Academic Play Books

Students often visit the library asking for “easy books.” They haven’t yet fallen in love with reading and hope to complete their obligation quickly. With experience, students gain enthusiasm and the desire to read longer texts, but for now, many are in a hurry.

While watching General Conference in 2016, inspiration hit. I could write the same story at three different levels to demonstrate the joy of a longer book. An ATOS of 0.5 helps students learn to read, a 2.0 shows them the fun of a developed story, and a 3.5 provides juicy details behind the plot. I signed up for UC San Diego’s Children’s Book Writing Program and focused on academic and play themed books for my students.

One assignment was to write a picture book without using the computer. We needed to drop off a car for repair an hour away, so this task was a great fit; I would have uninterrupted writing time on the way home. While riding past Valley Children’s, I wondered why we don’t see picture books about kids who visit the hospital. And then it hit me. Books about children in life threatening situations have an end. We would hope the child heals and lives happily ever after; however, so often that ending is untrue.

But what if the story doesn’t end? Like Jaxon’s. The child faces tough things and thrives, helping others see it is possible.

So that’s the story I wrote, inspired by my kid’s experiences with fear. It was well received by the teacher and critique partners. All agreed. The book was important and should be published. Jaxon joined the writing process, and we started a series of books to help children see that they too can have joy, even at the hospital.

I began sending manuscripts to agents in 2020 at the exact moment they were inundated. Many potential authors finally had time to write and to query. I received a few responses agreeing it was an important topic, but they weren’t the right one to champion it. The querying process often takes years, and I was sad that the support we were offering kids wasn’t going to get to them anytime soon.

The same year we learned Jaxon needed to return to chemo. After three years of freedom, resuming the Children’s Hospital lifestyle was especially difficult. His frustration inspired a new manuscript: Heroes Need Help. Chemo patients and their peers will benefit from this book, but publishing professionals believe the market is too small to be profitable.

Additional conferences, family members, and conversations have helped me find my books the right path.

I’ve started my own publishing company, “Academic Play Books” with an imprint for Jaxon’s stories: “Medical Moxie Books.” Academic Play’s first duo will be released March 1^st and Heroes Need Help will host a crowdsourcing campaign soon.

In full circle amazement, I am excited to act on my inspired idea from nine years ago. The Book Cat and The Library Kitty are the first step in showing my students the joy of the longer book. The inspiration for these stories is Libby – the persistent cat who snuck into the school library seven times on a cold, February morning.

I am grateful to my friend Jamie for volunteering her husband’s artistic talent and for Jason’s willingness to say yes to the job. The ability to communicate with an illustrator is a luxury traditional publishing doesn’t provide. We are learning so much as we work together.

If you would like updates as Academic Play progresses, click the subscribe button in the bottom right corner. We would love to have you join our team of cheerful supporters! Our Medical Moxie books will need your help!