Authored By Alyssa

….and I couldn’t be any less chill about it

I’m officially a published author. I feel like I need to say this again. I am officially a (self) published author. My book is on shelves, being read by children and adults alike.

Julia’s Shelf Discovery is my debut children’s book—a rhyming picture book that introduces young readers to the magic of literary genres. It’s colorful, joyful, and made for curious little bookworms (and the grown-ups who read with them).

This book is especially close to my heart. I wrote it for my sister, Julia, who’s about to step into her very first classroom. As a former special education teacher myself, I wanted to create something that honors both of our journeys—and the legacy of educators we come from.

Anyone who knows me (and most of you here don’t because this is my first post), I’ve always been a bookworm. As a child, I devoured books like Lily’s Purple Plastic Purse, The Boxcar Children, and Where the Sidewalk Ends. As a teenager, I used to spend hours at the library reading The Hunger Games and The Giver. As an adult, Funny Story and Throne of Glass. Books are my everything.

Publishing this on the heels of Teacher Appreciation Week feels like a full-circle moment. So here’s to every teacher who’s helped a child fall in love with books—and to those of us who still treasure a good picture book, no matter our age.

If you’d like to support Julia’s Shelf Discovery, you can grab a copy here. Thank you for being part of this story.

PS: I’ll be sending out a quarterly newsletter (just four emails a year, I promise), letting you know what spaces Julia’s Shelf Discovery has made its way into, events you might’ve missed or want to attend, and occasionally elevating teacher wishlist’s I think you’d be interested in supporting, You can subscribe below.