The Ostrich and Other Lost Things

"Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working." —Pablo Picasso

Beth Hautala is a gifted storyteller who writes with compassion, realism and empathy. Hautala earned a degree in writing and rhetoric from Northwestern College and is the author of "Waiting for Unicorns." She has also written for Lake Country Journal Magazine and Forget Magazine. She lives with her husband and four children in Brainerd, Minnesota, where she strives to write stories that tie heart and imagination together.

Lost and Found

Her newest middle grade book “The Ostrich and Other Lost Things,” tells 11-year-old Olivia Grant’s story. Olivia has a gift for finding lost things and she is a lover of found things. Her older brother Jacob is autistic, and Olivia is certain that if her brother Jacob’s lost plastic ostrich toy is found, she and their family will become whole again. Over the course of a summer, Olivia sets out to find Jacob's ostrich. She volunteers at the zoo, auditions for a production of Peter Pan, tries to figure out the pieces to the puzzle as to why a live ostrich keeps appearing in her backyard, and tries to navigate her way through complicated family relationships. With the help of her new friend Charlie, who is blind, and newly acquired confidence through her role in the play, Olivia discovers that maybe not everything lost was meant to be found, outcomes can’t always be overcome, and the discovery that there’s nothing more important than having an open heart to the power of unconditional love. “The Ostrich and Other Lost Things” has received praise from several national publications, including "School Library Journal" and "Kirkus Reviews."

Hautala begins each of her writing projects with a question or a truth. In the case of “The Ostrich and Other Lost Things” she explored the questions “What does it mean to be normal?” and “What do you do when your family looks different from others?”

Building on her experience as a mom, she finds her family a wealth of inspiration to draw upon when creating stories. As she was working on “The Ostrich and other Lost Things,” she consulted with medical professionals, explored current medical findings, and had numerous discussions with families who have a member with autism. She also read blogs by parents raising autistic children, and followed numerous Instagram feeds from people who are explaining what it’s like to be autistic. As she researched, Hautala began to understand that there really is no such thing as normal, and as soon as we stop expecting that of others, and ourselves, the sooner we will be able to respond to difficult and challenging situations with kindness and empathy. Hautala wants to be the kind of a person who does not look away, but one who acknowledges differences and diversity in all its forms with kindness and empathy. She wants to live in a world where people look for opportunities to respond positively to those with disabilities rather than out of fear, skepticism or judgment. And it was from this place that she began to write Jacob and Olivia’s story.

Hautala has an engaging writing style that children and teens can relate to. Her skillful use of the story arc, beginning, middle and end creates the right amount of tension, encouraging the reader to move on to the next chapter. As the storyline develops it feels real and authentic with fully developed characters whose individual perspectives contribute to the dynamics of storyline.

Olivia’s “ah-ha!” moment came at end of the story as she learned that she could look inside people where they were most real and the most lost and to love them anyway.

As a former elementary and middle school teacher I give “The Ostrich and Other Lost Things” my highest recommendation. It would be a wonderful resource for a read aloud and springboard for discussion.

Beth signing her books and greeting readers

In Beth’s words “Telling stories is the greatest gift I always dreamed I'd get to experience.”

You can follow Beth on Twitter at @BethHautala and on her website for book and contact information and upcoming events. Hautala is available for book clubs, reading groups and classroom visits. http://www.bethhautalabooks.com/

Upcoming schedule of events include:

• Brainerd Public Library, Teen and Children’s Writing Workshop July 18, 2018 
• The Jessie. F. Hallett Memorial Library, Crosby, MN July 26, 2018

Book Review written by Sue Ready published  in Lakes Area Living Magazine June 2018