When my first story was published in Spider Magazine, it was on the opposite side of a two page spread from a drawing by Quentin Blake and a few pages down from a Kate di Camillo story. I was totally star struck. But you know what’s just as cool? Seeing my book on a shelf of regional authors in a local indie bookstore and personally knowing nearly every author whose books share the shelf.
A writer friend recently said to me, “You can’t throw a stone in Asheville and not hit a writer.” And not just any writer. Incredibly talented writers. Overwhelmingly supportive writers who share their knowledge, root for each other, and even play games together. I can’t wait to read some of their latest stories, and I recommend that you do, too!
Picture Books, Easy Readers, and Comic Books
Three SleepsWhy I’m excited to read it:
A family therapist wrote this story that addresses issues of separation anxiety, which I see some of my students experience. It is also available in Spanish, and the beautiful illustrations were painted by my friend’s wife, Shannon Cappezzali.
Carlos & CarmenWhy I’m excited to read it:
Carlos & Carmen are twins from a Latino-American family. They have all the adventures and challenges of typical American kids, but with a little more laughter and Spanish sprinkled in. Kirsten McDonald, the author of this easy reader series, is a children’s librarian, so she knows what she’s talking about. She is also in my critique group, so I got a sneak preview and even had some input on a few of these!
Why I’m excited to read it:
J. Rutland is another writer from my critique group (yes, we are a very talented bunch), and he also paints the beautiful and extremely imaginative artwork in his Robot (Samurai) Penguins comic series. And I have a few students in particular who I know are going to fall in love with the main penguin, Waddul.
Middle Grade
Serafina and the Black CloakWhy I’m excited to read it:
No list of Asheville kidlit would be complete without Serafina. And yes, I am a bad person for being a local children’s author who has not read it. It is a dark, suspenseful story set at the Biltmore Estate, and my students eat it up. I’ll have to read it soon since the second book in the series is already out and a movie is on its way. And although this is the first author on the list that I haven’t met personally, I hear that he is a nice guy with an interesting story of his own.
Mr. Puffball: Stunt Cat to the Stars
Why I’m excited to read it:
I cheated on this one. I’m excited to have already read it. But I recommend it to you because it’s full of clever puns, cute cat pictures, and heart. Plus the author and illustrator, Constance Lombardo, is one of the coolest cats in town herself.
How to Steal a DogWhy I’m excited to read it:
I love books about dogs. And this one was adapted into a film in South Korea! The author of this one, Barbara O’Connor, looked fabulous in a feather boa and monocle at my book launch party’s photo booth, and I can’t wait to discover that her writing is just as fun.
Yound Adult
Why I’m excited to read it:
This novel about a girl’s struggle to fight cancer and, later, addiction to medication, is the book that I’m smack dab in the middle of right now. I keep reading it at night to help me fall asleep, but end up staying awake longer because I want to keep reading. Fortunately, when I get through it, I get to read the new sequel, Unforgivable. My friend and mother of a sweet girl at one of my schools, Amy Reed, wrote this one.
Stay tuned… Local KidLit Reading List: Part 2 is coming soon! I told you there were a lot of talented authors here.
Laura Boffa: Write of Way 