PHOTO: Sherry Roberts, acclaimed author and educator, brings heartfelt storytelling to life through her beloved children’s books and middle-grade novels.
Award-Winning Children’s Author Blends Heartfelt Experiences With Meaningful Narratives
Sherry Roberts discusses how her personal experiences shape her emotionally rich stories, her journey through publishing, and her mission to help children navigate life through engaging, character-driven fiction.
Sherry Roberts writes with the rare grace of someone who not only understands children but deeply respects their inner worlds. Her stories are not just whimsical or instructive—they are truthful, told with a gentle clarity that never speaks down to her readers. Whether exploring the quiet grief of a rescue dog in Amica Helps Zoe or celebrating the peculiar courage of shy children in Hello, Can I Bug You?, her books shine with empathy, patience, and quiet strength.
Drawing from a rich career in education and personal moments that have shaped her life, Roberts infuses her fiction and non-fiction picture books with lived experience. There is a pedagogical precision to her narratives, yet they are never didactic—her stories invite discovery, reflection, and conversation. In The Galaxy According to CeCe series, that instinct extends beautifully into middle-grade fiction, where she captures the unsettling wonder of growing up through the eyes of a girl living in an observatory haunted by both memory and possibility.
Roberts writes for children, yes—but also for the adults who guide them. Her books provide an anchor for parents, teachers, and librarians navigating the complex emotional landscapes of young minds. As her creative universe expands into new series and genres, one constant remains: a steady, compassionate voice, unafraid to tackle big feelings with a light, reassuring touch.
Your latest picture book, Amica Helps Zoe, explores issues of abandonment for a rescue dog—how did your personal experiences shape this story?
My rescue dog, Gizzie, had issues with abandonment. Going for a walk would trigger these feelings for him. If he could not see the house, he would stop and go no further. I had to carry him home or to a spot where he could see the house before he would continue. It took time and patience to find a way for him to get outside for a very short walk.
This experience is what began the story. How Amica, the little girl in the story, handle her rescue dog, Zoe’s fear of going for a walk was from a solution that one of my young nieces used with her dog (who also hated walking the neighborhood). Together, these two experiences became the story basis for Amica Helps Zoe.
In your middle grade book series, The Galaxy According to Cece, the house feels almost like a character—what inspired that location?
My family moved several times growing up. One move was before school began and it was from North Carolina to Missouri. We were the family that made a move to a house attached to an observatory. My father was the one who “forgot” to tell me we were moving into this house and the shock was real.
The main character, Cece, is named for Cecelia Payne-Gaposchkin the first female astronomer who a major astrological find. Cece’s father is an astronomer and would become the new director of an observatory. This house was the perfect setting for this family and all the stories that would come from living here, including a ghost who was the astronomer who built the observatory as it is still to this day.
You often blend personal experiences with contemporary issues; which elements from personal experiences in your picture books resonate most strongly with parents, teachers, and librarians?
What I hear from teachers, parents, and librarians is that my picture books deal with issues that are relevant to children today. The themes of each book allows for conversation starters about children’s feelings, worries, and issues in today’s world.
For example, many children experience difficulties making new friends. Like the characters in Hello, Can I Bug You?, children might be shy and need help finding ways to connect to another child who also might be shy.
In my most recent book, Amica Helps Zoe, the character learns patience and determination to help Zoe with her issues of abandonment. It’s important that children understand what others are going through before making a judgement or getting frustrated with that person or animal. As Amica began to understand what Zoe was feeling, she became determined to find a way to help.
You conquered personal challenges before publishing—how did you overcome these challenges?
The challenges of any author is in the critiques.The number challenge to remember is to never lose your voice. Not everyone is going to like the story. It’s okay to listen to these critiques as long as you remember in the end the story should have the voice of the author. It should tell the story that the author wants to be told.
With a children’s book, it helps if the illustrator and author have a good relation that encourages focused communication. As the author, it is sometimes hard to let go of the story so that the illustrator bring your vision to life. I have had a moment or two when a page was not the illustration, I felt it should be but after discussing my thoughts with the illustrator, I found that they understood my vision and were correct in how they brought my vision to life. Again, it’s a matter of letting go control so the vision works.
Having indie published and worked with traditional publishers, how has that shaped your approach to your latest releases?
My experience with the traditional publishers I worked with showed me that control of the book was less mine and more theirs. I enjoy the ability to choose illustrators, talk with the illustrator before work is begun, and to talk with the book designer before the book is uploaded.
I knew that I was not ready to self-publish because there was too much that needed to be done for the release of a book. This is why I chose to use an indie publisher for my most recent releases. Working with an indie publisher gives me access to a book designer who uploads my books to Ingram Sparks and KDP. I also have access to editors to choose from, along with a list of illustrators I may use or choose my own.
What key piece of advice would you offer aspiring authors hoping to write emotionally rich, character driven fiction?
The key piece of advice I would give any aspiring author is to not lose your voice in the process of becoming a published author.
