I love to travel. OK, that’s a bit of an understatement. I am obsessed with travel. Exploring new countries and cultures has been a life-long passion of mine, and one that I look forward to indulging in as often as possible.
It should come as no surprise, then, that my debut picture book Wild One shares my passion for travel, and has been jetting off around the United States to find wonderful new homes in libraries all across the country.
A massive, massive thank you to all the lovely library folks who have been sending me messages letting me know that my book has arrived at their libraries – I do a silly little happy dance each and every time!
Here are a few of the amazing libraries that have welcomed Wild One into their collections:
Seattle is like the American version of Raincity. We share a similarly soggy climate, we are both coastal cities with beautiful mountains, and we share a passion for all things brewed, whether it’s coffee, beer, or even kombucha. We’re both pretty hipster, pretty left-leaning, and pretty diverse, though of course Raincity is the prettier city (what can I say, I love my hometown). All joking aside, though, I have visited this lovely city more times than I can count and have very good friends who live in the area, so if you’re ever in the Pacific Northwest, I highly recommend a visit – Pike Place Market in particular is not to be missed!
Arlington, VA, besides potentially being the home of the next Amazon headquarters, is but a hop, skip and a jump (just across the river, to be precise) from the nation’s capital, Washington D.C. It’s perhaps most famous for its military cemetery, but is also home to a thriving arts, music and culture scene. It’s a great base for visitors to the capital’s many museums, galleries and historic sites. And according to its official travel site, Arlington takes it brews pretty seriously, offering a great selection of craft and microbreweries, which is something that’s pretty important to this Pacific Northwester. I’ve yet to visit Arlington, but it’s definitely on my travel wishlist!
New York, New York, the city so nice they named it twice. It’s apparently a wonderful town, and if you can make it there, you’ll make it anywhere. I wouldn’t know. I’ve never been. But the Raincity Software Engineer has been there multiple times on business, and every time he comes back he’s one step closer to simply packing up all our belongings and moving there for good. What can I say about this historic city that hasn’t already been said? Theatre and art galleries, museums and historic buildings, restaurants, breweries, cafes, high fashion, street markets, and of course, one of the most iconic libraries in the entire world. Let’s hear it for New York!
My kind of town, Chicago is. My kind of town. A town that won’t let you down, it’s my kind of town. OK, I’ve never actually been to Chicago, I’ve just watched Guys and Dolls a bunch of times, and that song has been stuck in my head for years. But my parents and the Raincity Software Engineer have all been to Chicago (my parents for a vacation, and the Engineer on business), and came back raving about the Windy City. Chicago has it all – a thriving music scene, great restaurants and bars, awesome galleries and museums, fascinating historical sites, beautiful architecture, and a larger-than-life cast of local figures. There’s plenty to see and do, even if you visit in the summer like my parents did and spend most of your time running from air conditioned venue to air conditioned venue to escape that summer humidity.
Now Juneau is a city that I have been able to visit, albeit only briefly. I love Alaska. Its landscape is very similar to Raincity, being on the Pacific Westcoast, and it has the mountains, coastal areas and forests that are so dear to my heart. Raincity residents are by and large outdoorsy people – we live in a fairly temperate climate, and we love hiking and walking, skiing and snowboarding, surfing and swimming (OK, not swimming, our ocean is frigid), and generally surrounding ourselves in nature. So when the Raincity Engineer and I visited Juneau as part of a cruise holiday, we eschewed the usual touristy activities and went on a stunning hike that offered the most incredible, sweeping vistas that I still think back on fondly, years later. We also managed to take in some local craft beer – what can I say, it’s that Pacific Northwest life!
The Raincity Software Engineer has travelled far and wide across the United States on very important software business, but for a few years much of his work travel consisted of quick trips to the American Midwest, specifically to Madison, Wisconsin. Alas I have never been to Madison, but I am the proud owner of a Bucky the Badger sweatshirt from the University of Wisconsin Madison and a t-shirt from the Madison Public Library, so I feel a real connection to the place. Madison is another city that the Raincity Software Engineer really loves. It’s a college town, and is just hipster enough to make a Pacific Northwester feel right at home. There’s a great bicycle culture, tonnes of amazing microbreweries and hip cafes, and plenty of opportunities to take in live performances of music and theatre. It’s still in the Midwest, though, so there are also ample opportunities to eat your body weight in meat and cheese, which is a bit of a novelty coming from the health-crazed Pacific Northwest. Madison, Wisconsin has the Raincity Software Engineer seal of approval.
Friends, I have had so much fun virtually exploring the United States with Wild One that I just might have to turn this into a bit of a series! I am so incredibly thankful to each and every library and bookstore that has welcomed my little book onto their shelves. I am a debut author with no publishing history behind me, working with a tiny but passionate Canadian publishing house, and being able to connect with families all across North America has been an absolute dream come true. Thank you, thank you, thank you! And don’t forget – public libraries change lives, so please support your local libraries, however you can!
See you next time!
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