From Bookworm to Author--Angela Cervantes

Like many Kansas authors, Angela Cervantes has a love for the open sky of the plains.

"Kansas has beautiful clouds," Cervantes said, "and I still take time to stare at them. They are as much a part of my writing process as pen and paper."

Cervantes grew up in the Oakland area of Topeka, and the rich culture of Mexican art, music, and dance inspired her creativity. She noticed early on that her world wasn't reflected in the books that she was reading, and she wanted to put books on the shelves that would change that.

"I became aware early on that I wanted to share those stories," Cervantes said, "and that these stories deserved to be on bookshelves too."

Check out the author's debut novel, Gaby, Lost and Found, at your library! Gaby was named named Best Youth Chapter book by the International Latino Book Awards and a Bank Street College of Education’s Best Books of 2014.

Read on for an original interview with the author.

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You're a Topeka native.  How did growing up in Kansas influence you as a writer?

I had a teacher in elementary school that used to encourage us whenever it was recess time to take a moment to look at the clouds before we jumped onto the monkey bars or started a boisterous game of kick ball. Kansas has beautiful clouds and I still take time to stare at them. They are as much a part of my writing process as pen and paper. So there's that. Also, growing up in the Mexican American community, known as Oakland, in Topeka influenced me to want to write in a big way. Growing up in Oakland, Mexican American culture and art was celebrated and really integrated into my education at Our Lady of Guadalupe elementary school. Dancing, painting, singing, writing poetry was encouraged and useful when it came time for the yearly fiesta. Within this community, there was so much art and so many good stories and fascinating characters swirling around me and and yet I couldn't find my community reflected in the books I was reading. I became aware early on that I wanted to share those stories and that these stories deserved to be on bookshelves too.

You told an interviewer that you were an avid reader as a girl, but you were distressed at the lack of Latina characters in leading roles.  Have you gotten good feedback from kids who appreciate your strong, smart, Latina lead in Gaby, Lost and Found?

Yes, I have. I've received some pretty sweet emails and handwritten letters from kids all around the country telling me that Gaby is their fave book character. They don't focus on the fact that she's Latina, but they relate to her bravery and longing to help shelter animals. Many of them write me and say that they wish they had a best friend like Gaby. Isn't that precious? Mostly, it's the letters from moms telling me how grateful they are to find a book with a lead Latina character. They want their child to have a strong self-esteem and read about other strong girls facing tough situations and they want their kids to appreciate other cultures, and diverse experiences.

You have a new book due out in 2016.  Congratulations!  Can you tell us a little about it?

Thank you! I'm so excited. My second book, Allie, First At Last, is a spin off of Gaby, Lost and Found. It follows the story of Allie Velasco who is a fifth grader on the quest for a trophy, medal or anything seriously shiny to put on her competitive family's trophy shelf. Her Great Grandfather, a war veteran, is always trying to teach her that the best rewards in life don't fit on trophy shelves, but Allie won't stop until she wins something. My agent and editor at Scholastic tells me its super funny. :)

What is the hardest part of being a writer?  What's the best part?

The hardest part of being a writer for me, is that I never have enough time to write as much as I like. I often have to remind myself to hang out with family, meet up with my girlfriends and stuff like that. I prefer just to be in my room and write. Best part of being a writer is creating something original. I love the creation part of it. I enjoy staring at clouds and getting an idea. Whether its a poem or scene for my next novel, I don't worry about the writing being perfect. I let the idea come, write it down and try to listen to where the story wants to go. I love that feeling of the story asserting itself. It's magic to me.

How can readers follow you and find out more about your work?

Readers can keep up with me at my website: www.angelacervantes or follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram where I basically share my thoughts on my life as a writer and post a lot of photos of baby sloths and clouds.