It’s here! It’s here! No, not spring break, or summer vacation, or my latest Amazon purchase. I’m talking about 'March-Is-Reading-Month’, my favorite month of the school year! Getting kids excited about stories, books, and reading is one of the things I’ve always cherished most about being a teacher. Naturally, the whole country celebrating literacy together throughout the month of March is extra special to me.

All around the world, for hundreds, if not thousands of years, spoken language has been the very foundation of storytelling… of tales passed down from generation to generation. At the heart of every story are the storytellers… the ones who were eyewitnesses to an event, or who possess a life lesson to share, or who have rich imaginations that they’ve woven into an entertaining tale. Over time, those stories often become books, guaranteeing that they’ll be read and reread for decades to come.

Educator, entrepreneur and newly minted children’s author, Juliann Deadrick and her adorable, newly released series ‘It’s Me, Poxey’ got their start in that very same way. In honor of March- Is-Reading- Month, I cozied up with the series, which was a pure treat in and of itself.  I was then fortunate to sit down with Mrs. Deadrick to find out how little Poxey Jane Payne (aka: PJ) came to be, and to learn about the authorship process.

What inspired the ‘It’s Me, Poxey’ series?

As a little girl growing up in Flint, MI, I loved school and I loved reading and writing even more. As a matter of fact, my childhood friends and I often spent our free time together writing stories! My mother and co-author, Mary J. Holcolm, who grew up in Detroit, also relished reading and literature. During my early childhood years, my mom and I created a character --- an eleven-year-old, pretty, brown-skinned little girl whom we named Poxey --- and we would make up stories about her and her adventures. Sometimes, when we were out and about, we would spot a child who looked like the Poxey in our mind’s eye and would whisper to each other, “she looks like Poxey!” Our Poxey is very relatable. She’s a big sister, loyal friend, the girl next door, the funny kid in class, and favorite cousin. She’s sweet, sassy and can sometimes find herself in a little bit of mischief. We began to dream that ‘one day’, we could share Poxey with others through books.

At what point did you begin to make that dream a reality?

Prior to the pandemic, I began attending a professional Writer’s Workshop via Zoom with aspiring authors around the US, and it was incredibly inspiring. I learned about processes, plots, themes--- and the fire was lit! Then the pandemic hit and I found myself having time to really dig in to making this dream become a reality. I found our illustrator, Brandon Wright, who caught the vision of Poxey, her family, and her pals. Things really took off from there.

What did you learn through the journey?

Throughout the journey, I was very open to feedback, and that’s a must. I would recommend that anyone considering venturing into a project like this remember to not be married to what you think or assume the process should be. Stay flexible! For example, our first draft of ‘It’s Me, Poxey!’ was more of an anthology or short chapter book. Our mentors and editors suggested that the book instead be broken up into what is now a four-part series. That now includes our four books, ‘Teacher’s Pet’, ‘PJ’s Picture Day’, ‘Poxey and the Honey Bee Lady’ and ‘Snow Day’. There were definitely moments of frustration but accomplishing the goal---especially with my mother as co-author---was so worth it.

What would you say to children who dream of one day sharing own their stories through books?

Many of the characters and story lines in the series are loosely based on classmates, neighborhood friends, family members, and adventures that my mother and I each had as children in Flint and Detroit. Some of the characters are even named after little ones in our family right now, which they’re super excited about. I want children who are aspiring authors, and all kids for that matter, to know that their stories matter. Their families, their faith, their experiences in life are worthy to be shared and are special---so go for it!

You never know who you’ll touch with your stories.

GrapeSEED gives children the foundation for success with oral language, which leads to success in literacy. Find out how by clicking the contact us button below!

Add the ‘It’s Me, Poxey’ to your favorite child’s library today. Head to the website itsmepoxey.com