Annapolis Royal author loves interacting with young readers

Author Andy Tolson loves interacting with students during school visits. PHOTO BY CONTRIBUTED Andy Tolson remembers his first school visit. It was after he released his first fantasy novel for middle-grade students. He was nervous and didn’t sleep the night before. Fast-forward two years and the nervousness is gone and Tolson is filled with excitement for what lies ahead each time he enters the classroom. The Annapolis Royal resident enjoys talking to the students about storytelling and seeing their eyes grow larger as he reads an excerpt from his latest book. “It’s like nothing I have ever experienced before,” he said. One West Hants visit from the spring stands out to him. After the reading was finished, there was a moment of silence. “One kid looks at me and says, ‘I saw the movie in my head when you were reading,’” Tolson shared. “I thought, ‘That is it. That is exactly why I do this.’” He said the opportunity to share his love of reading with a new generation has been gratifying. He’s looking forward to getting back into the classroom with the recent release of How to Wrestle a Kraken, the third in the series of books from Nimbus Publishing Limited. “There’s a real energy level to it,” Tolson said of the school visits, noting they help him grow as a writer. “Being on ground level with middle schoolers has really helped me form the kinds of characters that I have in my stories.” Tolson shares a few reviews of the school workshops on his website. Read More Finding his passion: Annapolis Royal, N.S., resident releases his first children’s book Annapolis Royal, N.S., author eager to release second book in trilogy, inspire children to read “Andy has a unique way of getting students to think outside the box when it comes to character development – making us think how heroic traits and villainous traits can sometimes co-exist within a character,” wrote Rachel Johns, a Grade 5 teacher at Champlain Elementary School in Annapolis Royal. Series The series follows Tiny Wilde, a 12-year-old giant, who sets out on a quest to protect the mythics of Wonderville from an evil wellness guru. The first book, How to Kidnap a Mermaid, was released in August 2024. How to Rescue a Unicorn came out a year later. And How to Wrestle a Kraken hit the shelves Aug. 25. “He grows as a character,” Tolson said of Tiny through the series. “He’s as real to me as anybody around me … because I’ve lived with him for so many years.” Andy Tolson, an Annapolis Royal…