Authorpreneur Dashboard – Antoinette Truglio Martin
The Dreams of Singers and Sluggers: Becoming America’s Stories
Children's Books
It’s 1911 in the crowded Lower East Side tenements, where nine-year-old Lily, daughter of Sicilian immigrants, must do everything. She bakes the daily bread, minds her thumb-sucking sister Gigi, hangs laundry on the roof, and runs errands through the bustling Little Italy streets. With Mama lost in depression, a sick baby crying, and the shadowy Black Hand terrorizing the neighborhood, Lily shoulders the weight of her family’s survival.
Yet Lily dreams of more. Her powerful singing voice catches the ear of Lillian Ward, head nurse at the Henry Street Settlement, who invites her to join the Children’s Choir. Sneaking off to rehearsals and the forbidden play yard, Lily discovers courage, friendship, and hope.
Now, with the New York Highlanders (soon to be the Yankees) in need of a morale boost at Hilltop Park’s Fourth of July baseball game, Lily’s chance to sing could lift spirits across the city. But will duty, danger, and family obligations silence her voice—or will resilience and music carry her dream into the spotlight?
A coming-of-age historical fiction tale of courage, community, and the unbreakable hope of a girl who dares to sing.
Book Bubbles from The Dreams of Singers and Sluggers: Becoming America’s Stories
The Wishes of Sisters and Strangers
Children's Books
It is the Christmas and Hanukkah season of 1911, a time meant for charity and wishes. But for nine-year-old Lily, the American-born daughter of Sicilian immigrants, life in a crowded Lower East Side tenement leaves little room for joy. She sleeps on a bedroll with her sisters, shares a seat at the supper table, and waits her turn for the hallway toilet with three other families.
When Mama’s supposed sister, Zia Teresa, arrives from Sicily with two stepsons—mute Calogero and scowling Vincenzo—Lily’s family offers charity, but trouble follows. Vincenzo refuses to speak English, leaving Lily to interpret his sour moods, while Zia Teresa’s wild stories grow more suspicious. Soon, things go missing, including Lily’s little sister’s beloved rag doll, Principessa.
Amid endless chores, the heaviness of grief, and the looming Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire trial, Lily’s holiday spirit is crushed. Her secret wish—a piano to play—feels further out of reach than ever. Yet in the crowded apartment and fractured family, Lily must find resilience, courage, and her own voice to carry her through a season of hardship.
Book Bubbles from The Wishes of Sisters and Strangers
The Heart of Bakers and Artists
Children's Books
It is 1911 in New York City’s Lower East Side, where nine-year-old Lily, the American-born daughter of Sicilian immigrants, longs to prove she’s more than just a little kid. Cramped with her large family in a three-room apartment in the Little Italy neighborhood, Lily dreams of singing and taking on real responsibilities. Her sisters already contribute—Betta sews piecework at home, and bossy Margaret bakes discounted Daily Bread at Goldberg’s bakery. Lily wants more than drying dishes, chasing after thumb-sucking Gigi, and being scolded for her constant singing.
When Mrs. Goldberg, the baker’s wife, notices Lily’s height and recognizes her artist’s heart, she invites Lily to learn to bake alongside Margaret. Thrilled, Lily steps into the magical bakery basement where Mrs. Goldberg dances and hands out sweet Knot Surprises. Mama approves, believing this arrangement will free Margaret to leave school for factory work. But Margaret resists—she wants to be somebody, not just another wage earner—and insists Lily is still too little.
Book Bubbles from The Heart of Bakers and Artists
Stories Around The Table
I like to think of myself as a story collector. Writing the tales that come to me is my passion, and I believe the best stories are told around the table. Family stories bind us together and reveal our true selves. I grew up in a large, loud, extended family where Sunday dinners were expected and holiday gatherings mandatory. Around the kitchen and supper tables, aunts, uncles, and grandmothers shared their stories while cooking and eating together. As a child, I learned to stay quiet so I could linger at the grown-up table after the kids cleared away. When I finally earned my place there, I was allowed to ask questions—discovering incredible details of their lives. My writing reflects those tales. I listened, re-listened, and remembered the stories my elders told about childhood play, mischief, close calls, and the challenges of work, school, and community. Their accounts revealed how they grew up while history unfolded around them. The Heart of Bakers and Artists and the eventual Becoming America’s Stories series were born from the stories my grandmothers, grand aunts, and uncles carried from impoverished Sicily to New York City’s Little Italy neighborhood. They straddled Old World traditions and New World values, their lives punctuated by historical events and the people they met along the way. Although the series is fiction, the inspiration comes from first hand accounts I collected around the table.
Famous Seaweed Soup
Children's Books
It’s a family beach day. Sara wants to make her seaweed soup—her Famous Seaweed Soup. It’s a busy job. Sara asks for help to fill the yellow bucket, gather seaweed and collect smelly beach stuff. But her family is busy too, setting up the beach blanket, putting on sunscreen, and caring for baby Hallie. “All right,” says Sara, “I’ll do it myself.” And she does. Now that she made her Famous Seaweed Soup, who will eat it?
Much like the tale of the Little Red Hen, Sara is resourceful and focused to complete her task. But there is a twist that leaves Sara and her family happy and playful. Dive into the magic of the beach with Famous Seaweed Soup. This delightful tale will make readers laugh, dream, and appreciate the wonderful world of family, friendship, and flavorful adventures.
Book Bubbles from Famous Seaweed Soup
Seaweed Soup -EPUB -30202
Book Bubbles from Seaweed Soup -EPUB -30202
