Cassie’s Big Change: Going from the Living Room to the Classroom follows a young girl who is learning to write a story in her class and learning to express her feelings. What was the inspiration for your story?

The inspiration for the book was seeing children around the world missing the social interaction with peers in their classroom and school. I believe we need to allow children to express their feelings and continue to encourage them to use their voices. It was important for children to have hope that things could be back to normal with the support of teachers, family, and friends.

Many children also experience difficulty transitioning back to school. We know that many children had multiple mental health issues in the height of the pandemic and school provides a safe place. This is where they can get services and resources.

Children’s mental health and social-emotional health must be a priority for families, schools, and the nation. 

Children are always my inspiration to help make a difference in their lives and others.

The art in this book is fantastic. What was the art collaboration process like with illustrator Gaurav Bhatnagar?

Gaurav and I worked well together, going back and forth. I gave him detailed instructions. We also met via Zoom when he needed help understanding. We are still working together on projects now.

What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?

It was important that I told the story from Cassie’s perspective. It was also important that children were able to share their feelings and have adults who supported them. I wanted them to know that it was crucial, to be honest with themselves and others. It was my goal to incorporate social-emotional learning in every Cassie book.

What is the next book in Cassie’s Big Change Series you are working on, and when will it be available?

I am actually working on two books and don’t know which one will be published first. I probably will publish one later this year.

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