I am thrilled to announce that the book that I have been working on with my dear friend, Leigh Cassell (illustrated by my former student, Sahar F), Aubrey Bright in Stories that Connects Us is officially out!
Leigh and I met online several years ago and became fast friends. It was clear that we shared a passion for showing teachers and students how to use technology in positive ways. Although we had spoken on and off about collaborating on a book together, our other responsibilities and life in general got in the way.
In my Teacher-Librarian life, I was busy running a bustling space where kids came to read, study, collaborate, play games, or hang out. Sahar, was a student who came to the school Library daily. During School Library Month a few years ago, we had a bookmark contest and I was blown away by her submission. Her doodles are works of art and I was in awe of her talent. Later that year, on the way to a graduation ceremony, I was chatting with Sahar about her dream to one day illustrate a children’s book. I shared that writing a Children’s Book was on my dream list too.
Fast forward a year and the idea of finally collaborating on a book took shape in a conversation between Leigh and I. Recalling Sahar’s talents and her dream to illustrate a book, we got together to envision, plan, and finally execute Aubrey Bright in Stories That Connect Us. We knew that we wanted to share about the power of technology to connect us. We brainstormed our characters together with Sahar and trusted her artistry while we refined the story. If you think that writing a children’s book is child’s play, think again! It took a year and a half of meeting regularly, drafting, redrafting, editing, and revising. Just for fun, I looked at our draft story and other than our main characters, EVERYTHING about the book is different.
Aubrey Bright in Stories That Connect Us is a heart-warming tale of intergenerational connection focusing on how relationships are strengthened through storytelling and the power technology has to connect us.
Aubrey, a young precocious girl, has a strong relationship with her Gramma which is anchored in a love of storytelling. When her Gramma gets sick, Aubrey shows her that technology can be a powerful tool for modern storytelling and connection.
Aubrey Bright is sure to engage K-8 teachers and students in conversations around digital citizenship and the positive uses of technology in our daily lives
You can find more about the first in what we hope will be a series of books, here and purchase a copy (US only for now) here.
Thank you to the many people who gave us feedback along the way! Thank you Sarah Thomas and Mandy Froehlich at Edumatch publishing for your trust in us. I love both of you dearly!