The Legend of Koolura: The Evolution of a YA Series

I began writing The Legend of Koolura in 1994 when my oldest daughter, Channie, was in sixth grade. At the time I was a teacher’s specialist in Glendale, California working in a year-round school. This meant I’d work three months and get one month off. During my off-time, I wrote. 

Channie hated to read. As a daughter of a reading specialist, this was tantamount to a revolution. Instead of arguing with her, I asked, “If I wrote a book with cool characters and a girl with psychic powers, would you read it?” Without hesitation she vigorously nodded her head. Thus, Koolura Akopian was born. 

During the next two years, during Intersession break, I wrote Koolura’s story. Once completed, I searched for a publisher and found Adventure Books, a publisher out of Alberta, Canada. Two years after its publication, Adventure books folded leaving poor Koolura orphaned.

I hunted for a new publisher and found Solstice Publishing, a U.S. publisher, located in the mid-West. Koolura had a home with them for eight years. The book did well, so I wrote two other books for the fledgling series—Koolura and the Mystery at Camp Saddleback and Koolura and the Mayans. (I’ll be self-publishing those books within the next month or so.) The third book in the series won the gold prize in the 2018 E-Lit Awards best YA/Juvenile Novel. But, alas, in 2020, when my contract was up, Solstice declined to renew it stating that they were not continuing with their YA books. 

For a second time, Koolura was orphaned. This time, with the enthusiastic push from my writer friends, I decided to self-publish the Koolura series and start with The Legend of Koolura. But first I had to change the cover and obtain a new ISBN. 

Why a new cover? Below is a picture of the old cover. Parents and teachers complained that the book glorified smoking. Consequently, it was banned from the LAUSD. In reality, if they bothered reading it, they would see the opposite to be true, but a picture speaks louder than my denials. That is why I hired April Klein to illustrate an inspiring cover that would send the true message of Koolura. 

Nancy Curteman, author of Murder Down Under had this to say: In the “The Legend of Koolura” Michael Thal takes young a readers on an adventure that couples magic super powers with the everyday life of intermediate grade students. Through his main character, Koolura Akopyan, Thal explores the complexities of school kid friendships, the adjustments needed to manage in today’s multi-culture classrooms and the importance of good values.

Koolura is a normal student in Bethune Elementary School. She experiences the same kinds of problems as all the other students. She suffers through poor treatment by snooty girls, comforts a friend whose mother is going through cancer tests and another whose parents are divorcing. She tutors students who can’t read or do math. She worries about grades, tests and homework. Every young reader can identify with Koolura and her friends.

Koolura is also different from other students at Bethune because she has the “Kool.” It gives her super powers. Sadly, it has also forced her to lead the life of a nomad. A treacherous stalker seeks to destroy her and steal the “Kool” for himself. Koolura’s fearful father has moved her from place to place in an effort to keep her safe.

Koolura’s use of her “Kool” to help her fellow students through their difficulties and her effort to keep one step ahead of Neb, her stalker, is what makes Thal’s book an exciting experience for young readers.

Special note: I taught sixth grade and when I read Thal’s vivid descriptions of school life, I thought I was back in the classroom again.

(The Legend of Koolura is now available in print and digital Kindle.)

About the Artist

April Klein is a digital 2D artist and visual storyteller, and during the past decade she has specialized in fantastical and semi-realistic illustrations. She is passionate about designing unique characters that are highly-detailed, accurate, and colorful. I wanted the cover for The Legend of Koolura to be inspirational, and I believe she captured the essence of what I desired. 

Klein says, “I specialize in creating concept art and illustrations for the entertainment industry including books, magazines, board games, videos, and comics.” She explains that her current style is semi-realistic, but can match a client’s desired aesthetic.  

April worked on my project for two months capturing the essence of my three Koolura books on their new covers. She considered every detail imaginable including the size of the document so it would fit the book when I went ahead to self-publish on Amazon. Throughout the process, she kept me in the loop showing me her initial sketches right up to the final product. In short, April did a marvelous job. You can learn more about her on her website at https://www.apridian.de and you can email her at [email protected].

The entire Koolura series will be available in digital and print formats.Koolura and the Mystery at Camp Saddleback will go live on Amazon before the end of May, and Koolura and the Mayans will be available on Amazon in early June. I’ll be blogging about those books once they are available and you can keep abreast by subscribing to Pop’s Blog at http://michaelthal.com/blog/.