Local Author Turns to Spring-Ford Students for Editorial Advice During Reading Club

From the Spring-Ford Area School District:

The Spring-Ford Area Senior High School Reading Club got a sneak peek into the world of Charlotte Hubbard, the main character of soon-to-be released novel, Chubby. Local resident and novelist Kim Lehman asked the club to review and critique the first draft of Chubby during the group meeting Nov. 7. As beta readers, the students made comments, suggested improvements and had the opportunity to be critics.

According to Reading Club Advisor Rachel Lawrence, this is the second novel Lehman has brought to the group. Before the publication of her first novel, Righteous, she asked the club to beta read it as well. 

“Students made such wonderful suggestions, that Lehman used several to improve her novel and then named each in her acknowledgments when the novel was published,” explained Lawrence. Lawrence said students were thrilled to see their names published in Lehman’s book.

Chubby brings to life the struggles of teenage girls to feel accepted by themselves and their peers through the ordeals of love-struck Charlotte Hubbard. Charlotte’s goal freshman year of high school is to gain the affections of Grayson Miller. However, with her chubby physique, she’s not sure that goal will ever come to be. It doesn’t help that her friends and family can’t seem keep their own doubts to themselves. But Charlotte’s plans are crushed when she enters high school and finds it to be torturous­she is called names, made fun of and, worst of all, Grayson continually doesn’t notice her.

Suggestions from Spring-Ford Area High School Reading Club members –including renaming the book to attract high school readers - were so helpful that Lehman chose to write about them on her blog, http://www.kimlehman.net/2013/11/22/spring-ford-high-school-students-test-read-next-book/ 

"This is why I love working with the Spring-Ford Area High School Reading Club. Being able to have teenagers test read my book is invaluable for me. They tell it like it is, they say what they want, and they provide ideas that are more relevant and current; stuff they can relate to today. Ultimately, they help make me a better young adult writer,” she emphasized.

Lehman lives in Royersford with her husband and cocker spaniel. Chubby is anticipated to hit online bookstores in December.