Edmonton children's author signs deals with Scholastic and McGraw Hill
Alexandra Hoffman was looking for a book for one of her students, one that showed a student with autism as the protagonist, so the student could see themselves reflected in books. When she couldn't find anything, it lit a spark and led to an unexpected career as a children's author.
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'I had a child on the spectrum, and he wanted to read a book about a kid with autism. I couldn't find a book with a student with headphones,' says Hoffman. 'That's what inspired me to write the story. I think all kids should be represented in the books they read.'
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Necessity is the mother of invention, and the Edmonton teacher came up with her first children's book, Masterpiece, released in early 2023. It features a young boy named Samuel who sees the world differently than his peers, which makes him a masterpiece.
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Students and parents will be able to find Masterpiece through the Scholastic book fairs and book club, finding the book through the paper order forms and displays that students see set up in schools across the country. Education publisher McGraw Hill purchased the rights to distribute versions of the book for the education market, including a 'big book' version used in classrooms for reading to students.
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It's a big deal for a local author, who only started writing picture books a few years ago. Hoffman has been a teacher for 15 years, in elementary school and mostly Grades 2 and 3. When looking for books for her students, she says the same protagonists come up again and again in children's literature: white, able-bodied children having adventures, exploring new locations or meeting interesting and fun people. There was a market for underrepresented kids with disabilities or with just a different interest, kids who don't normally see themselves in print or leading stories. As Hoffman points out, that's why representation matters.
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Edmonton children's author signs deals with Scholastic and McGraw Hill
Article content Alexandra Hoffman was looking for a book for one of her students, one that showed a student with autism as the protagonist, so the student could see themselves reflected in books. When she couldn't find anything, it lit a spark and led to an unexpected career as a children's author. Article content 'I had a child on the spectrum, and he wanted to read a book about a kid with autism. I couldn't find a book with a student with headphones,' says Hoffman. 'That's what inspired me to write the story. I think all kids should be represented in the books they read.' Article content Article content Necessity is the mother of invention, and the Edmonton teacher came up with her first children's book, Masterpiece, released in early 2023. It features a young boy named Samuel who sees the world differently than his peers, which makes him a masterpiece. Article content Article content Students and parents will be able to find Masterpiece through the Scholastic book fairs and book club, finding the book through the paper order forms and displays that students see set up in schools across the country. Education publisher McGraw Hill purchased the rights to distribute versions of the book for the education market, including a 'big book' version used in classrooms for reading to students. Article content Article content Article content It's a big deal for a local author, who only started writing picture books a few years ago. Hoffman has been a teacher for 15 years, in elementary school and mostly Grades 2 and 3. When looking for books for her students, she says the same protagonists come up again and again in children's literature: white, able-bodied children having adventures, exploring new locations or meeting interesting and fun people. There was a market for underrepresented kids with disabilities or with just a different interest, kids who don't normally see themselves in print or leading stories. As Hoffman points out, that's why representation matters. Article content
