, resurrected skeletons and a talking mushroom, Leavens’ imagined underworld is highly fantastical — yet the characters and themes are all grounded in his personal experiences. Take the Phoenix, for example: an uplifting female character who urges Jedmo to fight the evil he encounters. To Leavens, the Phoenix represents his 20-year-old daughter, Olivia Jo. “She’s kind of my light,” Leavens said of his daughter. Another character, Crievous, is a villain in the book, and represents the “it” of people’s lives — people’s struggles and challenges, their “demons.” At the very end of the novel, Leavens leaves readers with a parting message: “We all have come upon a Crievous in our lifetime. Do not let IT ruin you.” Art of many forms This year marks Leavens’ 16th year teaching high school art at Our Lady of Lourdes Regional School, where he also serves as Dean of Students. But his passion for art goes back much further. “Ever since I was able to hold a crayon, I’ve been doing art,” Leavens said. Leavens graduated from Pennsylvania School of Art and Design in Lancaster in 1996, where he studied graphic design. Before that, he studied drafting at Columbia-Montour Area Vocational Technical School in Bloomsburg. In Shamokin, he has earned a reputation as a freelance muralist on the side. Just last week, he completed his twelfth mural in the city, where he painted galactic pet portraits on the outside of a real estate agency. Pet murals created by artist and art teacher, Matt Leavens, in Shamokin. (SUBMITTED) Pet murals created by artist and art teacher, Matt Leavens, in Shamokin. (SUBMITTED) Pet murals created by artist and art teacher, Matt Leavens, in Shamokin. (SUBMITTED) Show Caption Source: https://www.republicanherald.com/2025/11/15/art-teachers-debut-novel-dives-into-world-of-science-fiction/