Sharing storytime

The inspiration for Jerelyn Sneed’s first book came from sitting at the kitchen table with her four children.

“At the kitchen table we always had open forums, and they’d tell their stories. And I thought, ‘Wow, they have so many, why not share?’” Sneed said.

A Shades Crest resident of seven years, Sneed’s career is in banking, but she’s always had a love for writing. She began pursuing writing on a more serious level about 10 years ago.

“I’ve always carried a journal, I’ve been an avid reader since I can remember,” Sneed said.

Due to her husband’s military service and career, Sneed said her family has moved several times. In her children’s stories about the experiences – both good and bad – of transferring to new towns and new schools, Sneed found the foundation for a children’s book.

“Just Be Me” is the story of James, a young boy on his first day at a new school as he meets friends and adjusts to everything that’s different. Sneed said moving somewhere new “can be a great thing” and she feels that her children learned valuable skills because of it, but frequent moves can also be a struggle.

“I hope children will pull from this story that ‘I’m not the only one that feels this way, that has had to move to a new school and meet new friends.’ I hope the parents realize the questions, the conversations should happen at home,” Sneed said.

Part of the reason the Sneeds have stayed in Hoover the last seven years, she said, was for her youngest son, Grant, who is now a senior at Hoover High. Sneed said she wanted to “make this home for him so he wouldn’t have to relive this story” that his older siblings experienced.

It took about eight months to write “Just Be Me,” and Sneed said it was challenging to find the right stories from her children to put in the book. She wanted to make sure it was helpful while still being simple and interesting for young readers.

“I want the child that reads this to know, ‘just be yourself’ … and everything will fall into place,” Sneed said.

As for her kids, Sneed said they love seeing some of their own experiences retold in an illustrated book. She’s hoping to make the main character become part of a larger series, and she has plenty of source material.

“My daughter is anxious to see her story in a book,” Sneed said.

“Just Be Me” can be purchased online at the Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million websites, and Sneed said it will soon be available in the Brookwood Village Books-A-Million location, in Homewood. Learn more at jerelynsneed.com.