Local Author Releases New Children's Book

The concepts of her books come to her in her dreams and during seemingly routine moments. Call it happenstance or kismet, but they have played a major part in the birth of her books and it always plays out that way.

“It’s never forced or rushed,” said Alva Sachs, a children's book author who just released I’m 5, her third children's book.

From teaching to writing

The Calabasas resident was an elementary school teacher for 16 years before making the shift to full-time motherhood and eventually to children’s book writing.

“Even when I was teaching, I put such a huge emphasis on writing,” said Sachs who has a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in elementary education.

Born and raised in Chicago, Sachs enjoys mentoring children and instilling a love for writing in them. A series of events to promote her new book aims to do just that.

This Sachs will be reading I’m 5 to children at the from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. On , she will be at the from noon to 2 p.m. for another fun afternoon of reading and other activities.

Tributes to children

Her three grown children have long been out of school, but she keeps them “alive” in her books. “My books are tributes to my children, but they’re not necessarily about them,” said Sachs.

Daughter Jessica is a character in Circus Fever, Sachs’ first book about the power of imagination and the surprises that await children under the circus’ big top. Released in 2008, Circus Fever received several awards including a 2009 Seal of Excellence from Creative Child Magazine and the 2010 Eric Hoffer Award for excellence in small press publishing.

In her second book, Sachs’ only son Justin is one of the main characters. On Your Mark, Get Set, Go! is about three boys who like to hang out on Saturdays. Like the first one, On Your Mark, Get Set, Go! received nods from award-giving bodies such as the National Indie Excellence Awards and the International Book Awards when it came out in 2009.

Her latest book, I’m 5 is all about that magical age and the transition into the “big school.” Once again, Julie, Sachs’ other daughter, is the main character in this book.

“This idea just came to me while sitting in a conference,” said Sachs. “This concept of a child turning five really just dropped out of nowhere.”

Determination

Sachs decided to take the self-publishing route and put up her own publishing firm called Three Wishes Publishing Company.

“It’s a highly competitive industry and most publishers will not even look at unsolicited manuscripts,” she said, describing the situation facing first-time authors.

“I was also older, not notorious and definitely not a celebrity,” she said, detailing why she does not fit the typical mold of authors who land instant book deals.

Extremely motivated, Sachs willingly navigated the unfamiliar waters of self-publishing. “I knew nothing aside from writing and getting books into the hands of children, but I was highly determined to learn all I could about publishing,” she said.

The same level of determination has propelled Sachs to give back and continue putting books into the hands of children. She joined the board of Reading is Fundamental, a nonprofit organization that raises funds for underserved children in the L.A. area.

Serendipity

On her website, Sachs attributes a large portion of her life to serendipity or those unplanned events and discoveries followed by good fortune. It was serendipity that led her to become a teacher, meet her husband and cross paths with Patricia Krebs, the illustrator of her three books.

“We met at the Calabasas Pumpkin Festival, believe it or not,” said Sachs, who has been collaborating with Krebs since their serendipitous meeting four years ago.

While her first three books were born out of serendipitous moments, Sachs remains mum about her next ones. “All I can say is there are no people in it and they’re not coming out this year,” she said, as she immerses herself again in her writing.