A Formal Occasion

A Formal Occasion is a children’s chapter book, target age 8-12, that is a coming-of-age story about finding the “perfect” dress for a big event. It is a story about the importance of friendships and how sometimes those friendships require loving sacrifices. “A Formal Occasion is charming, heartfelt, and age-appropriate. It blends humor, friendship, resourcefulness, and family love in a way that resonates across generations. The core message – that love is shown through action and that true friends stick together – comes through strongly.”

Author Biography

Ms. Russell is a graduate of Rutgers University, with an undergraduate major in Spanish and later, a Master of Library Service (MLS) degree. She is also a graduate of the Institute of Children’s Literature and a member of The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). A Formal Occasion is her fourth children’s book. She recently reformatted and republished her book Sací Kids: The Magic of Red, in which she shares her favorite Brazilian folk character, the trickster Sací. In her fairytale, Blossoms, a children’s book about caregiving and healing, her mother, ORUCCE, a porcelain artist, provided the sweet floral illustrations. Her chapter book, The Catch of the Day, is a delightful story about a boy, his father, and grandfather who go striper fishing and grandpa loses his teeth overboard. Guess where they went? Ms. Russell is a retired library director and lives with her husband in Cape May, New Jersey. She always hopes that children will discover new elements of interest in whatever she writes, but most of all, that they will read, read, and read!!