Up next in 10
We welcome children's author Alva Sachs to the spotlight! We talk about her newest book "Sam & Sadie Super Sleuths". We also discuss her mission to promote literacy in a society where there is such a great divide in educational opportunities for our kids.
#literacy #childrensbook #childrensliteracy
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0:01
hello everyone Karen Glasser here and
0:04
welcome to the author's Spotlight
0:06
interviews with best-selling authors
0:09
from all around the world so whether
0:10
you're here live or on replay make sure
0:12
to say hi in the comments below and tell
0:15
us where you are watching from today we
0:18
are welcoming back children's author
0:20
alvisacts to the spotlight Albert is the
0:23
founder of three wishes publishing
0:25
company and a former Elementary School
0:27
teacher with 16 years of classroom
0:29
experience and a master's degree in
0:31
education she writes stories to engage
0:34
excite and Empower young children at an
0:36
early age for the sheer Joy of reading a
0:40
few of our award-winning titles include
0:42
the pirate princess on your mark get set
0:44
go and your newest release which we'll
0:47
be talking about today Sam and Sadie
0:50
super sleuth so without further Ado
0:52
Alvin welcome to the show
0:54
hello everyone good to see you I am so
0:58
happy to welcome you back you are a
0:59
regular I think we can actually call you
1:01
a regular you've been on a couple of
1:02
times you've read your stories but today
1:04
it's really about you the author and um
1:07
how what's your process and how you get
1:09
to where you're going and talk about
1:10
your new book that's just come out which
1:11
is very very exciting absolutely let's
1:14
just jump in I mean you are let's talk
1:16
about your journey you're an educator a
1:18
consultant your speaker you're a
1:20
presenter I'm exhausted because all of
1:22
those take a lot of energy how did you
1:23
get from one end of the spectrum all the
1:26
way to where you are today as a
1:28
best-selling author
1:30
oh well I appreciate all the accolades
1:33
and I worked very hard and I don't know
1:35
if I'm best selling but I I love love
1:37
what I'm doing
1:39
um and my magic word has always been
1:41
Serendipity because you never you never
1:43
know what's going to be around the
1:44
corner uh and actually I uh
1:49
do what I do because of being a former
1:52
educator and I I was a teacher by
1:55
accident because I didn't want to be a
1:57
teacher but it turned out that I became
1:59
one I loved it and it was the best
2:02
accident that ever happened to me and I
2:05
did a lot of writing in my classroom
2:07
with my kids and I kind of used it as a
2:10
stepping stone and all of my subjects
2:13
and my curriculum and my thighs doing
2:15
reading or math or social studies I
2:17
always find some way to connect writing
2:20
activities and things like that
2:22
um with my kids and so
2:25
um I owe a lot to being with kids my
2:28
whole life before I was even married and
2:30
had my own kids and
2:32
um then um we moved around a lot and how
2:37
to try to find myself to be comfortable
2:39
to help make my kids comfortable because
2:42
moving as we all know was very difficult
2:44
on children and starting over making new
2:47
friends being in a new neighborhood and
2:49
and them growing into themselves when we
2:51
moved to you know very tenuous ages so I
2:55
literally had to jump right into their
2:57
schools and participate and do things
3:00
and so on and so forth and um
3:02
then when they they went back to school
3:06
um I had taken a writing class when I
3:09
taught in Barrington Illinois and I had
3:11
actually written my first book circus
3:13
fever back then
3:15
um when I lived on Little House on the
3:17
Prairie you know it was a long time ago
3:20
um and um I was a great great writing
3:23
seminar one of the best seminars I ever
3:25
had in my life with all the ones I've
3:27
done and then all of a sudden I thought
3:29
you know what maybe I should try and do
3:30
something with this book it was cute it
3:33
was generic and it was about circuses
3:35
and animals and blah blah blah and I was
3:38
rejected over and over again it's very
3:40
hard very very hard
3:42
that's got to be the rejection okay yeah
3:45
and then I um I came across
3:47
standpointers self-publishing book
3:50
and I I bought it and I went to Barnes
3:53
and Noble and sat around looking at
3:55
looking at children's books
3:57
people might have thought I was kind of
3:58
weird because I was stealing books and I
4:01
was touching papers and looking
4:03
illustrations and fonts and you know
4:06
kind of like detective work not be funny
4:09
with Sam and Sadie think about it and so
4:14
um
4:15
I had sponsored my illustrator Patricia
4:18
Krebs at a uh an arts and crafts thing
4:22
that we had in Calabasas and she came
4:24
with her book and her partner at that
4:26
time and I said I had a book and blah
4:28
blah blah one thing led to another I
4:31
sent a manuscript to Patricia and to
4:33
Marcy at that time and I was good
4:36
history
4:37
the rest is history right now and I
4:40
piggyback I was gonna they wanted me to
4:42
piggyback on their self-publishing
4:44
company but I thought no let's just do
4:46
my own
4:48
um which I did in agile wishes
4:50
publishing was born and it was great I I
4:53
I was blind
4:56
but you know what sometimes when you
4:58
don't know what you're doing that's
4:59
actually is the best thing I think to do
5:01
because you're not contained by um
5:04
preconceived ideas that you have to do
5:06
it this way or that way so you did it
5:09
and you started your own publishing
5:10
company that's that's pretty impressive
5:11
actually well yeah and it can be done
5:14
and it you have to learn it's on the job
5:17
learning let's just say and as I tell
5:19
people when I meet with them or talk
5:21
with them or have interviews or whatnot
5:23
you know the the internet is your best
5:26
friend
5:26
and you you can't you can't fall off the
5:30
edge right there's there's no Edge you
5:33
know you click on one thing it takes you
5:35
to another thing and you know yeah
5:38
exactly but you can find what you're
5:41
looking for
5:42
and and as um Sara Bareilles says you
5:45
need to be brave yes yes you need to be
5:48
brave and you're going to fall down you
5:50
need to find some way to get back up
5:52
right so you can talk to other people
5:54
and
5:55
um one step in front of another you are
5:58
an inspiration so you literally
6:01
um just decided to do it and you put the
6:04
time the energy I love the idea that you
6:06
were in the bookstores touching the
6:08
paper because that's research because
6:11
when you when you when it attracted you
6:13
and you knew that that's what you wanted
6:15
to do how many writers do you think
6:17
actually do that I'm as you said I've
6:19
never heard of that before that I've
6:21
never you never have that people go in
6:23
and do that kind of research
6:27
um I don't know because I I didn't know
6:29
what I was doing right I was trying to
6:31
think of what what could I do besides do
6:34
a field trip as a teacher
6:36
that was my field trip you know and you
6:39
walk into Barnes and Noble and you see
6:40
all these books and you you think oh my
6:42
God you know could I ever get my book
6:44
there right and um it's really important
6:48
to I don't care how big or small you
6:51
immerse yourself into something you
6:53
could just take one thing that will
6:55
spark you and or if you look for me in
6:59
my case when I looked at a book I didn't
7:01
like the font or I didn't like the feel
7:02
of the page or I didn't care for the
7:04
illustrations I wanted I wanted to
7:07
invite reader children and parents and
7:10
grandparents and and helpers who are
7:13
with children to really want to jump
7:15
into that book and and be a part of it
7:17
and for children to see themselves in a
7:20
book and your books are like that I mean
7:22
all of your books we're going to be
7:23
putting up the newest book in a second
7:24
but the first one Patricia is amazing
7:27
your illustrating and you guys have been
7:29
working together for a long time now and
7:30
her illustrations just match up
7:32
perfectly with your words and your
7:34
stories I just I I love it she's she's
7:36
amazing
7:38
um but you you just weren't satisfied
7:40
being
7:42
um a teacher who became a writer you
7:44
also are and have been the president of
7:47
the reading is fundamental of Southern
7:49
California first of all what is that
7:51
organization and why was it important
7:54
for you to get involved in that
7:56
actually uh an author friend of mine
7:58
told me about reading his fundamental
8:00
and I was doing an event at the
8:02
Calabasas Library outside they had
8:03
people out there for something I forgot
8:05
what it was I can't remember but it's
8:07
not important and so
8:09
he's he asked me if I ever heard of
8:11
reading his fundamental and
8:13
I had not
8:15
um which is unusual for an educator not
8:17
to have heard about it but then again
8:19
things like that happen and
8:21
um
8:22
I uh made an appointment and called
8:25
Carol hanult who was a our executive
8:27
director and told her who I was I wanted
8:29
to come down and see her and visit them
8:31
and find out what what they do and I
8:35
fell in love with Carol when I met her I
8:37
fell in love when I walked into this is
8:39
my other story I walked into a riff
8:42
Warehouse where all our books are and I
8:46
know books that you can smell books
8:51
I love the smell of books it's history
8:53
in it I love it I know but I walked in
8:56
because there's books everywhere on the
8:58
shelves for all the kids and whatnot and
9:01
so
9:02
um
9:03
um
9:04
she invited me to the next reading this
9:06
fundamental meeting which which was in
9:08
Pasadena and we are a separate LLC we're
9:11
separate from Reading Is Fundamental in
9:13
Washington DC okay and so we had
9:16
meetings we had a board and blah blah
9:18
blah blah and
9:20
um I loved meeting people and hearing
9:22
their stories and doing fundraisers to
9:24
raise money for our kids for books is
9:27
that the purpose of the organization to
9:29
raise funds we raise we raise money
9:32
for um our book supplies and book orders
9:35
you know and where we order from and uh
9:37
companies that we do business with to
9:39
get the best price and um and we have
9:41
school sites that um all around Southern
9:43
California and Orange County County and
9:47
um they have fees that they pay and we
9:50
offset the fees for the kids and
9:54
um we have events at various sites these
9:57
are in the underserved areas in Los
9:59
Angeles Orange County shelters and
10:01
preschools and um we were part of a head
10:05
start but they got rid of head start and
10:08
so um and that's what we do and it's
10:11
it's ten dollars a kid now I think and
10:14
they get three three brand new books and
10:17
what and the schools also do events to
10:19
help fundraise and then we do events to
10:22
help fundraise and um I did not know
10:25
that I'm glad I asked you that question
10:26
I wasn't sure what it was I knew it had
10:28
to be important if you put your name on
10:30
it and that you were involved with it
10:33
so I guess I'm going to ask a question
10:35
does it ever get old when you win so
10:37
many awards Let Me name some of them
10:40
mom's Choice Award independent Press
10:42
award five star reviews with readers
10:44
favorites National Indie excellence
10:46
awards Creative Child magazine book of
10:48
the Year USA best books International
10:49
book award Eric Hoffer for excellent I
10:52
mean it goes on and on I guess the first
10:54
question is or the first statement is
10:55
congratulations that's that is quite a
10:58
tribute to who you are and what you do
11:00
does it get old though I mean you just
11:03
get all these honors these Awards you
11:04
just keep them coming right
11:06
well you do the best you can you do have
11:09
to and I appreciate uh your support and
11:12
um
11:13
it does mean a lot to me you do have to
11:15
pay
11:16
to apply and send books and they are
11:20
thoroughly thoroughly read by
11:24
um judges
11:26
um who have been doing this for years
11:28
right you know and uh I I'm tickled when
11:32
I do apply and send a book you hope that
11:34
you'll get you know the response you
11:36
want and so on and so forth and um
11:40
it does give you that extra Pat you know
11:42
on the shoulder because we all think
11:45
that what we do what we write what we
11:47
say has credibility and and people will
11:50
think that oh okay they're really
11:52
dedicated and passionate to what they do
11:54
you know and stuff like that so
11:57
my hope is that my stories stand a lot
12:00
Alone
12:01
um on their own of value and I like use
12:04
it with Patricia I mean what she does
12:07
with my words you can't put a price on
12:09
that so right I said before I paid her
12:11
handsomely but um she always tells me
12:14
that our books would sell like warm Pond
12:17
like warm bread and
12:19
um yummy something that people can't
12:22
resist is warm bread right amen Amen to
12:25
that it's on butter you know goes a long
12:28
way yeah I just put up your newest
12:32
books which I thought was funny because
12:34
when you were talking about going in and
12:36
researching and sort of like smoothing
12:39
what where did you come up with the idea
12:41
of this particular book and you can see
12:43
Patricia's illustrations are on the
12:45
front why what led you to this
12:48
particular title
12:49
actually this was um Sophie and Sadie
12:54
from years ago and and I had this
12:56
manuscript
12:57
um started and laying around and I all
13:00
my other books came before that and I
13:02
don't know I just had not gone back to
13:04
it and
13:06
um
13:07
to be really honest with you Karen
13:10
um I I don't know where my ideas come
13:13
from
13:14
um I usually dream them or I'll wake up
13:17
at night and write something or I'll
13:20
think of something that's happened and
13:21
kids have always just been the Forefront
13:24
of of my life and I I really like some
13:27
people could say well I did this when I
13:29
was younger or I went here when I was
13:30
younger or I had this experience to
13:33
build on
13:34
I fly by the seat of my pants to be
13:36
honest with you I have no
13:39
um I don't have writer's block because
13:41
if I can't write I just don't write or I
13:43
pay I'm at a point where I need to stop
13:45
and pick it up I just do that so I I'm
13:49
I'm an unlikely children's author
13:52
and I I just don't know I don't know
13:55
where it came from or how it um
13:58
developed you just how it manifested
14:00
itself I mean I loved books I loved
14:02
reading to my kids when I taught school
14:04
I read every day to my kids in class and
14:06
I feel fourth and fifth graders and
14:08
usually teachers don't read to their
14:10
kids at that age you know because
14:11
they're older and whatnot and that they
14:14
said okay it's a tank actually I should
14:16
do it before we before we got called
14:17
down for lunch right yeah and then when
14:19
my kids came in from Recess they all had
14:22
it you know that the drop everything and
14:24
read and there are all these acronyms
14:25
and that type of type of stuff and so I
14:27
encouraged that while I was teaching and
14:30
um
14:31
I don't know so what is the book about
14:33
what is salmon Sadie's super sluice
14:35
about other than what it sounds like
14:37
it's about their sleuths and they
14:40
hunt for something so right well um Sam
14:44
and and his his dog Sadie and that's my
14:47
Schnoodle Sadie this is her third book
14:49
so she's going to be asked to be paid
14:51
pretty soon and he's was playing outside
14:55
with Sadie and tossing the ball and just
14:57
having a really really good time and
14:59
then he went back in and he heard he
15:02
heard his dad walking around their
15:04
bedroom
15:05
I can't find my watch where's my watch
15:07
where did I put my watch so it just
15:09
started as one of those you know hearing
15:12
something out of the ordinary and Sam
15:15
got really excited and looked at Sadie
15:17
and said we got to get on this you know
15:19
we have to find dad to watch that and
15:21
those are that's not the language but he
15:24
does go to his closet he gets his
15:26
Sherlock Holmes hat because obviously he
15:29
must have done this before he gets this
15:31
big magnifying glass I think it's a
15:34
fancy scarf and ties it around Sadie's
15:37
neck
15:37
and off they go how fun well I I want to
15:41
encourage everyone to go check this out
15:43
it's available everywhere the books are
15:45
sold Amazon Barnes and wherever you
15:46
where we go online or go in and touch
15:49
the books and smell the books and do
15:51
that I'm also going to encourage people
15:52
it's never too early to start purchasing
15:54
a present for your kids for Hanukkah or
15:58
Christmas or just because no reason no
16:02
reason because reading is what it's all
16:03
about and this is a great book and while
16:06
you're checking out this book make sure
16:07
you check out all the rest of them you
16:09
have a great Hanukkah book of dancing
16:11
dreidels which I think you came on and
16:13
read for us once um you have a lot of
16:16
great books so do go check out all of of
16:19
your books of Alva's books so
16:22
let's get back down to the foundation of
16:24
this why do you do this
16:26
why do you write why did you teach what
16:28
is the purpose of why you do this I know
16:30
literacy you want to promote literacy
16:32
but
16:33
well that was way before literacy
16:36
because because back in back in my day
16:39
um I felt it was really important to
16:42
empower kids to give them an opportunity
16:45
to
16:47
um want to learn and to read and I don't
16:49
care if they read a comic book or if
16:51
they read a mystery or they read a
16:54
recipe book I I didn't really care I
16:56
don't recall as a child growing up that
16:59
anybody read to me my parents were
17:01
divorced when I was 12. we moved around
17:03
a lot so my childhood does not depict at
17:08
all who I am or what I do or how I raise
17:11
my kids so I did I did everything
17:16
different with my kids that how I grew
17:19
up and so
17:21
um you know if you can't read you really
17:25
can't succeed and I don't care what
17:27
level you're reading on if you're
17:28
reading anything you're learning you're
17:31
growing and you're you're finding things
17:32
out and and um
17:35
I I don't know how why or how I started
17:38
doing it I guess it was because of that
17:39
writing class I took way back in the day
17:42
and I never thought that anything like
17:44
that would materialize so I'm surprised
17:47
at myself to be honest with you and I
17:49
think about what I've done I just got
17:51
off of a um a book event yesterday in
17:54
Flintridge La Canada
17:57
um at a bookstore
17:58
um
17:59
and um
18:02
I've done many events there and I had
18:04
lots of people come I sold a lot of
18:06
books and I had all my all my tchotchkes
18:08
as they say laid out my stickers my
18:10
books my my bookmarks my pencils my sign
18:14
and I have my little budgies
18:17
and so I try to make it as welcoming and
18:20
as possible and
18:23
um I try to have a lot of Multicultural
18:26
characters in my books circus fever was
18:29
quite generic and quite Caucasian but
18:32
then again that's where I was at that
18:34
time and it was about a circus so it was
18:36
just you know just Jessica you know the
18:39
clown and all the clowns in the uh the
18:42
circus so
18:43
by the time I did my second book um
18:46
Justin Mario and Marcus Justin was
18:48
Caucasian Mario was
18:51
um Latino and Marcus was
18:53
African-American and I think and I don't
18:56
even know why I did that I don't even
18:58
know why and it was just a boy
19:01
you were an inclusive person you were
19:03
somebody that it would why would you not
19:04
do it it is it is who you it is who you
19:07
are I don't think about you know I don't
19:08
think about it oh let's just do this and
19:10
it was it was three boys and their dads
19:12
it's a great book for uh families that
19:15
have ads and and kids you know there's
19:17
not always a mom around
19:18
right and that type of stuff so I think
19:21
it's been something that I really can't
19:24
put my finger on I feel very fortunate
19:26
and very blessed and so I thought about
19:29
the money I and I I think for a lot of
19:31
children's authors that's probably true
19:33
right it's not about the money because
19:34
it's a hard industry I think to break
19:36
into unless you have to get in somewhere
19:39
right I asked you what your tagline is
19:42
and you said to me the only constant is
19:44
change
19:47
what does that mean to you I loved I
19:49
know what it means to me what does it
19:51
mean to you why is that something that's
19:53
important I just got goosebumps when you
19:55
said that
19:57
um because you can't be complacent you
19:59
can't think everything's going to be the
20:01
same everything should be going to be
20:03
all right you have to go with your eyes
20:06
wide open you have to be uh
20:09
um
20:10
accepting of things that happen you may
20:13
not be happy with them but things are we
20:16
have no we really care and what do we
20:17
have control over
20:19
nothing so
20:20
well even I I'd like to think I have
20:22
control over myself maybe
20:25
right yeah we really don't have control
20:27
of ourselves because there are so many
20:29
things in our environment and our
20:30
surroundings that are bumping into us
20:33
and causing us to react and to respond
20:35
and so you have to realize nothing's
20:37
ever going to stay the same and then if
20:40
you don't realize that you have to
20:42
change when the changes come it might be
20:45
crappy it might be a feeling you don't
20:46
want or it might be something that you
20:48
don't want
20:49
but you really try try to do the best
20:52
you go forward not only for yourself but
20:54
the other people around you because
20:56
we're all I think sharing loving
20:59
generous kind people and that's what
21:02
that to me is what you need to put forth
21:05
even though you might have been hurt you
21:07
might have been damaged you might have
21:09
come from a pleasure and I certainly
21:12
came from a damaged childhood but you
21:14
know what you can sit home and cry and
21:16
close all the windows and the shades and
21:18
block everything out you're not going to
21:20
get better no you're not you're not yeah
21:23
I want to make sure I want to make sure
21:26
people know how to follow you and how to
21:27
get your books and you know actually go
21:31
where you go so I want to make sure that
21:33
they check out your I like that goal
21:36
where you go I would like that
21:38
alvasax.com website on Facebook I want
21:41
to say first of all you're everywhere so
21:43
you're also on Facebook at alba.saks you
21:45
are on Twitter at Elvis hacks there's a
21:48
theme running through this uh on
21:50
Instagram it's at alvid.x and finally on
21:53
LinkedIn Elvis apps it's a good name
21:55
it's a good name to have and it's a good
21:57
thing it's your name because it's on
21:58
every single social media platform uh
22:01
for those of you are watching you used
22:03
to call me
22:06
they used to call me Elvis and alfalfa
22:11
really oh my gosh that's something I
22:14
didn't know that's a nugget uh make sure
22:17
to follow me on my website
22:19
karenglaster.com you can also follow me
22:21
on all social media at karenglasser I am
22:24
there all of our shows are on Roku fire
22:27
and all the social media uh platforms
22:30
out there Alva any last minute thoughts
22:33
you want to share with our audio people
22:34
we say goodbye
22:37
yeah
22:37
just be you
22:39
be you just be you
22:42
couldn't have said it better myself
22:45
we want to thank you for joining us
22:46
today we know that you have a choice as
22:48
to where you spend your time you chose
22:50
to spend it with Alva and I today we are
22:52
grateful for that go out and give
22:54
someone an awesome day and we'll see you
22:56
next time on the author's Spotlight
22:58
goodbye everyone
#Children's Literature
#Children's Interests
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