Welcome to SCBWI-MI's Book Birthday Blog!

Where we celebrate new books from Michigan's authors, illustrators and translators.

Congratulations to Kim Delmar Cory on the release of What About Lilly?

How did you come up with the idea for your book?

The idea for this book is vaguely derived from one of my favorite childhood books, Boxcar Children. I loved the independence of these siblings, surviving on their own, taking care of each other. So, I decided to put strangers, for the most part, in this survival situation in a time where communication was so different from today. In 1954 there were no cell phones, computers, televisions, or electronics of any kind really for everyday communication. I wanted these children isolated, as they are on a farm in 1954, so they must rely on each other for survival as well as defend each other against discriminatory acts. Historical elements of McCarthyism, the Korean Conflict, and the polio epidemic enrich the storyline and challenge young readers as they become emotionally invested in the survival of Will and his friends, and familiar with the social injustices of this era.

What is something you hope your readers will take away from your book?

Something I hope my readers will take away from this book is the flexible concept of ‘family’ and how social structures such as discrimination and prejudice exist in every era.

What inspires you to write?

I recall sitting in my grandmother's lovely armchair when I was 15 sobbing away as I read Hugo's Les Miserables. Its impact on me exists to this day. I majored in Literature undergrad at Michigan State University. From Austen, Dostoevsky, and D.H. Lawrence to Hemingway, Hugo and beyond, the written word thrills and inspires me. I wish to make my readers cry and laugh and ponder as these writers have done for me. I wish to connect my readers to other worlds as Natalie Babbit did in my favorite children's book to this day, Tuck Everlasting.

What are your marketing plans for the book?

My marketing plan for this book is open. I hope to connect to SCBWI opportunities as they arise. I will present at their table at the Funky Ferndale event the end of September and hope to attend the MAME conference in November if all goes well. I have sent post cards to Michigan middle schools offering my school visit information. I have bookmarks detailing the cover and overview of What About Lilly? I will submit my book to contests and for review as appropriate and I truly believe this book belongs in schools and will augment curriculums related to this historical period. Goodreads will also hopefully be in my future.

You have published several middle grade books and now a young adult book. What's next for you?

I’m pleased with my transition into the world of young adult writing and plan on staying here for awhile. Currently I am working on a story set in 1925 about a genius 15-year-old girl, Etta Jo, (think Rory, Gilmore Girls) who lives in the backwoods of Northern Michigan with her father. She plans on attending Harvard even though Harvard does not accept women, not to mention lack of money is a significant problem. Upheavals in her simple life create barriers she could never have imagined. Prohibition, the KKK, and the Scopes Trial all impact the historical storyline.

Title: Etta Jo.

A little bit about the book . . .

Six children live alone, facing harmful prejudices daily.

In 1954, the Korean Conflict is a recent memory and discrimination via McCarthyism endures. Fourteen-year-old Will and his 12-year-old sister are sent to their uncle’s farm for the summer.

In time, three Amish siblings and a seven-year-old Korean American girl with polio join them before they are all abandoned.

What sacrifices must Will make to help them survive?

Is he truly responsible for his father’s death as he believes?

A little bit about the author . . .

Kim Delmar Cory lives in Michigan with her husband, Loren, two dogs, Mackinac Lee and Murphy (aka Monkey Butt), and a naughty cat named Thackery Binx. Her children and grandchildren live nearby. Upon retirement from 30 years working in higher education, she has dedicated herself to the writing life, proudly displaying an ankle tattoo, Cacoethes Scribendi, which translates from the Latin as, ‘insatiable urge to write,’ or ‘bad habit of writing.’ Her website, https://www.kdelmarcory.com/ lists her Middle Grade and Young Adult historical novels and keeps readers updated on writing accomplishments and school visits.