Natalie Lloyd
The Collegedale Public Library’s Local Author Series presents Natalie Lloyd, a New York Times Bestselling author of novels for young readers (and the young at heart). Sponsored by the Friends of Collegedale Public Library as part of their Emily McDonald Local Author Series, the program will begin at 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 15, at Collegedale City Hall. With her signature blend of lyrical writing, quirky humor, and unforgettable characters, Ms.
Lloyd is considered one of the most original voices writing for children today.
Hummingbird, which is scheduled for release this year and will be her seventh novel for kids, is Ms. Lloyd’s most personal book to date. It is a story about a girl?armed with her trusty, snazzy wheelchair?who refuses to let her brittle bone disease stand in the way of adventure. Ms. Lloyd was born with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) and used a wheelchair or walker until seventh grade. She is thankful to be able to walk (sometimes with the help of a cute pink cane) and to advocate for greater accessibility.
Her first novel, A Snicker of Magic (2014), was an ALA Notable Book, a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice, a top 10 Kids Indie Next Pick, and an NPR, iBooks and Parents Magazine best book of the year for children. The story has been optioned for television by Sony Tristar.
Ms. Lloyd's other novels include The Key to Extraordinary (2016), The Problim Children trilogy (2017-2019), and Over the Moon (2019). These books have won accolades from Entertainment Weekly, Junior Library Guild, SIBA, Amazon, and Bank Street College of Education, among others. Silverswift (2020), her first Audible Original, is a mermaid tale set on St. Simons Island in Georgia.
Ms. Lloyd, who grew up in a small town in East Tennessee, now writes in the shadows beside a sunny window in Chattanooga. She loves adventuring with her husband, Justin, and their dogs.
She said, “I think one of the biggest hurdles in creating anything is just starting—giving yourself permission to get it on the page (or any workspace), even if it’s messy. When you get back to it later, you’ll be surprised by the beauty in that mess.”