AUGUST 2023
Welcome back to school! Our August line-up includes interviews with Dr. Roochi Arora, Heather Fawcett, Joey Benun, Sara Shepard, Lauren Castillo, Susan Traugh, Heather Bradley, and Carole P. Roman!
Conrad Storad tells us what the buzz is all about, Deedee Cummings offers some great ways to support literacy, Judy Newman welcomes another little reader into her life, and Nick Spake reviews Nimona!
Check out our newest book reviews and summer reading list! It's all inside!
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FEATURES
One to Read:
Dr. Roochi Arora
by Marcella Comerford
Dr. Roochi Arora saw a distinct need while observing her oncology patients and took on the incredibly important task of helping parents and guardians talk to their children about a cancer diagnosis. Arora said the help was undeniably needed, but just not available to families struggling with broaching this topic in a way that was the least scary and intimidating for everyone. Arora said she was finding parents weren’t communicating at all about their illness, because they just didn’t know how, and didn’t have the tools.
“Throughout my training to become a medical oncologist, I noticed I was meeting a lot of very young patients with young families,” Arora explains. “I was so surprised to learn how many patients try to hide their diagnosis of cancer from their children, often because they don’t know how to start the conversation.”
After this startling observation, Arora came to realize that “We get a lot of formal teaching around talking to people about chemotherapy, or breaking bad news to patients, but who teaches a young mom or dad how to tell their kids they have cancer, and that they are losing their hair and feeling tired because of the treatment they are undergoing?”
Heather Fawcett
Takes Readers on a New Adventure
by Marcella Comerford
Heather Fawcett’s writing has spanned the genres of adult, young adult, and children’s literature, and it is so easy to get lost in time reading them. The hours pass and before you know it, dawn is chirping at your bedroom window as you turn … the last … page.
Still, Fawcett really is as humble as can be when speaking about herself and her storytelling chops. Talking about how she got into a career as an author, Fawcett remarks, “I’ve just always loved books and reading. I wrote several books, and attempts at books, before my first novel was published in 2017.”
So it didn’t just happen overnight, but Fawcett says, “In retrospect, I’m glad none of those early books were published because they gave me a chance to improve and figure out what kinds of stories I wanted to tell. I studied Archaeology and English Literature at university, so I was spending my time analyzing stories and learning about worlds and ancient cultures that no longer exist, which together is a pretty useful foundation for a fantasy author.” Really, what could be a better combination than history and the mysteries it provides? It’s great fodder for imagination and new worlds.
Joey Benun
Encourages Kids to Think Big
by Marcella Comerford
Joey Benun found himself in a conversation one day with his niece and nephews, puzzling over the succession of really big numbers—think, more than trillions—and found his little relatives getting so excited over the idea of figuring out and understanding big numbers that he started thinking about them a bunch, too. Benun saw what he describes as “non-math loving kids” going gaga over big numbers and began doing some research.
Benun came up with the character of Pebbles to lead the way through his ideas and lessons, and before long, Pebbles and the Biggest Number was on its way to becoming a real-live children’s book and Benun’s goals of explaining math and engaging kids became a reality. As a first-time author, Benun was also the recipient of the Purple Dragonfly Book Awards Grand Prize, which is kind of a really big deal.
It’s easy to see why Pebbles and the Biggest Number earned the grand prize—Benun has some big takeaways he wants to see kids gain from his book, and clearly did a lot of thinking, research, learning, and investing thought and care into the effect his book would have on children.
Susan Traugh
Inspires Readers to Turn Their Struggles into Success
by Lindsey Giardino
Award-winning author Susan Traugh has been writing for more than 30 years. In fact, it’s something she started doing even before kindergarten. “I think maybe my soul knew my destiny from the moment I snuck through the gap in the gate in my kindergarten play yard to go play with the kids in the school’s special day class. Throughout my elementary years, those kids were ‘my tribe.’ Life, as a child, was supported and loving. I was an overachiever who tried everything—writing, music, dance—I created my own social work club in high school to help local at-risk kids. It gave me a strong, supportive foundation to face the struggles ahead.”
When Traugh’s son was a year old, he fell from a second story, fractured his skull, and became traumatically brain injured. “The prognosis was bleak,” Susan recalls. “They said he would never walk, talk, or function normally again. Someone even suggested that I might consider institutionalizing him.”
So, Traugh quit her job to beat the diagnosis and devote her time to giving her son the best opportunities in life. Later, Traugh’s oldest daughter was diagnosed with a myriad of physical and mental disabilities, including autism. Then her second daughter was diagnosed with a severe mental illness.
Heather Bradley
Shares Her Love of Reading Through Her Writing
by Marcella Comerford
Heather Bradley, a children’s book author with a profound admiration for the natural world, tells us about how her love affair with reading and learning started at a very young age, and what her careers and educational experiences have brought to her writing for young people.
Bradley is the author of When We All Get Together (2021) and the soon to be released We Both Speak English But…. A retired elementary teacher, Bradley was awarded the William C. McMaster Award from Scholastic Canada for an essay about children’s literature, and has worked for the Ontario Science Centre, very fitting with her appreciation of nature.
Bradley says, “I started writing articles for the local newspapers at age 15. Throughout high school, I pumped gas and performed oil changes at a local gas station to save money to go to university. I spent the better part of ten years working at the Ontario Science Centre in Toronto. I then returned to school to obtain my teaching credentials and started teaching elementary school. One of my teaching assignments was on a southern island, Toronto Island.”
A Few Words with
Carole P. Roman
by Marcella Comerford
Carole P. Roman is the award-winning author of over 72 books. Whether it’s pirates, princesses, spies, or superheroes, her books have enchanted educators, parents, and her diverse audience of children of all ages.
Q: Tell us about your background/life growing up.
A: I was born in Brooklyn a long, long time ago. I married in my early twenties and have two sons. I currently work in a family business. We do a lot together, along with several other family members. They are extremely creative and inspire me with stories to write. My wonderful daughters-in-law are supportive and have taken important roles in our various businesses. I get to work with the people I love best in the world. One of my sons is a successful author and I manage his writing career. Currently, we both have books being turned into scripts by an award-winning screenwriter. Sadly, I lost my husband almost six years ago. I live near my sons and their families on Long Island.
Q: What inspired those career choices?
A: I started my career as a social studies teacher. I left teaching 46 years ago to help my husband build a luxury ground transportation enterprise that grew to be one of the largest in the United States. I am currently CEO of BLS and we employ over 700 people worldwide. While we grew the company, I became a successful and award-winning author of over 70 books published under two different names. My children’s series are popular with many homeschooled children and provide a cheerful and informative break from school books. They have been endorsed by several homeschool organizations. During the pandemic, I studied mediumship and now do over 40 readings a month, as well as teach courses on mediumship.
Book Lovers Support Literacy
by Deedee Cummings
If you’re a book lover, it is hard to imagine what illiteracy might feel like. The world has come a long way throughout its history with literacy rates improving immensely over the years. According to UNESCO, the worldwide average literacy rate is 86 percent for adults and 91 percent for children.
However, the work of highlighting and promoting literacy is far from over. In fact, it may be more dire than ever with the rise of social media and untruths spreading through the internet like wildfire. There remain large pockets of adults and children, even within our own communities, who struggle to read and comprehend everyday information and directions. August 9th was National Book Lovers Day. I can’t think of a more perfect opportunity for book lovers to do what they can to help improve literacy where they live. But how can one do that?
MONTHLY COLUMNS
-
Life of a Reader
Big Sisterhood!
by Judy Newman -
Q&A
Sara Shepard
by Julianne Black DiBlasi -
The Book Bug
Lauren Castillo
by Raven Howell -
Monsters at the Movies
Nimona
by Nick Spake -
Liv On Life
Support Your Library
by Olivia Amiri -
Conrad‘s Classroom
It’s All About the Bumblebees
by Conrad J. Storad -
Kids Corner
Pet Monster
Artwork by Dow Phumiruk
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