Luella’s Library follows a young book-lover who invites her tech-obsessed best friend to her home library, where they wind up on an unexpected journey when a book opens a magical portal to enchanted worlds. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

Getting lost in a book gives kids the opportunity to connect with characters, go on wild adventures, and make choices and opinions based on the plot. So, I decided to write Luella’s Library to show kids the magic of reading a book. Children will be able to follow Luella and Lino on the many adventures their book takes them on. Lino is inspired by one of my own cousins who loves to spend time playing games on his iPad, and Luella has traits of my sister, who has a library of books in her bedroom. Together, Luella and Lino travel through many enchanted lands, all of which have been inspired by my favorite Barbie and Disney movies growing up. As a child, I fell in love with the magical settings in Barbie and Disney; they were places that I wished to visit, which is why I chose to make the settings of my story have a similar vibe. I want kids to be able to feel like they’ve been sucked into these vibrant worlds along with my main characters. My goal is to show children in a fun, interactive, and relatable way that picking up a book can be more of an exciting experience than picking up an iPad.

What were some educational aspects that were important for you to include in this children’s book?

In the past few years, I’ve seen a major shift in how young kids spend their free time. Rather than using their imaginations to play games, read a book, or enjoy the outdoors, I’ve noticed that their playtime is heavily spent on their iPads and phones. It’s become less reading and more tapping. If this trend continues, kids won’t know the experience of getting lost in a book anymore and expanding their imagination. Will kids even be creative if they’re always told what to believe through their iPads and never form opinions of their own? This question inspired me to write Luella’s Library. I believe kids should learn at a young age the power of imagination and creativity in this digital world we live in today.

What scene in the book did you have the most fun writing?

My favorite scene to write was the scene where Luella, Lino, and their newfound leprechaun friend ride Pegasuses into the sky in a land filled with fairies, mermaids, and mystical forests. My favorite movies growing up were always the ones that included fairies or mermaids, so I felt like I was tapping back into my childhood dreams of living in a land with magical creatures.

Is this the first book in the series? If so, when is the next book coming out, and what can your fans expect in the next story?

As of right now, I haven’t decided if I will make this into a series. Yet, I loved writing it and bringing the world of Luella’s Library to life, so there is definitely a possibility!

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