Devin Rhodes Is Dead by Jennifer Wolf Kam

They read her writing, and Kam learns from their feedback to improve her work.Īt one point, Kam contributed to the Syosset-Jericho Tribune while she was a student at Jericho High School. She also has people involved in her writing process.

When she looks back at her work, Kam can look at it with fresh eyes. Kam’s writing process consists of writing for a period of time, then stepping away from it for a while. “It really encouraged me because if Florence Laughlin thinks I could be a writer then maybe I can.” “She wrote me the most delightful letter,” Kam recalled. During that time, Kam wrote a letter to Laughlin about how much she adored the book and how she wanted to also become a writer. When Kam was in second grade, she was inspired to become a writer after reading The Little Leftover Witch by Florence Laughlin. “I told the story, which is really universal, and infused it with some of my personal traditions.” Jennifer Wolf Kam She incorporated the gardening aspect into the picture book, along with moments of being overfed by her Jewish grandmother every time she visited.

Kam also infused her Jewish traditions into the story.

In my story, that’s not exactly what happens.” “My grandfather did move across the country, and I did get to see him but not as frequently. “I took those two experiences, my childhood and young adult experiences with him moving, and re-imagined it as if I were a child and what that would feel like,” Kam explained. They had a giant cherry tree, and my grandmother would make cherry borscht.”Īs a young adult, her grandmother passed away and then her grandfather relocated. My grandmother loved to grow things, so as a little girl I remembered she had all different kinds of flowers, fruits and vegetables.

It was important for them to grow things, to contribute to the earth, and be a part of it. “My grandmother had a green thumb, she could grow anything. “The book is a re-imagining of my experiences in my grandparent’s garden,” Kam said. Book cover of Until the Blueberries Grow illustrated by Sally Walker. The book is inspired by her personal experiences with her grandparents as a child and young adult. By Natalia Wolf Kam is a fiction writer in Syosset and is releasing her new picture book, Until The Blueberries Grow, in May 2022.

Devin Rhodes Is Dead by Jennifer Wolf Kam