Shelli R. Johannes

Meet the author Shelli R. Johannes!

Shelli will be at The Story Shop on August 25 from 1-3 p.m. to talk about her phenomenal picture book Cece Loves Science! 

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

By day, I am a copywriter (with a masters in marketing).

By night, I am a writer, animal lover, kid wrangler and homemaker.

I am not a cook. ☺

What do you do when you are not writing?

Think about writing. Brainstorm about writing. Talk about writing.

Oh, I love to see movies and watch TV, but that’s because I love to analyze the story and writing.

I do hot yoga and hang with my family.

Yeah I am a geek.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

I’ve always loved telling stories to make people laugh. But I didn’t start officially writing until I was pregnant with my daughter. I always say she sat on something inside me.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I like to eat jelly beans? Does that count?

Do you have an upcoming book? If so, can you tell us a little bit about it?

Cece Loves Science is Ada Twist, Scientist meets Fancy Nancy! This STEM-themed picture book, the first in a series, follows inquisitive Cece as she poses one of life’s most pressing questions—do dogs eat vegetables? With her best friend, Isaac, Cece uses science to uncover the answer. This entertaining and educational book is perfect for kids who love Andrea Beaty’s Ada Twist, Scientist. 

Is anything in your book based on real life experiences or purely all imagination?

Back in 2014, Kimberly and I first decided to team up to write CECE LOVES SCIENCE after Shelli's daughter no longer wanted to attend science camp because she was the "only girl." Kim shared Shelli’s deep concern because Kim’s younger daughter grew up thinking math and science were "boys-only" subjects. We’re both writers so of course we headed to the library and bookstore for help. But we couldn’t find exactly what we wanted to share with our own girls.

Who is an author that you look up to today?

James Patterson – just because

Cliché to say JK Rowling but she’s got such a special imagination and she’s an amazing storyteller

What is your favorite genre of book to read?

YA Thrillers

What is your favorite book?

Pippi Longstocking

Who is an author that has inspired you or influenced you growing up?

Judy Blume

Beverly Cleary

Do you have any advice to give to aspiring writers?

Be persistent. Never give up.  A “yes” is always right around the corner.

Is there anything that you would like to say to your readers?

Thank you for giving CECE a chance. Since day one, Cece has been a passion project for Kim and me. Our dream is that CECE LOVES SCIENCE encourages not just girls, but kids of all ages to love science. As the mothers of strong-willed daughters, we wholeheartedly believe that girls should rule the field of science...and maybe even the world!

August Ladies' Book Club: Siddhartha

Join us for the August session of our Ladies Book Club! This month, we will be reading Siddhartha by Herman Hesse, the next book in the beautiful Penguin Drop Caps series. Here is the publisher's summary: 

H is for Hesse. A young Brahmin named Siddhartha searches for ultimate reality after meeting with the Buddha. His quest takes him from a life of decadence to asceticism, from the illusory joys of sensual love with a beautiful courtesan, and of wealth and fame, to the painful struggles with his son and the ultimate wisdom of renunciation. Integrating Eastern and Western spiritual traditions with psychoanalysis and philosophy, written with a deep and moving empathy for humanity, Herman Hesse’s strangely simple Siddhartha is perhaps the most important and compelling moral allegory the troubled twentieth century ever produced.

Cost is $25. Included with our price is a copy of the Penguin Drop Caps Collector's Edition of the book, light refreshments, and good conversation. We will meet in our celebration room on Thursday, August 16 at 7:00 p.m. Call or come by to register! (678-635-8801)

Staff Picks: Lily & McCartney

If you don’t know where to start when it comes to the wide world of children’s literature, we’ve got your back! Reading staff picks a great way to find a variety of books curated by devoted bookworms. This week, booksellers Lily and McCartney share some of their favorites!

Lily's Favorites

Peter and the starcatchers

Ever wonder how Peter Pan came to be? This origin story of the Boy Who Never Grows Up was my favorite as a young reader. It's a fantastic adventure filled with pirates, mermaids, magic, and beloved childhood characters! 

Franklin's Flying Bookshop

I can't decide what is more beautiful, the cover or the story itself. This book has the power to rekindle a love for reading with sweet, inspiring characters and reminds us that books connect us to the world, but stories can bind us together. A must read! 

McCartney's Favorites

The Land of Stories

This book is a fun read for those with a wild imagination! I am a fantasy enthusiast, myself, and loved the way the story incorporated familiar tales and gave them a new twist! 
 

Gaston

An adorable book with lovely illustrations. It teaches the importance of individuality and acceptance! 

For more favorites and recommendations from our wonderful staff, keep an eye on our blog. 

As always, happy reading!

Book Review: Willa of the Wood

The author of the Serafina series returns! Robert Beatty's Willa of the Wood is fierce, fantastical, and captivating.

How beautiful is this cover? 

Here is the publisher's summary:

Move without a sound. Steal without a trace.

To Willa, a young night-spirit, humans are the murderers of trees. She's been taught to despise them and steal from them. She's her clan's best thief, creeping into the log cabins of the day-folk under cover of darkness and taking what they won't miss. It's dangerous work, but Willa will do anything to win the approval of the padaran, the charismatic leader of the Faeran people.

When Willa's curiosity leaves her hurt and stranded in the day-folk world, she calls upon the old powers of her beloved grandmother, and the unbreakable bonds of her forest allies, to survive. Only then does she begin to discover the shocking truth: that not all of her human enemies are the same, and that the foundations of her own Faeran society are crumbling. What do you do when you realize that the society you were born and raised in is rife with evil? Do you raise your voice? Do you stand up against it?

As forces of unfathomable destruction attack her forest home, Willa must decide who she truly is--facing deadly force with warm compassion, sinister corruption with trusted alliance, and finding a home for her longing heart.

Sound awesome? It is. Willa gets more enthralling and mysterious the deeper the reader ventures into the story.

The book is lengthy, but middle readers will remain glued to Willa's story. Her adventure is full of high energy bursts with breaks just short enough for readers to gather themselves before Beatty throws us into even more vine-like twists and turns. 

The cast of characters is diverse, ranging from quaint to flashy to threatening to kind. Willa herself is a brilliant mixture of feistiness and compassion, fiercely gentle towards all living things she encounters. (Not to mention how super-awesome her magic is.)

Her companions include Luthien, the female head of the wolves, who aids Willa through a life-threatening chase, and Nathaniel, a homesteader man, who takes Willa under his wing.

Willa is also set during an interesting historical moment - the construction of the Great Smoky Mountain railroad in the early 1900s. Willa's clan is at odds with several other groups: the homesteaders, the Cherokee, and the railroad workers. 

Beatty is right on point when it comes to getting middle readers interested not only in the magic of reading, but also in American and regional history. (You can get me interested in anything historical if you add in forest spirits.)

Willa will make page-turners of middle readers and parents, alike. 

July Ladies Book Club: Lord of the Flies

Join us for the July session of our Ladies Book Club! This month, we will be reading Lord of the Flies by William Golding, the next book in the beautiful Penguin Drop Caps series. Here is the publisher's summary of this fierce classic: 

G is for Golding. At the dawn of the next world war, a plane crashes on an uncharted island, stranding a group of schoolboys. At first, with no adult supervision, their freedom is something to celebrate; this far from civilization the boys can do anything they want. Anything. They attempt to forge their own society, failing, however, in the face of terror, sin and evil. And as order collapses, as strange howls echo in the night, as terror begins its reign, the hope of adventure seems as far from reality as the hope of being rescued. Labeled a parable, an allegory, a myth, a morality tale, a parody, a political treatise, even a vision of the apocalypse, Lord of the Flies is perhaps our most memorable tale about “the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart.”

Cost is $25. Included with our price is a copy of the Penguin Drop Caps Collector's Edition of the book, light refreshments, and good conversation. We will meet in our celebration room on Thursday, July 19 at 7:00 p.m. Call or come by to register! (678-635-8801)

Get Ready for Summer: Most Anticipated Releases

Ring In the summer with these new books!

May Releases

Alberto lives alone in the town of Allora, where fish fly out of the sea and the houses shine like jewels. He is a coffin maker and widower, spending his quiet days creating the final resting places of Allora’s people.

Then one afternoon a magical bird flutters into his garden, and Alberto, lonely inside, welcomes it into his home. And when a kindhearted boy named Tito follows the bird into Alberto’s kitchen, a door in the old man’s heart cracks open. Tito is lonely too–but he’s also scared and searching for a place to hide. Fleeing from danger, he just wants to feel safe for once in his life. Can the boy and the old man learn the power of friendship and escape the shadows of their pasts?

With a tender bond that calls to mind The Girl Who Drank the Moon, charming characters reminiscent of The Penderwicks, and the whimsy of A Snicker of Magic, this is a novel to curl up with, an extraordinary work of magical realism that makes the world feel like a warmer and happier place. Complete with dazzling interior illustrations, a gem from start to finish.

Released May 15

When a small, friendless boy goes to bed at his boarding school, an adventure is about to begin! First he finds an invitation in his turtle's bowl. Next he makes an escape--out the window, through the woods, across a river, and onto an island. And then he joins a grand celebration, with larger-than-life animals serving tea and dancing late into the night. And finally? After the journey back, he has a fantastic story to tell--the perfect way to make a friend.

A simple text and glorious illustrations combine to make a deceptively powerful and touching picture book, cementing Daniel Miyares's reputation as one of the most exciting children's book author-illustrators working today.

Released May 8

A coming-of-age middle-grade graphic novel about summer and friendships, written and illustrated by the Eisner Award–winning and New York Times–bestselling Hope Larson.

Thirteen-year-old Bina has a long summer ahead of her. She and her best friend, Austin, usually do everything together, but he's off to soccer camp for a month, and he's been acting kind of weird lately anyway. So it's up to Bina to see how much fun she can have on her own. At first it's a lot of guitar playing, boredom, and bad TV, but things look up when she finds an unlikely companion in Austin's older sister, who enjoys music just as much as Bina. But then Austin comes home from camp, and he's acting even weirder than when he left. How Bina and Austin rise above their growing pains and reestablish their friendship and respect for their differences makes for a touching and funny coming-of-age story.

Released May 1

June releases

Only Fallow was just six harvests old when she realized that not everyone sees lies. For Only, seeing lies is as beautiful as looking through a kaleidoscope, but telling them is as painful as gnawing on cut glass. Only’s family warns her to keep her cunning hidden, but secrets are seldom content to stay secret.

When word of Only’s ability makes its way to the King, she’s plucked from her home at the orchard and brought to the castle at Bellskeep. There she learns that the kingdom is plagued by traitors, and that her task is to help the King distinguish between friend and foe. But being able to see lies doesn’t necessarily mean that others aren’t able to disguise their dishonesty with cunnings of their own.

In the duplicitous, power-hungry court, the truth is Only’s greatest weapon . . . and her greatest weakness.

Releases June 5

Risk-averse Greg Belmont is content with being ordinary. He's got a friend--that's right, just one--at his fancy prep school, and a pretty cool dad (even if he is obsessed with organic soaps that smell like a mix of salted pork and Icelandic bog). The problem is, Greg isn't ordinary . . . he's actually an honest-to-goodness, fantastical Dwarf! 

He discovers the truth the day his dad brings home a gross new tea--one that awakens bizarre abilities in Greg. Then a murderous Bro-Troll kidnaps his dad and Greg is whisked away to the Underground, where Dwarves have lived for centuries right beneath the streets of Chicago.

With the help of some awesome new friends and a talking ax, Greg learns all about the history of the Dwarves, which has been marked with tales of epic failure since the dawn of time. However, the return of the magic they once wielded means big changes are afoot, escalating tensions with the Dwarves' sworn enemy: the Elves. 

Brimming with humor and action, Chris Rylander's The Legend of Gregturns dwarf lore on its head, delivering an adventure readers won't be able to resist.

Releases June 12

"Hey, you! Sky's blue!" a girl shouts as she runs by the window of a boy bent over his digital device. Intrigued, the boy runs out after her, leaving his shoes (and phone) behind, and into a world of sunshine, dewey grass, and warm sand. Filled with the pleasures of being alive in the natural world, Run Wild is an exquisite and kid-friendly reminder of how wonderful life can be beyond doors and screens.

Releases June 5

Guinevere St. Clair is going to be a lawyer. She was the fastest girl in New York City. She knows everything there is to know about the brain. And now that she’s living in Crow, Iowa, she wants to ride into her first day of school on a cow named Willowdale Princess Deon Dawn.

But Gwyn isn’t in Crow, Iowa, just for royal cows. Her family has moved there, where her parents grew up, in the hopes of jogging her mother Vienna’s memory. Vienna has been suffering from memory loss since Gwyn was four. She can no longer remember anything past the age of thirteen, not even that she has two young daughters. Gwyn’s father is obsessed with finding out everything he can to help his wife, but Gwyn’s focused on problems that seem a little more within her reach. Like proving that the very strange Gaysie Cutter who lives next door is behind the disappearance of her only friend, Wilbur Truesdale.

Gwyn is sure she can crack the case, but when she does she finds that not all of her investigations lead her to the places she would have expected. In fact they might just lead her to learn about the mother she’s been doing her best to forget.

Releases June 12

Bear is hungry. Gertie wants to help. But finding the perfect snack is harder than it looks. Will Gertie and Bear silence Bear's tummy grumbles before hunger gets the best of them?

Expressive characters and funny dialogue lead the way in this pitch-perfect story about patience and teamwork, by nationally-syndicated cartoonist Drew Sheneman.

Releases June 12

July Releases

lice is angry at having to move to Rainbow, Georgia—a too small, too hot, dried-up place she’s sure will never feel like home. Then she gets put in charge of walking her elderly neighbor’s dog. But Clarence won’t budge without Miss Millie, so Alice and Miss Millie walk him together.

Strolling with Clarence and Miss Millie quickly becomes the highlight of Alice's day and opens her eyes to all sorts of new things to marvel over. During their walks, they meet a mix of people, and Alice sees that although there are some bullies and phonies, there are plenty of kind folks, too. Miss Millie shares her family’s story with Alice, showing her the painful impact segregation has had on their town. And with Miss Millie, Alice is finally able to express her own heartache over why her family had to move there in the first place.

Tamara Bundy’s beautifully written debut celebrates the wonder and power of friendship: how it can be found when we least expect it and make any place a home.

Releases July 3

Elliot and Uchenna—and Jersey!—have barely recovered from their first adventure with Professor Fauna when he approaches them with an all-new quest. Except this time they're going to have to cross an ocean. In the mountains of the Basque Country, the Unicorn Rescue Society must track down a missing dragon. But how could someone even kidnap a dragon? And for what evil purpose? And is their newest, fire-breathing rescue more than they can handle? 

New challenges await in this second book in the Unicorn Rescue Society series, a brand-new fantasy-adventure from Adam Gidwitz. Illustrated throughout, it’s the perfect fit for newly independent readers looking for a story full of adventure, fun, and friendship.

Releases July 10

From #1 New York Times best-selling author Robert Beatty comes a thrilling new series set in the magical world of Serafina. 

Move without a sound. Steal without a trace. 

Willa, a young night-spirit of the Great Smoky Mountains, is her clan’s best thief. She creeps into the homes of day-folk under cover of darkness and takes what they won’t miss. It’s dangerous work-the day-folk kill whatever they do not understand–but Willa will do anything to win the approval of the padaran, the charismatic leader of the Faeran people.

When Willa’s curiosity leaves her hurt and stranded in the day world, she calls upon an ancient, unbreakable bond to escape. Only then does she discover the truth: not all day-folk are the same, and the foundations that have guarded the Faeran for eons are under attack.

As forces of unfathomable destruction encroach on her home, Willa must decide who she truly is. To save the day-folk family that has become her own–and lift the curse that has robbed her people of their truth–Willa will meet deadly force with trusted alliance, violence with shelter, and an ever-changing world with a steady heartbeat of courage.

Releases July 10

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