From Family Stories to Children’s Tales
Julie McGue
Author
For years, my writing has focused on themes related to adoption such as family, identity, and belonging. From my first memoir, Twice a Daughter: A Search for Identity, Family, and Belonging, to my recent Twice the Family: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Sisterhood, I’ve explored the threads that tie us together, the joys and challenges of kinship, and the ways love can transcend distance, circumstance, and even loss. Writing about these personal stories has always been about connection—reaching readers who see pieces of their own lives reflected in mine.
Yet recently, a different kind of story called to me—one that needed to be told not in the pages of memoir, but in a more colorful and playful way. That story came from my grandson and our shared love of trees. For me, the connection to trees has been a constant through my life—the Ginko that bordered my childhood home, the towering elms that arched over our street (until Dutch elm disease decimated them), and the oak that stands like a sentinel on the hill at my lake house.
When my grandsons began picking out trees at our family tree farm, Weatherwood Walnut Farm in La Porte, Indiana, I watched as they claimed their own—a small oak here, a pine there—hugging it, naming it, calling it theirs. In that simple act, I witnessed moments that stole my heart, filling me with joy and satisfaction.
One of those memorable days became a column for my byline at The Beacher Newspapers, and readers’ responses made it clear the story had roots worth growing. That’s how my children’s book debut Jack and Lulu Go to the Tree Farm was born. The story is based on a real moment at Weatherwood Walnut Farm, land my husband purchased to honor his father’s dream of planting trees for future generations. Watching my grandson Jack claim “his” oak tree—complete with a hidden bird’s nest—and marvel at the tiny miracle it held, I felt the magic of legacy and imagination intertwining.
Writing for children has been a new adventure for me. After years of memoirs and essays, I discovered that picture books allow a different kind of storytelling. Collaborating with illustrator Mariia Stepanova to bring Jack and Lulu’s world to life has been electrifying, and the stories my family continues to offer ensure that this is only the beginning. Jack and Lulu Go to the Tree Farm is the debut in a new series, Let’s Go with Lulu.
At its heart, this book is about trees, family, and the ways dreams manifest across generations. But it’s also about awe—the quiet, profound kind that blooms when a child discovers the magic in a tree, a bird’s nest, or the legacy of a dream that began long before they were born. Writing this book was important because it allowed me to carry forward my family stories in a form that children can touch, read, and experience. It’s a way to plant seeds of wonder, connection, and remembrance in the next generation.
I hope you’ll share Jack and Lulu Go to the Tree Farm with the children in your life, and perhaps, find a tree that will grow with you, just as Jack’s oak grows with him.
AVAILABLE WHEREVER BOOKS ARE SOLD
Other Big News
Twice the Family, A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Sisterhood was the #1 Bestseller in Adoption (Kindle) and #5 in Adoption (books) over the past weekend. It continues to garner prestigious awards, such as:
- Winner- Memoir, National Indie Excellence Awards
- Gold in Nonfiction-Memoir Readers Favorite
- Gold Winner- Nonfiction/Memoir, Nonfiction Authors Association (NFAA)
- Gold Winner – Nonfiction, Literary Titan Gold Book Award
- Gold in Parenting & Relationships, Global Book Awards
- Winner- Nonfiction, Great Midwest Book Festival
- Winner- Nonfiction/General, San Francisco Book Festival
- Finalist – Parenting & Family, International Book Awards
Follow Me Here
Nov. 8: Julie will read her new children’s book during Story Hour at Words Bookstore in Maplewood, NJ at 11 AM ET.
Nov. 15: Julie will present a workshop at the Michigan City Library on “How to Write Memoir That Reads Like Fiction” from 1-3 PM. Sign up through the Library website.
Nov. 16: Julie will discuss “How to Write Compelling Memoir” to the New Buffalo Township Library from 5-7 PM ET.
Follow Julie by visiting her website, subscribe to her bimonthly newsletters, and listen to previous podcast recordings where she discusses topics like adoption, identity, family relationships, sisterhood and belonging.
“At its heart, this book is about trees, family, and the ways dreams manifest across generations. But it’s also about awe—the quiet, profound kind that blooms when a child discovers the magic in a tree, a bird’s nest, or the legacy of a dream that began long before they were born.”
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