Purchase Max Attack on Bookshop.org | Amazon

Meet Dana Kershaw, Laurel Springs School Physical Education teacher and first-time published children’s book author! Max Attack, Dana’s debut children’s book, launches this week, and we took some time to chat more about her process, inspiration, and how she got started.

Dana’s journey to become a children’s author began after a bedtime story with her daughter, Hannah. After turning the final page of the storybook, Dana offhandedly commented that she had always wanted to write a children’s book of her own, and Hannah asked why she didn’t just do it. 

“She caught me off guard when I mentioned writing my own children’s book,” shared Dana. “I’ve always encouraged my children to follow their dreams, and when my daughter challenged me to follow through on mine, I had to take a moment, but I eventually decided I should at least try to write a children’s book to share with family and friends.” 

She took inspiration from several different story ideas, eventually deciding to portray a familiar face to symbolize anxiousness. The family dog, Max, was a sweet pup who got apprehensive every time Dana and her family left the house, and she saw parallels she could make between the funny things Max would do and the symptoms of panic attacks and anxiousness in people. 

Dana called Max’s anxiousness a “Max Attack,” and used Max and other neighborhood dogs as guides for characters in the book. After working on several first drafts, she shared it with family, friends, neighbors, and of course, her children Hannah and Tommy. 

“I read the story to my children, and Hannah asked why it’s not published yet,” said Dana. “I was hesitant to start the publishing process, but decided if I couldn’t find a good home for it, I could teach my kids about pursuing their dreams even in the face of rejection.” 

Though Dana received a publishing offer after submitting it to several publishing houses, something about the contract didn’t feel right, and she decided to decline the offer and hold off on the process of publishing. A couple years passed, and Hannah remained adamant. She wanted to know why Dana hadn’t yet published the book, which inspired Dana to continue on her quest to find a publishing contract that felt right and fit her long term goals. 

Dana began the process of submitting her children’s book to new publishers and received an offer from Pegasus Publishers, based in the United Kingdom. With this contract, she could be involved in the editing process and help guide the illustrations for the book, as well as keeping the copyright. This contract felt more authentic to Dana’s dreams, and she chose to move forward and publish with Pegasus Publishers. 

The process was longer than Dana or her family thought, but throughout it they were able to learn the virtue of patience and how to persevere during difficult times.

“Throughout the entire process, the most rewarding part has been how involved my kids have been,” Dana said. “Both Hannah and Tommy were always asking about how the book was coming along and where it was at. As a mother, I’ve always followed them and cheered them on, and getting to experience them returning the encouragement back has been so rewarding!” 

After working tirelessly on refining the content, illustrations, and the characters in her book, Max Attack hits shelves on Thursday April 30th. The Laurel Springs staff couldn’t be prouder of Dana and her hard work to chase her dreams!

“Dana is such an asset to Laurel Springs. Truly someone born to teach, Dana models to her students (and colleagues) the importance of exploring your passions, accepting challenges, and listening to your inner voice throughout the process,” shared Inge Salierno, Laurel Springs Electives Academic Department Chair. “The concept of Max Attack is something so many can relate to, and I personally cannot wait to read it!”

Dana is a testament to the incredible Laurel Springs faculty and staff who support students following their passions while working diligently to achieve their own goals and aspirations.

About Dana Kershaw: 

Dana joined Laurel Springs two years ago and teaches Physical Education. Most recently, she moderated the Transformation Thursday event, Focus on Reading: Importance of Reading Aloud to Your K-5 Students. Interested in staying connected with Dana? Follow her official book account on Instagram!

Share on social media