Little Silver Mom Speaks Pre-Teen in "Moving Shelly"

For years, Anne Amato had the idea for a future book brewing in the back of her mind. She wanted to write something kids and pre-teens who had experienced the trauma of a move or some other life-altering change could relate to.

In late 2010, her brainy brew came to robust roast, as she published “Moving Shelly” with iUniverse, which quickly garnered acclaim as an Editor’s Choice of the publishing company.

While "Moving Shelly" is fiction, the book draws on Amato's own trying experiences moving from Illinois to the East Coast.  Although Amato was 15 when she moved, she opted to make the main character in her book, Shelly, 12.   

“I wanted to write about the agony of day-to-day life that first comes from moving to a new place and how it takes time to adjust," said Amato. "It’s the little things you go through like walking down the hallway alone and group projects that make it hard.”

Many young people can particularly identify with Shelly’s desire to do well in school, meet teachers’ expectations, and find the appropriate crowd of friends without compromising personal values. Shelly’s encounters with the “fast clique” of girls and cheating in school help illustrate typical dilemmas many students face but do not know how to confront.

When discussing what readers can learn from Shelly, Amato stated, “I hope readers can take away three themes: to always be yourself and not someone you’re not, to have the guts to speak your mind and stand up for yourself, and that while it may not always seem like it, change is not the worst thing in the world.”

While Amato has no definite plans to write another book or continue Shelly’s story, she remarked that writing and discussing this book has been a fun experience, made more special with the support and encouragement from her three children and husband.

Whether or not Amato chooses to pursue her nascent writing career, she is now both a local author and a role model. With the right will and no guarantee of success, she transformed thoughts and ideas into something tangible of which to be proud.

Amato received a B.A. degree in early childhood education from Montclair State University and can be contacted via email at realmcc3@gmail.com.

“Moving Shelly” is now sold through iUniverse, Barnes and Noble, Amazon, at the , the and .