Rebecca Villarreal has climbed with mountain gorillas in Uganda, eaten countless baked goods in Paris, and has been writing since her double Dutch days as a kid in Philly. Her stories, poems and essays have been published for more than twenty years.
See Rebecca’s interview with the Huffington Post HERE!
See more about book proceeds going to Teaching for Change HERE.
Check out her Drop Out on Orcas Writer’s Documentary HERE and a radio interview HERE (skip the 2 minute intro!).
Author Photo by Tim Arroyo
Why I wrote this book
I wrote The Amazing Adventures of Selma Calderón: A Globetrotting Magical Mystery of Courage, Food & Friendship to share my joy and fascination with the world. I started this book more than ten years ago when I had just moved to Chicago. As I was soaking in a new life in the Pilsen neighborhood and loving my “L” rides, I reflected on my lifelong adventures and travels. Because I was new to the city, I felt the wonder of childhood and wanted my readers to experience that feeling too.
I relish the curiosity of young readers, partly because they are so receptive to the wonder and magic of the world. My book brings that curiosity to life through the eyes of Selma and her close friendship with her best friend Hurley. She travels to many places I love: France, Spain, Bwindi Impenetrable National Forest in Uganda, and Orcas Island in Washington State. She also braves some tough things–her parents are missing and there’s a kid at school who gives her trouble–but they are reflections of events that happen in real life.
The story illuminates Selma’s soulful resilience and ability to find courage and happiness amidst some occasional chaos and unraveled truths–ultimately giving us hope that through love and curiosity, we can create magic in our daily lives.
I’m happy to share that 5% of all net profits from this book are donated to organizations benefiting youth. I hope you enjoy the first installment of Selma’s story as much I’ve enjoyed writing it.
And I also …
.….have been writing poems, stories and essays for a long time. Featured in The Huffington Post, The Washington Post and the Chicago Tribune, I’m a blogger on all things poetic, inspirational and edible. If you´re interested, you can visit my blog RebeccaInspiresNow.com.