The children's room downstairs at the Mary S. Biesecker Public Library smelled like imagination and adventure when I was a kid. It likely still does. In actuality it was probably the smell of old books.
If I had my way, every child would have the chance to smell imagination and adventure, and that's where libraries come in.
A library is one of the few places you're encouraged and welcomed to just walk in, stay a while, wander and wonder, without the obligation of buying a thing. A library is an oasis for the mind and body.
So, when earlier this year a library in the westernmost portion of Allegany County Maryland, the county where I live, was going through some hard times I knew I wanted to help in some way.
Westernport Library, which was built in 1970, was chosen as one of three of our six county libraries to be closed down.
There's a lot of love for that little library and a group aptly named Save The Westernport Library was quickly formed. The group worked hard and successfully raised enough money to persuade Allegany County to keep it, as well as all six of its much-needed libraries, operational.
Tragically, the very day after Allegany County decided to keep its libraries open a flood ravaged Westernport Library.
The flood didn't dampen the resolve of Save The Westernport Library; it only solidified it. They have been working harder than ever to get that library back in shape.
When I saw their mascot, a little green bookworm named Benny Bookman, I knew that I could pen a story about Benny and the library. With the help of my friend Brian Michael, I whipped up a storyboard and final story in less than a month and tomorrow, Saturday, December 6th from 10 am until 3 pm at Boal Funeral Home in Westernport, Maryland, my story Benny Bookman and the Soggy Library will be for sale.
I gifted the text copyright to Save The Westernport Library and every dollar raised will go straight to doing just that. I want to be a part of saving a library so that maybe someday another little girl can walk into a library and discover what imagination and adventure smells like.
- Mar 28
I once read that if you received everything you wished for immediately there would never be anything to look forward to. I have to say that publishing “Lula the Leprechaun” has given me something to look forward to for many years.
Beginning in 2019 as a short chapter book, and then being shortened to a picture book, and then lengthened to a chapter book again, this story has been full of unanticipated twists and turns. Even the illustrators, Antonisa and Oscar would find the story needed just “one more illustration.”
From taking a long time to get the story just right, to finding the perfect illustrators for the job, this book has been one long waiting game. Even struggling past the ideal release date of Saint Patrick’s Day to get the perfect book was a practice in patience. I’m not going to lie- it was hard to watch the months fly on the calendar and know that we wouldn’t make that date, but our end product is beyond what I first dreamt.
I couldn’t be prouder of the way it turned out. It reminds me to appreciate the things in my life that take time to achieve, because most of the time, the wait is worth it.
- Oct 7, 2024
Hi there! My name is Alicia. I’m an author, photographer and adoptive mama. I’m so honored that Melanie gave me this opportunity to chat with you all about my book.
Written in the Stars: An Adoption Story is a book about adoption, love and family told through the magic of the night sky. This story started out as a love letter addressed to my future child. I was waiting in the adoption process, trying to stay positive and thinking about how I’d want to introduce the concept of adoption to my future child.
The idea for this story came to me in bits and pieces over the course of a year. Every time I thought about being matched with our future child’s birth family, I imaged the universe aligning in a magical way to bring our two families together. That is what gave me the idea to use the night sky as the canvas for this story.
My hope was to provide a gentle, magical way for families to start the conversation about adoption with their young children. It was important to me that this story highlighted the immense love that surrounds the child, from both their birth family and their adoptive family. And the last page of the book was created for families to write in their child’s own adoption story. I hope to help children foster a sense of belonging and create a deeper understanding of their individual journey.
This book is a piece of my heart and a manifestation of my perspective of the magic of adoption, written for a child I didn’t know at the time who now brings so much joy into our lives. If this book can be a resource for you, my heart is happy!
Thank you for taking the time to read about my story. If you’d like to connect, you can find me on Facebook and Instagram at @authoraliciahilsher. For more information about my book, go to www.aliciahilsher.com.