Video Description: In Erin Entrada Kelly’s beautiful novel, “Lalani of the Distant Sea,” we meet mythical creatures, faithful friends and an ordinary girl who braves impossible odds to help the people she loves. The story, which is Entrada Kelly’s first fantasy novel, was inspired by Philippine folklore and the stories her Filipina mother told her as a child. Entrada Kelly – who won the Newbery Medal in 2018 for “Hello, Universe” – began writing novels as a child to channel the loneliness she felt as a Filipina-American growing up in Louisiana. Now, as the New York Times Bestselling “authoress” of five beloved middle-grade books, she creates the characters she longed to see a child.

• What is the Newberry Medal and what is its significance to the field of writing?
• This author talks about wanting to see characters that reflected herself and her family. Why is that important to being successful in life? Ask students to reflect on the video and discuss what they learned.
• Use the video in conjunction with a student activity focused on the writing process and/or different elements of writing such as plot, character, and theme. What insights from the author can they use in the activity?