Rising Stars in KidLit began as a way to highlight my fellow kidlit creators who are working their tails off to birth their beautiful book babies into the world. These interviews cast a light on the wonderful work of pre-published or pre-agented authors and author-illustrators who are destined to be stars! Today we’re hosting a special Spotlight series with author, Maria Wen Adcock, so we can learn all about her path to publication and her latest picture book, MY NAME IS AI LIN, iIllustrated by Yu Ting Cheng, releasing on July 1, 2025, with Sleeping Bear Press. Maria has also generously offered to giveaway a signed copy of MY NAME IS AI LIN to one lucky winner. Details on entry at the end of this post.

Meet Rising Star
Author Maria Wen Adcock!

Maria Wen Adcock is a first-generation Chinese American writer and is also the author of It’s Chinese New Year, Curious George. She is the founder of the award-winning Bicultural Mama blog and has appeared in Bloomberg News, HuffPost, and Newsday, and on The Dr. Oz Show. Maria is a board member of Multicultural Kid Blogs, an organization supporting diverse parenting bloggers, and the cohost of the annual event Read Your World Day. She lives on Long Island in New York.

About the Illustrator:

Yu Ting Cheng is a Taiwanese illustrator whose experiences abroad resonate deeply with Ai Lin’s journey. Yu lives in Taipei, Taiwan.

AD: Hi Maria! Thanks so much for visiting the blog again and always being such a thoughtful and supportive participant in the KidLit community. So happy to have you back! Before we jump into the interview, congrats to you on your forthcoming title, MY NAME IS AI LIN, illustrated by Yu Ting Cheng. Can you share with everyone a bit more on how this story came to publication?

MWA: I’m thrilled to share news of my second children’s book, My Name Is Ai Lin! Published by Sleeping Bear Press and illustrated by Yu Ting Cheng, My Name Is Ai Lin will be released on July 1, 2025. Here’s what it’s about:

In this empowering story, one child shows that by making the effort to properly pronounce someone’s name, we send the welcoming message that everyone is worthy of respect and dignity.

When Ai Lin starts school, none of her classmates can say her name. The children make several attempts, but they still cannot pronounce it properly. They ask Ai Lin if they can just call her by another name. It’s not that important, right? But Ai Lin knows the significance of her Chinese name. No, it can’t be changed. Her name is part of her identity and heritage. Her name was chosen not only for what it means, but also for how it sounds. It ties her to her family—present and past—and to its traditions.

When Ai Lin shares her family history with her classmates, they come to understand that a name can be a person’s story, special and unique. Ai Lin’s name, and all that it means and stands for, is as personal as a fingerprint, as distinct as a snowflake.

My wonderful agent, Lynnette Novak from the Seymour Agency, loved the manuscript when she first read it. She shared it with her team, who also loved it. Next, she pitched it to editors. Two publishers were interested in the manuscript. One publisher requested changes that altered the storyline. The other publisher loved it the way it was. That publisher was Sleeping Bear Press, with whom I decided to move forward with as we shared the same vision for this book.

My Name Is Ai Lin is available for preorders until its launch date on July 1, 2025. Find it on Amazon (Kindle & Hardcover), the publisher’s website, and other online bookseller sites nationwide.

PREORDER MY NAME IS AI LIN

AD: Alright now off to the speed round…

Author who inspired you? Grace Lin
Coffee, tea (or neither)? I drink both, but prefer tea throughout the day. If I drink anything with caffeine past the afternoon, it keeps me up at night!
Where is your safe place? My home
Dogs, cats, (or neither)? I’m a cat person. I have 2 cats!
Early bird or night owl? Night owl
Three words to describe what it takes to make it in the kidlit world… Perseverance, Faith, Creativity

AD: Okay, now down to the serious stuff….please dish us the dirt on who you are and your journey into the fabulous world of children’s books.

MWA: When I was a kid, I knew I wanted to write a book, but didn’t know how to do it. I tucked that idea in the back of my head for decades. In the meantime, I went to college and then worked in marketing in corporate America. After my first child was born, I made a career change and decided to pursue writing. I gained experience freelance writing, started a parenting blog BiculturalMama.com, and eventually found my way back to writing a book.

AD: Are there any topics or themes you tend to focus on in your writing? And similarly, what inspires your work? My stories tend to have multicultural themes with a focus on Asian American culture. I write picture books, though I’ve been dabbling in writing a middle grade novel.

AD: Let’s talk more about breaking into the publishing industry- it’s not easy! What’s been the biggest challenge you’ve faced thus far? What have you done to persevere?

MWA: Besides lots of rejections? Well, it is not easy getting a literary agent. More authors are looking for an agent than the other way around. It took me years to get an agent. I just kept trying because I believed that not trying didn’t solve anything. I feel extremely fortunate that I eventually found a literary agent who believed in my work.

“I just kept trying because I believed that not trying didn’t solve anything.”

AD: What has been your biggest accomplishment or something you are most proud of thus far on your writing journey?

MWA: My biggest accomplishment is achieving my childhood dream of writing a book. Little me did not know this would be possible. It has been quite a long journey to get to where I am today. I feel my writing journey is just getting started. I have more stories I want to share with the world.

AD: You have several books published so at this point you must also have a feel for your strengths as an author? What makes your writing unique to you?

MWA: I feel my strengths are the perspective I’ve gained growing up in a bicultural household that fused Chinese and American heritages. My writing is often inspired by my own experiences growing up. My new book, My Name Is Ai Lin, includes the history of the real-life Chinese names of my daughters. Ai Lin and Ai Mei are their Chinese names. The story is from a unique angle stemming from my personal experience.

The Real-Life Ai Lin & Ai Mei when they were around the same ages as the characters in the book [Photo credit: Trenda Knezek of 6 Little Feet, LLC]

Ai Lin & Ai Mei in MY NAME IS AI LIN [Illustrator: Yu Ting Cheng]

AD: What inspires your work?

MWA: Some stories need to be told and shared. These stories may be nuanced, such as capturing a moment in time. However, it is these small moments that can create memories, encourage understanding, or spark a passion.

AD: Tell us about your creative process and what you do to keep ideas flowing or what you do when feeling stuck?

MWA: If I have an idea, I will create a document on my computer and type the thoughts coming to my mind. Later, I try to piece these thoughts together to see how the story develops. I give the story the freedom to flow where it wants to go as I’m writing it. When the story starts to feel forced, that’s when I know I’m stuck. I will stop and take a break from that story and eventually revisit it. The break is often what is needed to get back on track.

AD: Great reminders! What sorts of things have been most integral in your growth?

MWA: Critique groups have been essential for the development of my stories. We’re often too close to our stories to see any issues. That’s where critique group members come in. They share their honest feedback constructively. I have also found it helpful to attend SCBWI workshops to further develop my writing skills.

AD: What other advice do you have for fellow kidlit creatives?

MWA: Join a critique group and become an SCBWI member, where you can gain access to invaluable resources. Remember, this is a long game…it can take years to get your big break, but keep persevering!

AD: Where can readers stay connected with you so we can continue to soak up your tips and tricks :)?

Follow me on Facebook (@MariaWenAdcockAuthor) and Instagram (@BiculturalMama). Visit my website https://MariaWenAdcock.com and check out the Author Visits page to learn more about booking me for your school or library.

Maria, thank you so much for joining us for this special Spotlight feature on Rising Stars in KidLit! Congrats again on MY NAME IS AI LIN, which is now available for preorder HERE! Feel free to drop a comment below to support Maria and her work. Be sure to subscribe to the Rising Stars series so you don’t miss out on the next Rising Stars in Kidlit feature and follow along on Instagram at #RisingStarsinKidlit!

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST…

TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY:

Follow Maria & Amanda on Instagram
Share in your Stories on Instagram
Tag 3 friends in the comments on Instagram

One lucky winner will be chosen for the Giveaway! The deadline for the contest is , June 17th, at 9AM EST. The winner will be announced shortly after on Instagrm. If you’d like to preorder a copy of Maria’s debut picture book, MY NAME IS AI LIN, check out the link below.

PREORDER MY NAME IS AI LIN