Grace McAlister
Miriam and John Hulett are originally from Michigan; however, they recently moved to the Suwannee River Rendevouz Resort in Mayo. Miriam says they moved to the Suwannee Valley because “the people are wonderful.” Upon visiting the area for the first time, she fell in love with it and was amazed by the community’s politeness. Miriam has worked in education for her entire life; she has taught almost every age, from toddlers to college students, except for middle schoolers. She eventually retired at the age of 74.
In 2021, Miriam published a book titled “Phoebe Picks the Possum Queen,” which is the second book in the Adventures of Phoebe the Possum series. A friend of Miriam’s, Janis Murphy of Port Charlotte, Fla., co-wrote the book. Murphy has a background in animal rescue and actually raised a possum named Phoebe. When the idea of writing a book on Phoebe’s adventures came about, Murphy felt that Miriam would be perfect for the job. Miriam had never written a book before, but because of her expertise in early childhood education, Murphy knew she was making the right choice.
They chose to self-publish the book, as they wanted to keep it as accurate to Murphy’s vision as possible. The main goals of the Adventure of Phoebe the Possum series are to be educational and interesting, to teach a moral and, of course, to share the stories of Phoebe the Possum. All of these are achieved in the series’ two books.
The books can be enjoyed by all audiences; however, children ages three to eight are the target audience. In “Phoebe Picks The Possum Queen,” which is based on a true story, Phoebe picks the Possum Queen at the Florida Cracker Festival. Along with learning plenty of fun facts about possums, the book teaches about the importance of fair play. In the series’s first book, “Phoebe Flies Away,” which is currently sold out, Phoebe visits Washington, D.C. The book teaches children about government, and there are many fun facts about possums in the story as well.
Miriam says the biggest supporter of her writing is her husband, who doubles as her marketer. Her greatest joy in life is reading to children, and she has been delighted to have been able to read her book to children at various schools and libraries.
If you would like to purchase a copy of “Phoebe Picks the Possum Queen” or a plush of Phoebe or her little brother, Phillip, they are available on Etsy at POWERZONEPUBLISHING.