To write her latest novel for young readers, Joan Reardon had to get into the mindset of a 12-year-old girl.
That happened as she reread the fantasy books that she loved when she was that age – “Harry Potter” and the like. Reardon found them still sitting on the shelf in her old bedroom at her parents’ house.
The result is “Dad Rock Dragon Quest,” which will be released June 3 on Simon & Schuster’s Aladdin imprint for young readers.
Designed for readers ages 8 to 12, the book ($17.99, 337 pages) can be preordered at Barnes & Noble and Amazon.
The novel is a fantasy adventure involving mythical creatures, bad guys and a supportive family.
Told through the eyes of a 12-year-old girl who wants to be a rock star, it carries a message of discovering who you are and not letting misunderstandings hold you back.
“Dad Rock” is Reardon’s second novel for young readers. Her first, “The Grimsbane Family Witch Hunters,” was published last year by Aladdin.
Reardon’s successful first novel paved the way for “Dad Rock.”
Simon & Schuster, one of the world’s largest publishing houses, purchased “Grimsbane” with an option of first refusal on Reardon’s follow-up novel. It exercised that option in securing the rights to “Dad Rock.”
Writing is a hobby for Reardon, who is an attorney with the Canfield office of the Roetzel & Andress law firm.
The Canfield native is a graduate of Cardinal Mooney High School. She received her undergraduate degree from The Ohio State University in 2021 and a law degree from Case Western Reserve University in May 2023.
Reardon wrote “Dad Rock” during her last semester of law school.
Her efforts started in the wake of the pandemic, when she took advantage of the downtime by reacquainting herself with her own childhood books and music. That got her into the tweener mindset, which was necessary to write the novel.
“I listened to songs that I enjoyed when I was [that age],” she said. “There was a lot of Green Day.”
Being in her old bedroom also helped. “All the books that I read when I was 12 and 13 were there, and I picked them up because there was nothing else to do,” she said. “There was ‘Harry Potter’ and ‘Percy Jackson.’ I fell back into that age category by accident and got into the tween mindset.”
It lent authenticity to her storytelling – which paid off.
About the Book
“Dad Rock” has been named a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection – a merit-based honor awarded to a small percentage of published children’s books. As a result, it will be a featured selection in thousands of libraries across the United States.
In “Dad Rock,” 12-year-old Zadie and her sister, Persephone, take a summer visit to their father’s cabin in the woods, along with their stick-in-the-mud stepfather.
What starts as a weeklong vacation quickly becomes an epic quest to rescue some magical, mythical creatures. Zadie also learns something about herself in the adventure.
Kirkus Reviews called the novel a “headlong, cranked-up romp” that “seldom pauses for breath.”
Reardon credits her husband, Youngstown native Ben Stebelton, as a source of inspiration. She was engaged to him when she started writing “Dad Rock” and wanted to combine the things he loved – rock music, mythology, road trips and epic movie fight scenes – into the story.
She received notification of Simon & Schuster’s intent to publish the story during their wedding rehearsal dinner.
With its well-drawn cast of characters, Reardon acknowledges that “Dad Rock” has the potential to grow into a series of books.
“It depends on sales,” she said. “But there have been people talking about it.”
Reardon is now working on a novel aimed at adult readers, but her approach remains the same.
“I want my readers to be able to escape from the world,” she said. “Everything is going to be fantastical and fun. I’m not going to write mysteries and thrillers.”
At Roetzel & Andress, Reardon is in the corporate, tax and transactional group. She also has experience in business and intellectual property law. Thanks to her novels, she has first-hand knowledge of the publishing industry.
While she loves to write, Reardon never considered it as a career choice. Instead, she treats it like a hobby.
“I’ve always enjoyed writing, but my legal career and family are my first priority,” she said. “Covid provided the perfect storm because it gave me time to write, figure out how publishing works and find an agent.”
Reardon will have a booksigning event for “Dad Rock Dragon Quest” from 1-3 p.m. June 8 at Barnes & Noble bookstore in Boardman.
Her first book, “The Grimsbane Family Witch Hunters,” can be purchased at the Boardman Barnes & Noble; Pop! Book Arts and Culture, 6949 Market St., Boardman; and Spellbound Sisters, 7095 Lockwood Blvd., Boardman.