Lynbrook author showcases perseverance

A Lynbrook mother and Queens family court prosecutor recently published her second children’s book, entitled The Popcorn Predicament, which draws from her own childhood memories.

Author Danielle Boccio, a mother of two and a ten-year resident of Lynbrook, said that for her, writing children’s books is a labor of love. “Ever since I was a little girl, I loved to write, I would take notebooks and journals and turn them into my books, filling them with stories,” Boccio said. “As I grew older, it became just a hobby, something I did sparingly, especially since I became a mom. But I was able to combine my love of writing with some of my job as a parent, and create the books, which has been great.”

The Popcorn Predicament, published in April, is a creative retelling of a story from her own childhood. “In the story, the characters can’t figure out how to make popcorn on the stove,” she said. “They’ve seen adults do it with no problem, but they can’t find a way to cook it without the hot popcorn popping out of the pot and burning them. My brother and I went through the same thing when we were kids, so I changed the story a little bit, made it rhyme, and turned it into a book.”

Boccio said that her busy schedule keeps her writing process a bit unusual.

“I don’t have too much spare time now,” she said. “I’m pretty busy, between my family and my job. My activities have become my kids’ activities. As a result, I write whenever I get a chance, no matter where that may be.” She added that The Popcorn Predicament was written almost entirely on her iPhone while commuting on the Long Island Rail Road.

Her writing process is not the only part of her books that depend on modern technology, however. Both of her books are published electronically by MeeGenius, an online learning resource and book publisher.

“It can be so hard to get a publisher, especially with kids’ books,” Boccio said of her decision to publishing the books online. “Even to have a chance at a mainstream or traditional publisher, you have to work with an agent, who can be as hard to get as a publisher. I was rejected by MeeGenius a few times before my first book finally went up.”

While she’s happy to see the books published at all, she said that she hasn’t met her goals yet.