One sixth grader who never really pushed himself wrote to an eighth grader who always did that her writing had been an inspiration to him. I teach the same students for two to three years and every year they have a writing project. Students are to keep their writing books and compare them from year to year to see change and growth. A product that took a lot of effort to create, looks good, and has comments from ones peers is one students tend to keep. I have students who have learned to love writing, who risk sharing intimate feelings with peers, who reach for paper when they are upset, and who come into class asking if they can write.
Writing can become a window into a students' soul, a tool by which a child can be understood.
Getting published in a magazine with a national circulation is nice, but there are more benefits to writing than that. If I as a teacher am very careful, I can help my students make writing an important part of their lives. Title your book. Illustrate the cover as if this were a published book. Make sure your name is on the cover and that the cover is sturdy.