The Alumni Spotlight is a periodic feature of the Mom’s Choice Awards® blog. It is part of our ongoing effort to “shine the spotlight” on our honorees and their contributions to promoting excellence in family-friendly media, products, and services. We share their stories not only to celebrate their accomplishments, but to give you an opportunity to see the benefits of being part of the Mom’s Choice Awards family of programs.

How’s a child to entertain himself while cleaning up after chickens, pigs, geese, and the occasional sibling? With daydreaming, of course! After demolishing the outhouse with the tractor, Lee’s father realized that the farm would be better off if his son didn’t take over the family business. Lucky for us, Lee Fodi kept dreaming and transformed his love of mythology, drawing, and storytelling into award winning chapter books for young readers.

MCA: Hi, Lee. Welcome to the Alumni Spotlight. I’m so glad you could join us today. Let’s get started … Can you please tell us about the inspiration for your books?
Lee: I am a writer and illustrator, so nearly every single idea that ever blossoms in my imagination begins with a drawing. Indeed, The Chronicles of Kendra Kandlestar are no different. The first book in the series, The Box of Whispers, began with a single painting of some tiny creatures sneaking past a great red dragon. I wasn’t intending to write a story when I worked on the painting—but from this single piece of artwork the adventures of Kendra began to bloom and flourish until they sprouted into the books that my readers now cherish. For the second book, The Door to Unger an illustration that I first sketched while on holiday in Clovelly, England, became the impetus for the story. That sketch eventually evolved into the illustration for the book jacket. So, for me, drawing is so instrumental in helping me create.

MCA: What are your goals for Kendra Kandlestar in the next year?
Lee: I have just released the third book in the series, The Shard from Greeve. I hope I can go three-for-three with Mom’s Choice Awards®! I have appearances and events scheduled throughout Canada, the US, and Korea over the next year, so I hope to continue sharing my stories with young readers and—somewhere in between all the hustle bustle—I’m going to start penning a fourth Kendra book.

MCA: If someone gave you air time for a 15-second commercial, how would you entice people to read The Chronicles of Kendra Kanlestar?
Lee: As an illustrator, I’d have to go with a movie-trailer: If you don’t read The Chronicles of Kendra Kandlestar, you better be lost in the Greeven Wastes or locked in the dungeons of Krodos, and if you ARE locked in the dungeons of Krodos, you better pray that Kendra herself waves her wand of Eenwood and breaks you out . . . So don’t “Eek” like Oki! Don’t “Humph” like Uncle Griffinskitch! Don’t contract the Goojun Pox! Just join everyone’s favorite seven-braided heroin and enter a world of mystery and monsters. You never know: Just like Kendra, you just might discover the magic—the true magic—of facing yourself.

As a writer, I’d go with this blurb: Don’t take it from me—take it from the people who really know: the kids! As one eleven-year-old reader declared, The Chronicles of Kendra Kandlestar are “set up like a playset,” full of action, adventure and humor. If you love strong story, clever characterizations, and whimsy, than these books are for you whether you’re 5 or 95. Socome along with Kendra Kandlestar and enter a world of magic, monsters, and mystery. Just like Kendra herself, you just might discover the true magic of facing yourself.

MCA: You started with an idea and now have a successful, award-winning series of books. Looking back on your journey, what was the easiest part? The hardest? What surprised you the most?
Lee: In so many ways, the easiest part is finding inspiration. Sometimes I feel like I’m inspired by everything: books, films, art, architecture, songs, nature, and, of course, any particular personal experience. The hard part is taking that inspiration and sculpting it into a meaningful story. If I think back to the example of taking inspiration from that painting and turning it into Kendra Kandlestar and the Box of Whispers, I can tell you that the idea—a magical box that guards secrets, but then gets stolen—was easy enough for me to form. The hard part was finding the right characters to go on that journey to retrieve the box, and to discover the right narrative voice with which to tell the tale. There were many ideas—including characters, settings, plot twists—that I had to abandon along the way, just as there were new elements that I had to introduce. Then I think the really hard part comes after the book has gone to press, and that’s the promotional side. I often find it hard to talk about my books because I’m too close to them and often don’t realize what makes them special.

MCA: Since launching Kendra’s first adventure, what has been your most rewarding experience in promoting or sharing it with the public? Do you have a favorite memory?
Lee: There is no doubt that I cherish all the letters and artwork that I receive from Kendra Kandlestar fans. My studio is decorated with many a drawing or letter from a young reader. It is so hard to pick a single moment—but most recently I can think of the launch party I had for The Shard from Greeve. The Kendra Kandlestar Extravaganza, as we called it, was a massive success and the perfect way for me to introduce my book. I teach creative writing to children, and what has always been special about Kendra Kandlestar is that it has evolved under the watchful eyes of my young pupils. I dedicated this most recent book to them and wanted to not only celebrate Kendra, but the process of writing her with all my “co-creators.” The extravaganza had a packed house! Some of my students (the “Wiz Kids” as they’re called) performed Kendra Kandlestar raps and we had this activity table where kids could get their hair braided like Kendra Kandlestar. Kendra is known for her long, crazy braids that stick straight out from her head, so it filled me with great amusement and joys to see swarms of little Kendras gallivanting through the crowd.

MCA: Could you please tell us why you chose the Mom’s Choice Awards® program in seeking recognition for your books?
Lee: I’ve always had kids show their love for my books, so I love being able to say, “Mom’s love them too!” It’s a great brand, a great award sticker, and a program that offers specific marketing programs, such as sending catalogues out to schools and libraries. I love having those opportunities. As an author coming from a small press, any ladder that helps me climb upwards is an absolute blessing.

MCA: What does it mean to you to be a Mom’s Choice Awards® alumnus?
Lee: I am proud to be an award winner with the Mom’s Choice program and am so pleased to have my books be a part of the marketing programs that the foundation has set up. I think this gives both Kendra and me more credibility—and a platform that might not be so easy to otherwise reach. Of course, I never write my books with the idea of winning awards or gaining recognition—but once the book is out in the world and receives an award it is very gratifying, especially one that is as special as the Mom’s Choice Award®.

MCA: What did you learn about yourself in the process of creating your award-winning books?
Lee: It’s one thing to write a book and another to write a book that is award-winning and generally well-received. Writing a book can be a very isolated and personal experience (at least at the beginning of the process), but once the book is out in the world, the experience becomes extremely public. I’m grateful that my books have received lots of positive feedback—but sometimes it’s just as hard to acknowledge awards and accolades as it is to accept any negative response. I think we all tend to give more weight to negative situations in our lives, making mountains out of molehills when it comes to failures. At the same time, we tend to find ways to dismiss successes. I’ve had to learn to be grateful and recognize all the wonderful things that have flourished in my life as a result of Kendra Kandlestar.

MCA: Would you recommend the Mom’s Choice Awards® to other entrepreneurs? If so, why?
Lee: Of course! There’s no better marketing tool than winning an award, especially one that has some steam in its engine, like the Mom’s Choice Awards®.

MCA: How have you benefited by being a Mom’s Choice Awards® honoree? Do you have any tangible examples?
Lee: I know the tag of Mom’s Choice Award® Winner has helped the sales of my books, especially on Amazon. Also, being a winner allows me to participate in the marketing initiatives such as the library catalogues, and this type of direct-mailing enterprise is simply priceless. To do this as individual would be extremely cost prohibitive and time-consuming, so I love that I can take advantage of such opportunities with the Mom’s Choice Awards® program.


Mom’s Choice Awards® Honors
Kendra Kandlestar and the Box of Whispers (2007, Gold Medal, Best Children’s chapter book, aged 8 and up)
Kendra Kandlestar and the Door to Unger (2009, Gold Medal, Fantasy, Myths and Legends)

Contact and Social Media Links

Websites – KendraKandlestar.com and LeeFodi.com
Facebook – Lee.Edward.Fodi
Youtube – LeeFodi
Email – wizbiz [at] leefodi [dot] com