An Okanagan author is giving women strong leads with his latest children’s books.
James Love will be signing copies of his Wormhole Trilogy books at Indigo in Kelowna Saturday, Oct. 13, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
We’re Not on Earth Anymore! and Racing the Storm follow the adventures of Tom and Pip, two brothers who are given a spaceship by two alien boys, also brothers. The third book in the trilogy will be published this December.
“Based on stories I told to my own son, my novels are written for 9 to 13-year-old boys,” says Love. “While I have many girls who read my books (and I included strong female characters in the stories), I decided to write creative fiction for boys due to the distressing statistics on boys’ reading levels.”
“Simply put, books that have named female characters who talk with other named female characters about something other than males teach boys that women are not just in the background of a male-centered world. I also included positive women characters in positions of authority, demonstrating that women are effective leaders in our community. This normalizes female authority for boys, helping to prepare them for supervisors, law enforcement officers, and political leaders who are women,” says Love.
“It’s rewarding when parents, teachers, and especially the children tell me they enjoy my books. Writing for this age group is difficult, particularly in the age of screens. A fast-paced story with a lot of humour is needed. I’ve also discovered that boys yearn for stories where the children are real. One boy said he was tired of stories about kids with magic or super powers. He liked that Tom and Pip were ordinary boys.”
Tom and Pip are two typical boys thrown into unusual circumstances. Tom is a sporty boy, who has issues with anger. Pip is more of a poet, who must confront his insecurities. They are fiercely loyal to each other, and that is their super power—only together, and in connection with their wider communities, are they able to overcome obstacles, according to the author’s news release.
The first two books in The Wormhole Trilogy will be available for purchase and signing during the event.
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