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T he C oast News
APRIL 8, 2022
Vista teacher’s book draws on sweet family tradition By Jacqueline Covey
VISTA — If you’re turning another year older in a day, a certain fairy may be on her way. Third-generation Vista resident and educator Jana Anderson captures the magic of childhood in her book released in March, “Lollipop Fairy: A Sweet Birthday Tradition.” The book opens with a young girl hugging a brightly-colored heart, signing “I love you” in American Sign Language while holding a lollipop. The little girl reminds children that they are loved all year, but a birthday is a day that “is all about you, a day that tells us how much you grew.”
In a world where magic exists, and love is plentiful, children grow lollipops on their birthdays with seeds delivered the day before. The story is based on a longtime tradition in the Anderson house. Anderson started it for her two sons when they were small children. “The night before your birthday, you get the number of seeds you’re turning, and you plant the seeds by midnight,” Anderson told The Coast News. “Then, you go to bed, and the lollipops grow by the morning.” Today, Anderson’s sons, ages 15 and 17, have yet to celebrate a birthday without a lollipop garden sprout-
JANA ANDERSON
ing in their name. “It’s just been the most beautiful thing because every birthday they would look outside… even now with my 17-year-old … he gets up and I see him poking his head out… and I am like ‘See, you still look, you still look,’” Anderson laughed. In 2021, Anderson gave herself 45 minutes to write a book. So, she sat down, wrote and the story of the Lollipop Fairy just flowed. “It just came to me,” Anderson said. “I just put it out there.” While her creative breakthrough was rewarding, Anderson was able to use her education and love for teaching to publish a children’s book. Anderson attended the University of North Texas, where she earned a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in special education. Once a public school teacher in Vista, Anderson is now a literacy specialist and special education teacher at an online charter school that offers a program for children with dyslexia, a learning disability that causes people to have diffi-
CHEERS!
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but generally speaking, I can tell if a beer is wellmade and or of a high caliber that just isn’t for me. This beer was neither. It was a West Coast-style IPA like none I have ever tasted. After taking that first (typically glorious) first swig, I was left trying to decide if I really wanted to take another. I did because I believe in second chances.
LAST MONTH, Vista educator Jana Anderson published her children’s book, “Lollipop Fairy: A Sweet Birthday Tradition.” Courtesy photo/The Coast News graphic
culties with language skills, such as reading. As a literacy specialist, Anderson knows time with family and reading aloud is essential for childhood development, and another key to that is representation. The “Lollipop Fairy: A Sweet Birthday Tradition” draws in readers with the brightest and boldest rainbow hues of candy. The book’s characters represent many diverse backgrounds and cultures, which may be attractive to children looking for themselves in modern stories. “A child wants to connect with the characters,” Anderson said, “Especially a lollipop fairy, that should matter to all children. I wanted a book that had rep-
resented as many children as possible.” And so far, she’s already seen it benefit others in the community. While attempting to sell the book to a store, Anderson left with a piece of what it means to have representation in the arts. “[The seller] went, ‘Oh my God, that looks like me. Do you know how few characters I see in a book or my daughter can say look like me,’” Anderson said. “It stuck with me.” Looking at her own experience, Anderson said she had a loving but “different childhood.” “No matter where we were at financially, no matter what was going on, my birthday was always spe-
The second drink was worse than the first. These were the beers that I pulled from the cooler after reading labels, comparing styles, and trying to decide if I should try something new or follow through on another beer resolution to drink a repeat beer. Now what? What would you do? I decided to add my list of beer resolutions. The newest 2022 beer resolution is: Dump It Out: If I am not enjoying a beer, I’ll dump it out. We only get so many beers in a lifetime. I’m committed to enjoying the time I spend drinking a beer, and I don’t want to create negative neural pathways
that discourage me from drinking other craft beers. That’s science. I think. I’m not a scientist. I took what remained of the tallboy can back into the house, walked to the sink, and flipped it upside down over the drain. The 22-year old version of me would have been horrified. It hurt a little bit, but it also felt liberating. No longer will the compulsive side of my brain obligate me to finish a beer just because I’ve opened the can. After crushing the can, I opened the fridge to discover another problem. I was out of beer. Luckily, there was a bottle of sweet
vermouth in the door, and I keep a bottle of Pacific Coast Spirits White Rye Whiskey on the liquor cabinet. I settled down onto the patio lounger. The sun was just beginning to head towards the horizon. The ice in my Manhattan made a lovely clinking sound in time with Willie, and the dog rested his head on my knee.
TASTE OF WINE
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cial,” Anderson said. One birthday she remembers particularly well. At the time, Anderson’s father was suffering from homelessness, and the two hadn’t been able to see each other for a long time. “(But my father) showed up on my birthday,” Anderson said. “As a child, my birthday was never forgotten. I just knew that I wanted [my kids’] birthdays to be something that they always remembered and they felt special.” And so, she planted her lollipop garden made with seeds and lollipops she found around town. “It’s so easy for any parent — foster parents — you don’t have to have the book. You can grab a bag of lollipops from the dollar store and make [a child’s birthday] magical,” Anderson said. In the end, “Lollipop Fairy: A Sweet Birthday Tradition” is for her family. To Anderson, publishing a book was an essential piece of herself to leave behind for her children and future grandchildren. And even when they’re older, she hopes that magic lives on. “No matter where they’re at, no matter what they’re doing, somehow someway they’ll see a lollipop,” Anderson said. “And no one will know it’s me, but they’ll know. It’s like something to keep the sweetness forever in a small little way.” Find “Lollipop Fairy: A Sweet Birthday Tradition” online or at www.lollipopfairy.com.
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Tip Top Meats • Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation • Boy’s & Girls Club of C’bad (Bressi Ranch) Moonlight Amphitheater The Lund Team Office and Downtown Carlsbad (at the sign) 100% of the proceeds benefit 7charitable organizations in the community including the Carlsbad Charitable Foundation, Carlsbad Educational Foundation, Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation, and The Moonlight Cultural Foundation, Kids for Peace and Boys and Girls Club of Carlsbad
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of the Pauillac district of Bordeaux, mostly cabernet sauvignon and merlot along with accents from cabernet franc, malbec, and petit verdot. The 2015 J Lohr had all the varietals except for cabernet franc with cassis and black fruit on the nose, plum on the palate, and smooth finish due in part to the equal 18 months in both barrels and bottles. J Lohr recommends decanting an hour before enjoying within the 2022 to 2027 timeframe. Jlohr.com. McClean Vineyards,
Stream the Roast! West Coast coffee podcast on the Coast News Podcast page, and be sure to follow and share your drinking adventures with Cheers! North County on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Reach Frank and Rico at info@tasteofwineandfood.com.
