ELLINWOOD —The Ellinwood School/Community Library is excited to welcome national award winning author Cynthia Kadohata to the Ellinwood library for a series of events during the first week of March. The schedule of events includes presentations to student groups, student book signings, and question and answer sessions on Wednesday, March 5th.
The general public is invited to an Ellinwood Chamber of Commerce Afternoon Tea in honor of Cynthia Kadohata. The Chamber Tea is scheduled for Friday, March 7 at 2 p.m. at the Ellinwood Library.
Kadohata most recently won the 2013 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature for her most recent novel, The Thing About Luck.  The Thing About Luck takes place in Kansas, and focuses on the story of a multi-generational family helping with a custom harvest season.
The Thing About Luck was inspired by Kadohata’s relationship with the Mikey Hughes family of Ellinwood, and her family’s custom harvesting operation. Ms. Kadohata spent several weeks with the Hughes family, some in the Ellinwood area, researching the book.
Kadohata met the Hughes family when she was in Kansas accepting the 2010 William Allen White Award for her book Cracker! The Best Dog in Vietnam. Mikey Hughes, an Ellinwood middle school student at the time, was the Kansas student selected to introduce Ms. Kadohata at the Emporia awards ceremony. Mikey was nominated for this honor by Sharon Sturgis, District Librarian and Connie Mitchum, English Teacher, through the Central Kansas Regional Library System.
This introduction to the Hughes family led to Kadohata’s interest in custom harvesting and her recently honored book The Thing About Luck.
The author’s visit is partially funded by a grant from the Ellinwood Public Education and Library Foundation, and the Ellinwood Community is excited to welcome  Kadohata back to Kansas.
Cynthia Kadohata is also the author of the Newbery Medal-winning book Kira-Kira, and the Jane Addams Peace Award and Pen USA Award winner Weedflower. She lives with her son and dog in West Covina, Calif.