Angela

May

Bestselling Middle Grade Author
Award-Winning TV News Journalist
Travels from: Charleston, SC

“This is storytelling for young readers at its finest–Equal parts summer adventure and environmental suspense, The Islanders is a middle-grade love letter to family, friendship, and the natural world.” – Kwame Alexander, Newbery Medalist and New York Times bestselling author of The Crossover

Angela May is the co-author of The Islanders, a New York Times bestselling series created with Mary Alice Monroe. All three books in their middle grade series are rooted in the magic of nature.

Angela graduated from the University of South Carolina with a degree in broadcast journalism and worked more than a decade in the field, learning multiple jobs in the news business and eventually served as reporter and morning news anchor.

After leaving the newsroom, Angela created her own business, working as a media specialist to help promote great books and share positive community stories as an on-camera talent. She has been working with Mary Alice Monroe for more than ten years as her assistant and PR manager. “The Islanders” was their first book collaboration together, and they continued to write together with “Search for Treasure,” followed by “Shipwrecked.”

Angela is a South Carolina native, and currently lives in Mount Pleasant with her husband and their two children.

Angela's Featured Titles

Shipwrecked (3) (The Islanders)

Aladdin |
Children’s/Middle Grade

Jake, Macon, and Lovie fight to survive at sea in this third high-stakes adventure in the middle grade, New York Times bestselling The Islanders series by Mary Alice Monroe!

Jake Potter’s biggest dream finally comes true: he gets his very own boat! And it’s just in time for another summer of fun on Dewees Island with his best friends, Macon and Lovie.

But on their very first fishing trip, the engine dies, and the three friends find themselves adrift at sea. When a storm carries them to a small, uninhabited island far from Dewees, the kids must use every ounce of their strength, courage, and knowledge to survive as they wait for rescue. Will their friendship survive the ultimate test?

Search for Treasure (2) (The Islanders)

Aladdin |
Children’s/Middle Grade

The sequel to New York Times bestselling author Mary Alice Monroe’s The Islanders, an “exciting, tender, and absolutely wonderful” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) story of friendship, loss, and the healing power of nature.

Jake Potter is back on Dewees Island for another summer with his beloved grandmother, Honey. This time, Jake is excited that his dad will be there as he continues to recover from his injuries sustained in Afghanistan. But Jake also knows they both need get used to a new normal, which isn’t easy.

Jake also discovers that his two best friends, Macon and Lovie, are struggling as well. Macon is adjusting to being a big brother, while Lovie is navigating a new relationship with her dad, who has long been absent in her life. To cheer everyone up, Jake decides that the trio needs a new mission, just like they had the previous summer in saving the turtles. He discovers that his dad loved spending time in an old tree fort on the island, and there is a special treasure box hidden somewhere nearby. Jake just knows if he can find it, maybe his dad will be happy again—and he knows Macon and Lovie are the perfect fellow treasure hunters!

Their search leads them to discover there might be actual buried treasure somewhere on Dewees, all while they battle some unwelcome guests on the island, of both the two- and four-legged kind! On the three friends’ biggest quest yet, they realize that the treasures they really want in life were with them all along.

The Islanders (1)

Aladdin |
Children’s/Middle Grade

An instant New York Times bestseller!​

“Storytelling for young readers at its finest—equal parts summer adventure and environmental suspense…[a] love letter to family, friendship, and the natural world.” —Kwame Alexander, New York Times bestselling author of The Crossover

From New York Times bestselling author Mary Alice Monroe comes a beautiful story of friendship, loss, and the healing power of nature in her first book for middle grade readers.

Eleven-year-old Jake’s life has just turned upside-down. His father was wounded in Afghanistan, and his mother is going to leave to care for him. That means Jake’s spending the summer on tiny Dewees Island with his grandmother. The island is a nature sanctuary—no cars or paved roads, no stores or restaurants. To make matters worse, Jake’s grandmother doesn’t believe in cable or the internet. Which means Jake has no cell phone, no video games…and no friends. This is going to be the worst summer ever!

He’s barely on the island before he befriends two other kids—Macon, another “summer kid,” and Lovie, a know-it-all who lives there and shows both Jake and Macon the ropes of life on the island. All three are struggling with their own family issues and they quickly bond, going on adventures all over Dewees Island. Until one misadventure on an abandoned boat leads to community service. Their punishment? Mandatory duty on the Island Turtle Team. The kids must do a daily dawn patrol of the beach on the hunt for loggerhead sea turtle tracks. When a turtle nest is threatened by coyotes, the three friends must find a way to protect it. Can they save the turtle nest from predators? Can Jake’s growing love for the island and its inhabitants (be they two-legged, four-legged, feathered, or finned) help to heal his father?

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WILD ISLAND STORIES

Imagine spending a summer away from home on a small remote island where there are no roads, cars, or stores. And, no wifi too. Could you handle it? Join New York Times bestselling co-author Angela May, for a fun talk about the novel/series THE ISLANDERS, and how the Lowcountry’s animals and landscape inspired the adventures in this series. This book talk celebrates the magic of nature and the joy of getting outdoors to explore!

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MORE GREEN TIME, LESS SCREEN TIME

It seems like almost everyone has a phone, tablet, or laptop competing for every spare minute of our time and attention. But, it’s important for people of every age to get outdoors to play. Angela May, co-author of the New York Times bestselling novel/series THE ISLANDERS, is using the power of stories to inspire you to make more time to get outside to explore. And she’s using the simple activity of nature journaling as the spark of inspiration, which is an important theme of The Islanders series.

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BOOK INSPIRATION: ISLANDERS' STYLE (back up title: HOW STORIES ARE MADE)

Angela May, co-author of the New York Times bestselling middle grade series THE ISLANDERS, takes you behind the scenes to see how she and fellow writer Mary Alice Monroe created their hit series for kids.

How do you write a book together?
Where did the idea come from?
How long does it take to write one book?
What’s the process of getting a book published?
How can I get started on my own story?

These are some of the questions Angela will answer in this 30-minute interactive talk as she shares what she’s learned so far in her own journey into becoming an author. This discussion is perfect for both children and adults, especially for those who love reading and writing.

Angela’s Events Link

Angela’s News Link

Honors, Awards & Recognition

THE ISLANDERS:

#2 New York Times Best Seller (Children’s Middle Grade Hardcover)
Junior Library Guild Selection
Amazon #1 New Release/Bestseller
2023-2024 SC Children’s Book Award nominee
2023-2024 Triple Crown Awards nominee (TX)
2022 – 2023 Horned Toad Tale Award List (TX)
Kansas NEA Reading Circle List Junior Title
Club Tome Society ‘It List’ Nominee
Amazon Editors’ Pick “Best Books for Ages 9-12”

SEARCH FOR TREASURE:

#3 New York Times Best Seller
Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews
Amazon #1 New Release
Kids’ Indie Next Pick (July/August 2022)

Media Kit

By clicking the link below you will be directed to a Google Docs Folder
where you can download author photos and cover images.

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