With Spanish and English language editions of The Fly Who Flew Under the Sea (The Collective Book Studio) publishing simultaneously in March, Lauren Sánchez Bezos spoke with PW about penning the sequel to her bestselling debut children’s book, being named a Literacy Champion for Impact Reading through The United States of Readers program, and how reading with her own children helped spark her passion for literacy.
After heading to the cosmos in The Fly Who Flew to Space (The Collective Book Studio, Sept. 2024), Flynn, the hero of your series, has an underwater, glow-in-the-dark adventure in The Fly Who Flew Under the Sea. How did you find yourself writing about this buzzy little guy?
A tiny fly changed everything. My kids and I were mid flight when one little stowaway zipped around the cockpit, and we started imagining the adventure it might be on. That spark became Flynn. As I wrote, I realized Flynn isn’t just a character. Flynn is me. I’ve taken plenty of wrong turns, and those detours taught me more than any straight line ever could.
What does it mean to you to be a Literacy Champion for the United States of Readers?
It means putting real books into kids’ hands, especially kids in under resourced schools and letting them choose stories that feel like theirs. Through Impact Reading and the United States of Readers program, Pre-K–8 students get access to book choice and book ownership. The fact that The Fly Who Flew to Space and the Spanish edition, La Mosca Que Voló al Espacio, are in that mix makes me incredibly proud.
In your role as Literacy Champion, how will you help nurture a love of reading in the kids you encounter?
Connection first!!! Even five minutes of reading together a day can light up a child’s brain and their confidence. Some of my favorite memories are reading with my kids.
The Fly Who Flew to Space is both a New York Times and USA Today bestseller. And now, The Fly Who Flew Under the Sea is going to press for an announced 75,000 copies. How have your readers been responding to Flynn’s adventures?
It’s been pure joy. The best is when I get photos from parents, wide eyed questions at school visits, kids telling me where they’d fly next. Seeing a child point to Flynn and say, “That’s me,” is everything.
Kids are invited to write to Flynn about their hopes and dreams. What are your own hopes and dreams for your readers?
That they feel seen. That they stay curious. And that they learn what I learned: mistakes aren’t the end, they’re often the beginning. Kids need to know mistakes are okay, and I’ve personally learned so much more from my mistakes than my successes. Flynn proves a wrong turn can launch the best adventure of your life.
