Cheryl Lawton Malone

Creative Consultant

Creative Consultant

Selling a work today requires that your audience love your story, not just like your manuscript. Falling in love takes a ton of hard work, which means starting with a great story idea, understanding today’s marketplace, piling on the heart, stakes, and conflict, honing your craft, writing a good plot, and…

Learn More

Author

Cheryl is a freelance writer, poet, and award-winning author of children’s literature. 2015’s DARIO AND THE WHALE is a Shelf Awareness Best Children’s Book of 2016, a Cooperative Children’s Book Center Winner for 2017, a Book Best Debut Picture Books of 2016, and a 2018 Mass Book Awards Must Read.

Learn More at Cheryl’s Author Website

Books by Cheryl Lawton Malone

Learn More at Cheryl’s Author Website

Writing Kidlit 101

Writing Kidlit 101 is a how-to book about writing and SO MUCH MORE. It’s also a fun, flexible course designed to help you write the book that kids (and teens) want to read. Whether you’re starting out or already on your way, going through our user-friendly craft narratives, tips and tricks, hands-on exercises, & calls to action will show you what it takes to reach your goals.

And that’s just the beginning. Cheryl has teamed up with Victoria J. Coe to bring writers a new way to get on track and stay on track. Write On Productions is website offering tools, resources, and exclusive digital content designed to help aspiring writers of kidlit. Writing Kidlit 101 is their first in a series of writing courses.

Dario and the Whale

When Dario and his mother move to Cape Cod from Brazil, Dario has a hard time making friends since he doesn’t speak English well. But one day Dario meets someone else who has just arrived in New England and he doesn’t speak any English at all…because he’s a right whale! Day after day Dario and the whale meet at the beach. But what will happen when it’s time for the whale to migrate?

Praise for DARIO AND THE WHALE

“A heartwarming paean to long walks along the beach.” Kirkus Reviews

“[W]ill spark rich conversations[.]” School Library Journal

“[P]owerful yet buoyant.” Shelf Awareness (starred)

Elephants Walk Together

As calves, Asian elephants Precious and Baba roam the wild together, curious and proud. But when they get captured and are split up, their time together seems like a distant memory. Still, separated by many miles and over many years, their friendship remains, and there’s hope they will once again roam wide open spaces together.

Praise for ELEPHANTS WALK TOGETHER

“Heartwarming . . . a sweet and sensitive encouragement of wildlife conservation.” Kirkus Reviews

“This sweet story of enduring friendship should help create empathy and spark lots of questions.” Booklist

News & Events

Great Reads from Great Places

The Massachusetts Center for the Book recently selected DARIO AND THE WHALE for the 2021 Library of Congress’ Great Reads from Great Places program, a list of books representing American literary heritage. Learn more.

School and Library Events Available

Contact Cheryl for more information.

About Cheryl

After a 25-year career in corporate and international law, I decided to become a professional writer. I obtained my MFA at Lesley University in 2010, and started teaching at Lesley as an adjunct professor and at Grub Street, a nonprofit writer’s organization in Boston, MA. My first children’s picture book, DARIO AND THE WHALE, was published by Albert Whitman, 2016; it’s in its 4rth printing. My second picture book, ELEPHANTS WALK TOGETHER was also published by Albert Whitman, 2017. A few years ago, I had the great fortune to add a third career–professional dog trainer when I joined the team at All About My Dog. Currently, I work with pet therapy teams and volunteer in schools, libraries and children’s hospitals. My husband and I live in Massachusetts with our two amazing Irish wheaten terriers.

AUTHOR WEBSITE →
PHOTO GALLERY →