Author-of-the-Month (follow up to Shop Local)

Posted byauthorlaurablogPosted inUncategorizedTags:, , , , , , , , ,

I truly enjoyed the month of April as Author-of-the-Month at all four Timbuk Toys stores in Denver. It was lovely meeting people and sharing Aliana Reaches for the Moon. Toy stores are such a happy place.

I received a warm welcome each time I visited a store from both the employees and shoppers. I enjoyed interesting conversations about books, children, science, encouraging curiosity in children, and the importance of boys reading about strong, intelligent girls. In other words, a book with a female main character is NOT a ‘girl book.’ We have to empower our daughters and also teach our sons that girls are their equals. As a reading specialist, this is an important subject on which I have done considerable research and therefore have some strong opinions regarding how literature impacts the way gender roles are portrayed.

Was it Successful? There are many ways to measure success.

  • Was it fun? Yes!
  • Was the book well received? Yes!
  • Did the employees like my book? Yes, one store set up the display above and sent me this picture. It’s humbling, to say the least.
  • Did we sell a lot of copies? Yes! In fact, I broke the previous record of Author-of-the-month sales by over 60% so for those of us who like quantitive information YES!

Published by authorlaurablog

I'm a reading specialist and award winning educator from Chicago. While living in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado for nine years, I spent time hiking on the trails with my Goldendoodle Charlie and friends, writing, working in a literacy program at the Boulder Public Library, and mentoring writers and teachers. I love visiting schools. My books combine STEM and Kindness. "Aliana Reaches for the Moon" a picture book that draws inspiration from the moon and the curiosity of children, inviting children to be creative, explore, and experiment. "An Accidental Hero: A Mostly True Wombat Story" a picture book told in the form of a newscast which skillfully balances the serious subject of forest fires with compassion and humor to help children navigate this important topic through the real events of 2020. I moved to Northern New Jersey in 2025 and am working on new projects.

7 thoughts on “Author-of-the-Month (follow up to Shop Local)”

  3. Now that I’m ‘kinda and extremely loosely’ on the writing side of the page 😀 , I can appreciate that holding a physical book you’ve actually written must be the real ‘orgasmic’ buzz, I’d love to write a book but…………! Btw I’ve enjoyed your bookstore posts.

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    1. Thank you! It’s definitely an amazing feeling to hold your book and share it with others. I did an after school library event yesterday and the kids were squirrelly after a day in school and the nice weather but when I began reading, they were fully engaged. Afterward, when I asked for questions, the first two boys said, “I really love your book.” and “You did a good job!”
      No, those aren’t questions, but they are wonderful to hear.
      Thanks for letting me know you enjoy the book posts because I don’t want to feel like I’m doing too many “Look at me! posts” in my blog.

      Liked by 1 person

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