Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Kerry O’Malley Cerra: author 🤟🏼

@kerryomalleycerra.bsky.social

1K followers 230 following 190 posts

Author of JUST A DROP OF WATER, HEAR ME, & MAKE A LITTLE WAVE. Coming soon: NF PB The Gallaudet Eleven: The Story of NASA’s Deaf Bioastronauts (Little, Brown ‘26) “Retired” high school librarian #deaf

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Kerry O’Malley Cerra: author 🤟🏼 @kerryomalleycerra.bsky.social · May 14

🎉BOOK NEWS🎉 This story is dear to my 💜, & I'm honored to tell it. Thanks to my editor, Milena, & to Little, Brown, and Company for agreeing to a deaf trifecta--a deaf story by a deaf author and artwork by a deaf illustrator. To my agent, @janinele.bsky.social, thanks for introducing me to the story!

2 1 5

Reposted by Kerry O’Malley Cerra: author 🤟🏼

dpbsmith.bsky.social @dpbsmith.bsky.social · 1d

Indeed.

"Libraries will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no libraries."--Anne Herbert, 1980

1 2

Kerry O’Malley Cerra: author 🤟🏼 @kerryomalleycerra.bsky.social · 1d

For those who can’t afford Taylor Swift’s new album, be sure to check your local library. My county library has The Life of a Showgirl up on the Hoopla app, and it’s free for me to stream with my library card. Libraries for the win! #taylorswift

11 74 350

Kerry O’Malley Cerra: author 🤟🏼 @kerryomalleycerra.bsky.social · 23d

Answering the question about why I refer to myself as deaf. Happy Deaf Awareness Month! 💜🤟🏼 #deafawareness #whyisign

Kerry O’Malley Cerra: author 🤟🏼 @kerryomalleycerra.bsky.social · 28d

Happy Deaf Awareness Month from this deaf girl! It’s ask me anything time. #deafawareness #authorlife #askmeanything

Kerry O’Malley Cerra: author 🤟🏼 @kerryomalleycerra.bsky.social · May 12

Thank you!!!

Kerry O’Malley Cerra: author 🤟🏼 @kerryomalleycerra.bsky.social · May 11

Quick help: mom and I both loved Mrs. Harris goes to Paris. We’d like to watch something similar tonight—a sweet, feel good movie. Suggestions?

Kerry O’Malley Cerra: author 🤟🏼 @kerryomalleycerra.bsky.social · Apr 29

😞

Kerry O’Malley Cerra: author 🤟🏼 @kerryomalleycerra.bsky.social · Apr 29

Had a conversation with a fellow deaf author recently, & something she said stuck with me: that the publishing world doesn’t view deaf writers—or stories with deaf characters—as “marginalized enough” to amplify them the way it does with other voices. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it.

1 1 5

Kerry O’Malley Cerra: author 🤟🏼 @kerryomalleycerra.bsky.social · Apr 22

Speechless. And honored. So very honored!
Happy Earth Day, my sharkies! Thank you, Tue Nature Generation, @lernerbooks.bsky.social , and @janinele.bsky.social

1 3 11

Kerry O’Malley Cerra: author 🤟🏼 @kerryomalleycerra.bsky.social · Apr 11

Thank you!

Kerry O’Malley Cerra: author 🤟🏼 @kerryomalleycerra.bsky.social · Apr 11

Last week, I had to miss the award dinner for the Florida Book Awards due to my commitments at TXLA. But here’s my medal & a fancy sticker for my book. Huge thanks to the committee for recognizing my work & the importance of activism, ocean conservation, & sharks!
@lernerbooks.bsky.social #mglit

The photo shows a copy of the book titled make a little wave with the metal from the Florida book awards draped over the cover. And the book has the award sticker on it in the corner.

1 1 6

Kerry O’Malley Cerra: author 🤟🏼 @kerryomalleycerra.bsky.social · Apr 10

I’m so glad my publisher sent it, and I hope you love it. Sharks need our care . . . NOW! 🦈🩵🌎

Kerry O’Malley Cerra: author 🤟🏼 @kerryomalleycerra.bsky.social · Apr 8

Wordle 1,389 1/6*

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

Finally! It’s been my starting word since day 1!

Kerry O’Malley Cerra: author 🤟🏼 @kerryomalleycerra.bsky.social · Apr 1

I’m so excited for this and can’t wait for my copy to arrive! Happy birthday Hazel and Jamie! 🎉

Jamie Michalak @jamiemichalak.bsky.social · Apr 1

Is it too early to celebrate? It's Hazel the Handful's #bookbirthday! 🎉

1 3 3

Kerry O’Malley Cerra: author 🤟🏼 @kerryomalleycerra.bsky.social · Apr 1

I’m raffling off two virtual author visits for attendeees at #txla25 #txla2025. Find me at any point to enter. Or message me to meet up. My books cover themes of activism, hearing loss & deafness, social justice, conservation (particularly sharks🦈), body autonomy, and more. I can’t wait to meet you!

Infographic showing information for author Kerry O’Malley Cerra’s book signing at txla on Wednesday April 2nd from 2:30-3 aisle 11 in the author signing area. Book covers shown are MAKE A LITTLE WAVE and HEAR ME.

Kerry O’Malley Cerra: author 🤟🏼 @kerryomalleycerra.bsky.social · Mar 27

Texas librarians, I can't wait to meet you next week. Having lived in Plano for three years as a kid(I went to Memorial Elementary!), I'm excited to go back! And, I'm raffling off two FREE virtual author visits. Be sure to find me! #txla2025

Kerry O’Malley Cerra: author 🤟🏼 @kerryomalleycerra.bsky.social · Mar 27

I hope to see you. Let's grab a drink!

Kerry O’Malley Cerra: author 🤟🏼 @kerryomalleycerra.bsky.social · Mar 27

I'd love to meet you in person. Let me know if there are any gatherings or if you want to grab food/drinks/whatever!

1 1

Kerry O’Malley Cerra: author 🤟🏼 @kerryomalleycerra.bsky.social · Mar 27

I'm so excited for this and can't wait to meet all of you Texas librarians!

Reposted by Kerry O’Malley Cerra: author 🤟🏼

Becky Calzada @becalzada.bsky.social · Mar 25

📣 Who’s going to #TXLA25?

📌 I hope you’ll join @kerryomalleycerra.bsky.social @alitereseauthor.bsky.social @nancytandon.bsky.social & @lynmillerlachmann.bsky.social & I on Thursday 4/3 for our #kidlit panel from 2-3 pm

Join us at TXLA
Kidlit quest: spurring, activism, and social justice through children’s literature. Infused with the hope that all voice Have a place in this world We’ll explore issues of equity, disability representation, social and courage. Thursday, April 3, 2025, 2:00-3:00 pm, Ballroom C2

Images of Becky Calzada, moderator & AASL President, authors: Ali Terese, Lyn Miller-Lachmann, Kerry O’Malley Cerra, and Nancy Tandon shown with book covers of titles they’ve written.

2 4 8

Reposted by Kerry O’Malley Cerra: author 🤟🏼

Action for Happiness @actionhappiness.bsky.social · Feb 28

Living mindfully helps us get more out of life and cope better in difficult times 🙏

Join us for #MindfulMarch and find ways to live each day with awareness and kindness actionforhappiness.org/mindful-march

26 39

Reposted by Kerry O’Malley Cerra: author 🤟🏼

Amy Fitzgerald @amyarielfitz.bsky.social · Feb 20

Entry 2 of ???: MAKE A LITTLE WAVE by Kerry O'Malley Cerra (@kerryomalleycerra.bsky.social) is a silver medalist in the older children's lit category of the Florida Book Awards!

www.floridabookawards.org

Cover image for Make a Little Wave by Kerry O'Malley Cerra. Full-color illustration of a girl in snorkeling gear floating underwater, smiling, as several sharks swim around her from varying distances.

1 1 3

Reposted by Kerry O’Malley Cerra: author 🤟🏼

Lerner Books @lernerbooks.bsky.social · Jan 29

"There’s a lack of stories about the Deaf and hard-of-hearing experience, especially for children who are experiencing hearing loss, and HEAR ME is a great addition to the limited canon." DisLIS recommends HEAR ME by @kerryomalleycerra.bsky.social!
cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/dislis/vol2/...

Hear Me [book review]

Hear Me by Kerry O'Malley Cerra is a middle grade novel about a twelve year old girl coming to terms with a hearing loss and fighting for her right to deny a cochlear implant surgery.

cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu

1 2

Reposted by Kerry O’Malley Cerra: author 🤟🏼

Amanda MacGregor @amandamacgregor.bsky.social · Feb 6

Move Over, Middle Grade: It’s Time for Young Teen Lit, a guest post by Christina Chatel and Marcia Kochel

teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2025/02/06/m... @tltkaren.bsky.social @youngteenlit.bsky.social

Move Over, Middle Grade: It’s Time for Young Teen Lit, a guest post by Christina Chatel and Marcia Kochel

This story begins with two middle school librarians, miles and miles apart, who both feel passionately that what publishers call middle grade literature is not what their students need or want.

teenlibrariantoolbox.com

3 9 20

Kerry O’Malley Cerra: author 🤟🏼 @kerryomalleycerra.bsky.social · Jan 28

Yes, when I take my CI off, it’s often blissful!