Congratulations on winning a Moonbeam Children's Book Award. What does that mean to you?

It means that a little book written in a small coastal village in Maine is suddenly recognized at a national level. My hope is that Corona Island will now find itself in the hands of more teachers, parents, and, most of all, children, who will enjoy the adventure but also relate the strengths of the main characters to their own lives during this coronavirus period in our lives.

How did the idea of Corona Island come about?

That’s an easy one to answer. I wrote it for my four young grandchildren, ages 1, 3, 6 and 9 at the time.

In early March, as the global magnitude of COVID-19 became apparent, my daughter’s family decided to self-isolate. I wanted to give the children something to look forward to each day as part of what was becoming their new “normal.” By writing a story in which they were the main characters who through their support of one another and their community could overcome a rather nasty foe, I hoped it would give them a sense of empowerment during this changing and somewhat frightening time period.

Okay, I’ll own up: It also provided me with a Zoom visit as I read each day’s chapter aloud to them. We live in the same town, so my husband and I are used to seeing them at least several times a week. We’ve been spoiled. I needed a new “normal” as much as the children that would provide us with face time as we entered the COVID-19 era.

What is the most important message in the book?

The message is to be supportive and compassionate to one another. This has to be is a time for unity and working together. It may try our patience at times—yup, we’re only human—but, ultimately, the advice and advances of science combined with our humanity will get us through this.

What are your hopes for the future of the book?

It occurred to me that other children might also enjoy this book—that they, too, could take away a sense of empowerment. By sharing the story and providing study guide questions, I hope it will reach children, teachers, and parents—supporting them in remote learning situations—or just plain giving them an adventure in which children have the power to triumph. To that end, I am grateful to Penobscot Bay Press for taking on the initial printing that distributed the story as a free insert in their weekly newspapers. A day after that insert appeared, I received a wonderful phone call from a local teacher who had been taking a sabbatical leave in order to teach students in the Bahamas during this past school year. Forced to return and leave her teaching in the Bahamas because of COVID-19, she wanted to let me know she was reading Corona Island to her Bahamian students via Zoom and she called to thank me. Nothing could have pleased me more, and it continues to be my greatest hope that others will be entertained and feel supported as a result of this book.

What do your grandchildren think of Corona Island?

They love it—especially the parts in which they take action against the nasty little man. They love reliving those fictitious moments of heroism and bravery, and, of course, victory is pretty sweet.

Do they identify the story with the coronavirus?

Not necessarily. The characters know they need to distance themselves from this stranger and that contact with him can cause sickness, but the bigger connection they make to the story is the power and strength each of us possesses, especially when we work together with patience, compassion, and sacrifice.