Jackie was an early reader and thought to write a book was "the grandest thing you could do." When her parents went away for a few weeks, Jackie and her siblings decided to surprise their parents when they got home. Her brother got over his lisp, and Jackie wrote them a book of short stories and poems. The YMCA had a city wide hobby show, so Jackie entered her book and won a blue ribbon. The next year she did another book about two dogs who had adventures on the farm.