By Sunayana Prabhu
After a successful career in investment banking, Scott Sollers stepped into the world of whimsy, beginning his second act as a children’s book author.
Sollers is seeing the stories he wrote three decades ago for his young daughter finally come to life as a series of published children’s books.
Three books are part of the Stephanie’s Stories series, “A Tall Tale: How the Ostriches Got Their Long Necks and Long Legs,” “Adventures at Lake Omigosh” and “Ellie’s Dancing Shoes.”
His books have garnered several awards, including the 2024 Purple Dragonfly Book Award, Mom’s Choice Award Honoring Excellence and the Literary Titan Award.
Sollers spent decades in municipal finance structuring bond issues for public agencies and never imagined his storytelling talents would one day lead to becoming a published author.
“I just don’t know where these ideas came from,” he said. “They just materialized in my head, and I created stories I could share with my daughter.”
The stories came to Sollers nearly 30 years ago. In the 1980s, he would make up nighttime tales for his then 6-year-old daughter Stephanie, who is now almost 35. He handwrote and illustrated the stories, eventually compiling 13 fully illustrated manuscripts as an heirloom. However, Sollers didn’t pursue publishing them until recently, after he started having grandchildren.
“When I started having grandkids, I thought, you know, these are pretty clever stories. I should see if I can get them published,” he said. After a few years of searching, he found a publisher who recognized the charm of his children’s tales.
Sollers’ latest book, “Ellie’s Dancing Shoes,” tells the story of a young girl in New York who dreams of becoming a ballerina, finding confidence and success with the help of a magical pair of ballet slippers. The story has a surprise ending.
Books in the works include “How Flowers Got Their Colors” and “The Lost Locket.”
While Sollers’ professional background was far from the world of children’s literature, he credits his reading habits as a child for sparking his imaginative storytelling.
Sollers’ was raised in Spokane, Washington. His father was a bomber pilot during World War II. “I was a very, very voracious reader,” Sollers said, recalling his childhood in what he said was an idyllic place. “I read eight or so books every summer – books like the Horatio Hornblower series, Caine Mutiny trilogy and Nancy Drew. So, my imagination was really stimulated by all that reading.”
Now, Sollers’ stories are resonating with a new generation. His three grandchildren, ages 3 to 7, are among his biggest fans, with his 3-year-old grandson often finishing the sentences when Sollers reads the books aloud. “I feel very blessed,” he said. “This has been a new adventure for me and I’m hoping to get as many of these 13 stories published as possible over the next couple of years. They’ll be my legacy.”
Sollers offers three pieces of advice for aspiring writers, especially those drawn to the world of children’s literature. First and foremost, “Whatever you’re doing, whatever it is, do the best you can, because somebody’s watching and it’s not who you think it is,” he said.
Secondly, Sollers encouraged young writers to cultivate a genuine interest in others. “Ask questions, draw them out,” he advised. “You’ll develop a relationship, and who knows, something pretty special might come out of that.”
Finally, Sollers said, “Never go against your gut.”
The article originally appeared in the January 16 – 22, 2025 print edition of The Two River Times.
