HOUSTON – This Earth Day, meet the local award-winning author Lynne Kelly who finds inspiration for her children’s novels through nature and wildlife. Her writing is influenced by real events, which she translates into fictional works of art.
The inspiration behind Kelly’s latest book, “The Secret Language of Birds,” is based on a Texas Monthly article about whooping cranes nesting in Texas for the first time since the late 1800s. The book features a young girl named Nina, who was a minor character in Kelly’s previous award-winning book “Song for a Whale.’ Nina is an avid bird-watcher attending a summer camp in East TX and discovers an unusual sighting of whopping cranes nesting in a marsh. While she tries to figure out the mystery of the migrating birds, Nina also finds her flock with the campers during her adventure.
Kelly’s literary journey began when she was a special education teacher for a few years in Spring ISD. “I think I was in a good place to be. Literally surrounded by children’s literature and discovering some new favorites and rediscovering some old favorites,” said Kelly. Being surrounded by children’s books allowed Kelly to discover her passion and eventually write children’s books that focus on the bond between a young protagonist, wildlife, and the beauty of nature.
“The Secret Language of Birds” was released on April 9 and is available at local bookstores and online.
If you like to follow Kelly and her work, click here.