Q&A with Lisa Jacovsky author of Lets Talk! A story of Autism and Friendship

Lets Talk! A story of Autism and Friendship 
by Lisa Jacovsky
Genre: Children’s Picture Book, Social Stories, autism
ages 3-7
32 Pages

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Harper’s new friend loves to swim & play together, but she has #Autism Spectrum Disorder. After Harper learns different ways to talk to her and they become inseparable. @Lisachildbooks @iReadBookTours #childrensbook #picturebook #specialneeds #giveaway https://buff.ly/3r7IrP7

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1. How did it feel when your first book got published? How did you celebrate?

It felt amazing!! I felt like I was on cloud 9 =) Celebrating in the traditional sense did not happen because of Covid-19. But I was literally jumping up and down and walked around holding my book lol. I also called and text everyone I know and put it all over my social media. Just having everyone’s support meant so much it was an amazing way to celebrate. 

2. Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?

I am trying to build a series with my first book. Each book is going to be a different adventure with the two main characters and introduce new characters. Also, each one will have a theme of a social issue little ones with Autism face. 

3. When it comes to research for your books, are you a hunter or a gatherer? Talk about your research process.

I am a researcher or hunter as you would say. I love to do research and will investigate as much as I can before I write something into my book. For me research is easy. I use my school search engine; google scholar and I have also researched other books. Now I have all this social media I have been researching other authors with books that are similar topics to see what they believe in. I want to be as authentic as possible with my writing. I also use a lot of my experience from my career. I will go through my old notes or Pinterest ideas I have saved and used for work as inspiration too. 

4. What is next for you? 

Next is my second book in the series is being dropped on April 2, 2021, just in time for Autism Awareness month. I really hope to show with this second book another adventure or activity that little ones with Autism can do and not be afraid of judgment. I also have two other projects in the works that I am proud of. I wrote my family history into a story and will be putting it into publication, and I cannot wait to get the illustration process started. I also wrote the third installment in my short story series about the silly shenanigans my cats get into called Rascal Cat brothers. All three can be read on medium @ljayauthor or vocal. I plan to turn them into a short story book when I have four or more and put illustrations in. Hoping to have that done later this year too. Keep up on my social media and website for all these fun things coming and more books in the Let’s Talk series. 

An autism diagnosis for your child is devastating. In the beginning, you can’t help but see all the things your child isn’t able to do and you can’t help but wonder if there will be any normal kids things they will be able to learn to do. Children at one end of the spectrum are perceived as incapable because communication is a factor. On the other end, children are perceived as not being disabled at all, because they seem too normal. This book and the series to come, I think, will helpful for anyone who finds themselves dealing with autism. Parents will able to see that there is a type of normalcy out there for their little ones. Kids with autism will able to see themselves in a character that is fully able and maybe a little like them. Friends of these kids will be able to see that a little bit of creative thinking, means there is no end to the fun they can enjoy together.

I loved that this book showcases just how inclusive children can be. Harper doesn’t see Emma as wrong, just as someone who does things differently. Friendship is universal and has a language of its own. The other thing that really sticks with me from this book is the idea that autism is not all a child is. Emma has trouble communicating and understanding certain concepts, however, she is able to read and write well enough to be understood. She and Harper are able to use these strengths to do all the fun things they want and are able to include many friends in their adventures.

This book reads like a social story, a concept that has been shown to work well with demonstrating to children how to navigate real-life situations. From my personal perspective, I am grateful there are so many great tools out there, like this book. It hasn’t always been that way and it can be so overwhelming and lonely when you think you are dealing with something of this magnitude alone. I am looking forward to new books in the series. 

Join us for this tour from Mar 29to Apr 16, 2021!

Book Details:

Book Title:  Lets Talk! A story of Autism and Friendship by Lisa Jacovsky
Category:  Children’s Fiction (Ages 3-7), 32 pages
Genre:  Children’s Picture Book
Publisher:  Lisa Jacovsky
Release date:   July 2020
Formats Available: hardback, ebook
Tour dates: Mar 29 to Apr 16, 2021
Content Rating:  G.

Book Description:

Harper, a seven-year-old little girl that is typically developing, meets a new friend one day at the pool that is diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. They both love to swim at the pool and want to play together however, Emma has little communication skills. Emma can make sounds and not words and flaps her hands when she is excited. When Harper realizes she cannot communicate with her new friend she becomes determined to find a way to. She begins to learn about Autism Spectrum Disorder and the different ways that Emma can communicate. Once she does the two become inseparable. Harper introduces Emma to all her friends and teaches them how to communicate with Emma. Harper and Emma become the center of their circle of friends and have more many more adventures together. 

Buy the Book:
Amazon – Bookshop
BAM ~ B&N ~ IndieBound
add to Goodreads

Meet the Author:

Lisa Jacovsky currently is a doctoral level student at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. She is excited the possibilities having her Doctorate degree will bring her. She has been in the field of ABA since 2014. She began working with children with Autism in 2018 and is currently working in Early Intervention. It is her experience with children that inspired her to finally fulfill her dream of writing a book. Lisa began writing short stories when she was seven years old. Writing is her passion and one of many things she enjoys. She is excited for the future of her series Lets Talk!.

Connect with the author:  website ~ twitter ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ goodreads

Tour Schedule:

Mar 29 – Working Mommy Journal – book spotlight / giveaway
Mar 29 – Cover Lover Book Review – book spotlight / giveaway
Mar 29 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Mar 30 – Stephanie Jane – book spotlight / giveaway
Mar 31 – Westveil Publishing – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Apr 1 – She Just Loves Books – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Apr 1 – Gina Rae Mitchell – books spotlight / giveaway
Apr 2 – Splashes of Joy – book spotlight / guest post /giveaway
Apr 5 – I Read Kid’s Books – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Apr 5 – A Mama’s Corner of the World – book spotlight / giveaway
Apr 6 – The Adventures of a Travelers Wife – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Apr 7 – What Polly Reads – book spotlight / giveaway
Apr 7 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Apr 8 – Sefina Hawke’s Books – book spotlight
Apr 8 – The Bespectacled Mother – book spotlight
Apr 9 – Nighttime Reading Center – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Apr 12 – Lisa’s Reading – book spotlight / giveaway
Apr 13 – Jazzy Book Reviews – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Apr 14 – I’m All About Books – book spotlight /giveaway
Apr 14 – Pick A Good Book – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Apr 15 – Books for Books – book spotlight
Apr 16 – Struck by Stories – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
 

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