Deer Valley second-grade author to be on Harry Connick Jr. TV show

The Deer Valley Elementary School second-grader who wrote a book last year about “How To Deal With and Care For Your Annoying Little Brother” is scheduled to be featured on Harry Connick Jr.’s TV talk show today.

Eight-year-old Nia Mya Reese went to New York a few weeks ago over spring break to film the segment on “Harry,” and it is supposed to be aired today at 3 p.m. on ABC 33/40 in the Birmingham-Hoover market.

Nia Mya has been featured on national TV news shows before, but this was her first national talk show, her mother, Cherinita Reese, said.

“It went really, really well,” she said. People have asked if Connick is really as nice as he seems on TV, and he is, Reese said.

The family thoroughly enjoyed their two-day trip to New York, she said. The kids had never been to New York City, and “this was actually their first plane ride,” she said.

While there, they were able to visit Times Square and CBS Studios, and the kids loved the big candy shops in the Big Apple, Reese said.

Nia Mya also was interviewed by the RTL German TV channel for a segment that was to be aired in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, she said. “It was absolutely awesome.”

Nia Mya’s book was officially released Nov. 30 and was shared publicly on social media in mid-December, Reese said. First quarter book sales have gone exceptionally well, and Nia Mya should get her first quarter book royalty check in the next few weeks, her mother said.

The book has really resonated with children who can relate well to dealing with younger siblings, Reese said.

“The best part of all of this is all the parents calling me and telling me about their kids being so impressed to see a child their age do something like that,” she said. “You can see that imagination and big light going off in them.”