Book Club: Stories by Local Authors

Imagination Station

Five local authors pen tales filled with inspirational messages and gorgeous illustrations.

Words: Aisling Swift

The Adventures of Ta and Boddington

Written and illustrated by James Zwerneman

A teacher at Naples’ Mason Classical Academy, James Zwerneman was working on a caveman novel for his master’s but couldn’t get the humor right. “I was doodling characters and I said, ‘I could put these in a children’s story,’” he says. Ta is a caveman chief, Boddington is a troublemaker, and Sally is a genius inventor who solves their problems. Friendship and courage are prevailing themes in this series. Wiggins Press, $15

Julia and the Power of W.O.W

Written and illustrated by Kathy Kuser

Kathy Kuser, co-owner of Happenings Magazine and publisher of Lee Family News in Fort Myers, gave her main character, Julia, an imaginary friend, Willy. Julia is a confident girl who loves sharing her friend’s magic (W.O.W. means “with our Willy”) as they encounter situations that, with companionship and a little magic, are changed for the better. Kids love looking out for the hints of Willy that are hidden on each page. IngramSpark, $19

What Will Snarl Fig Be? / Nutsy and Her Tree

Written and illustrated by Heather Heckel

A Naples High graduate and art teacher in New York, Heather Heckel created this book as a project at Ringling College of Art + Design. Her story follows Snarl Fig, a monster who would rather make perfume than scare people. When building a perfume shop, Snarl Fig endangers a tree where Nutsy, the squirrel, lives. The book, which won a Moonbeam Children’s Book Award and a Next Generation Indie Book Award, trails Nutsy’s efforts to save his home. AuthorHouse, from $25

Toofer & The Giblet

By Paulette LeBlanc Illustrated by Dmitriy Morozov

This first story in a seven-book series teaches life lessons through two mice—Toofer and The Giblet—in Nimblewood forest. The books, which include Beatrix Potter-like watercolors, explore friendship, letting go, making assumptions and life’s fast pace. “These are adult books for children,” Paulette LeBlanc, who is managing editor of the Pine Island Eagle paper, says. “Every lesson is something I learned or wish I had learned.” Dragon Horse Publishing, $19

Dogs at Work: Good Dogs. Real Jobs

By Margaret Cardillo Illustrated by Zachariah OHora

Naples native and mom Margaret Cardillo got the idea for her third book while volunteering for Puppies Behind Bars, a program that teaches inmates to train service dogs. When she took pups home, a friend joked that they were coming home from their real jobs. In the story, Cardillo, who teaches screenwriting at the University of Miami, follows children waiting for dogs to return from work. “Every job in the book is a real dog job,” Cardillo says. Balzar + Bray/ Harper Collins, $14