Virginia
Real life to fiction: Virginia Beach author’s new book series highlights family’s experience with neurodivergence
“No, that’s my brick!”
It’s the start of an argument Virginia Beach resident Jen Malia has heard many times — and one many parents can likely relate to. Malia’s three children have filled the front room with tens of thousands of Legos to build their own little city of houses with slides, little Lego people strewn about and — soon — a model of Castle Grayskull from “He-Man.”
So when Malia finally sat down to write about a little boy who has two sisters and they all love playing with building bricks, it was not hard to find inspiration.
It was moments like those that Malia pored into her upcoming series, “The Infinity Rainbow Club.” The series is for kids like Malia’s — about 8 to 10 years old, creative and neurodivergent.
Malia is autistic, her husband has attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and their three kids have combinations of autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, obsessive-compulsive disorder, dyslexia and dysgraphia, a neurological disorder that impacts writing.
Malia wanted to show these “brain differences” and others in her books without the differences being the challenge.
The first book, “Nick and the Brick Builder Challenge,” will be released Tuesday. It’s the story of Nick, who has the same name as Malia’s son, who is excited about a brick builder challenge. But he does not like working with others, and he is partnered with a new girl in school. The character Nick is autistic like Malia’s son and one of her daughters.
It’s a story many fourth graders like Nick can probably relate to, but it is told from the perspective of a neurodivergent character who helped start The Infinity Rainbow Club for kids who “felt different” like him.
“It’s not a book about autism,” Malia said. “It’s a book about a kid who likes to build with plastic bricks.”
It is the kind of book Malia wishes she had when she was a little girl before she was ever diagnosed. She remembers the meltdowns and sensory overloads she had and that she sees in her two children.
Malia was diagnosed with ASD in her 30s. It was the same day her daughter was diagnosed. Malia had been learning about autism as she recognized the signs of ASD in her daughter, Malia realized she shared those traits.
Malia went from writing about violence and terrorism in Gothic literature to also writing about her experiences as a woman with autism, a mother with autism with children who are neurodivergent as well. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Washington Post and Woman’s Day.
She had found her niche. What she had not expected was to be approached to write a children’s book.
“I never thought about writing for kids,” Malia said. Yet when she did, she loved it.
She was asked to write a book about a young girl with ASD. In 2020, she released “Too Sticky! Sensory Issues with Autism.” The character Holly, named for Malia’s middle child, is an autistic girl who struggles with “sticky hands,” a sensation that Malia struggles with.
Malia is a professor at Norfolk State University, where she is the creative writing coordinator and teaches world literature, composition and more.
Now instead of being approached for her research in literature, her students often ask what it is like to be a published author.
The second book in the series, “Violet and the Jurassic Land Exhibit,” is about Violet, another Infinity club member, who struggles to enjoy volunteering at the local natural history museum while her OCD makes her anxious about making mistakes. It will be available Oct. 24.
The third, “Connor and the Taekwondo Tournament ” is about a young boy with ADHD who has to work a little harder to stay focused getting ready for a tournament when his nemesis shows up at the same dojang. It comes out on March 12, 2024.
Her kids are always the first to read Malia’s books. She watches their reactions to see if they laugh at the right spots and she asks them for suggestions. When the family received the advanced copies of the Nick novel, the children couldn’t conceal their excitement.
Malia shared a video on her Facebook page of her and the kids unboxing the copies. Noelle’s jaw dropped when she saw the dozens of books and 8-year-old Nick started pulling some out.
She also includes the family in the research process. There is the dinosaur dig the five of them did for the second book. The scientific names of the dinosaurs they learned are included because Malia wants the books to be informational as well.
She and her family also got to see the taekwondo forms they all know translated into illustrations. Malia is a black belt and her children have also studied the martial art.
She said her family’s lives are not “harder” because of their neurodivergence. Often, Malia feels that when people learn she or her kids are autistic, there is a sense of “I’m so sorry” even if those words aren’t said.
The books show the good and the bad. Nick, just like the character, might have gotten overwhelmed at dinner one night and hid in his closet. Malia added a bit of humor to the real-life moment and, in the book, and Nick’s tummy growled while he was in the closet and they all laughed and continued on with the evening.
She often hears from others who are neurodivergent or have a loved one who is.
Malia will be at Prince Books in Norfolk on Oct. 28 for an event with the first two books of the series. “Too Sticky!” was released at the height of the pandemic and she only had virtual events. This will be the first time she gets to “get out and talk to kids.”
And, she hopes, to see the impact of her work.
Kelsey Kendall, kelsey.kendall@virginiamedia.com
With the game of year looming this weekend, members of the Virginia football team were made available to to the media after practice on Tuesday morning to talk about the regular season finale against Virginia Tech in the Commonwealth Clash on Saturday night in Blacksburg. Watch the video below to hear what UVA senior safety Jonas Sanker, graduate tight ends Tyler Neville and Sackett Wood Jr., and graduate defensive tackle Jahmeer Carter had to say ahead of the Virginia Tech game:
Sanker is the team’s leader in tackles with 89 total tackles and also leads the ACC in solo stops with 60 unassisted tackles. He has racked up 8.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, four pass breakups, two fumble recoveries, and an interception as part of a strong senior campaign that should earn Sanker some serious consideration for a First-Team All-ACC selection.
A transfer from Harvard, Tyler Neville is Virginia’s second-leading receiver with 35 catches for 387 yards and two touchdowns. Sackett Wood Jr., meanwhile, has recorded three receptions for 18 yards and a touchdown this season. Between the two of them, Neville and Wood have combined to appear in 83 college football games and make 48 starts.
Saturday will be the 55th game in the five-year career of Jahmeer Carter, who has started nearly every game for the last four seasons at Virginia. This season, Carter has 30 total tackles, including nine solo stops, two tackles for loss, one sack, and a pass defender. For his career, Carter is up to 131 total tackles, 2.5 sacks, and 7.5 tackles for loss.
Saturday night will be the first time Virginia plays at Lane Stadium in front of fans since the 2018 season, as the 2020 edition of the Commonwealth Clash was played in front of only 250 fans due to COVID-19 restrictions and then the 2022 Virginia vs. Virginia Tech game was canceled due to the shooting tragedy at UVA.
Virginia is seeking its first road victory at Virginia Tech since 1998, as the Hokies have won the last 11 Commonwealth Clash games played at Lane Stadium. Virginia Tech has won 17 of the last 18 overall games against Virginia and leads UVA 61-38-5 in the all-time series that dates back to 1895.
Both Virginia and Virginia Tech bring a 5-6 overall record into the regular season finale and both need to win the game in order to reach the six-win threshold required for bowl eligibility. There is only one other game this weekend between FBS teams who are battling for bowl eligibility (Eastern Michigan vs. Western Michigan). Virginia and Virginia Tech played each other for bowl eligibility at the end of the 2014 season.
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The Virginia Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Nov. 26, 2024, results for each game:
Mega Millions
Mega Millions drawings take place every week on Tuesday and Friday at 11 p.m.
05-22-24-39-42, Mega Ball: 03, Megaplier: 3
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 3
DAY drawing at 1:59 p.m. NIGHT drawing at 11 p.m. each day.
Night: 7-3-0, FB: 2
Day: 7-2-1, FB: 5
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 4
DAY drawing at 1:59 p.m. NIGHT drawing at 11 p.m. each day.
Night: 1-6-6-8, FB: 5
Day: 7-4-5-8, FB: 4
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 5
DAY drawing at 1:59 p.m. NIGHT drawing at 11 p.m. each day.
Night: 0-5-4-9-9, FB: 2
Day: 6-9-5-3-2, FB: 0
Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Cash4Life
Drawing everyday at 9 p.m.
04-11-13-30-39, Cash Ball: 02
Check Cash4Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Cash Pop
Drawing times: Coffee Break 9 a.m.; Lunch Break 12 p.m.; Rush Hour 5 p.m.; Prime Time 9 p.m.; After Hours 11:59 p.m.
Coffee Break: 04
After Hours: 05
Prime Time: 06
Rush Hour: 09
Lunch Break: 12
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Cash 5
Drawing every day at 11 p.m.
12-22-31-38-44
Check Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Center for Community Journalism (CCJ) editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Virginia (4-2) got back in the win column with a 74-65 victory over Manhattan (3-3) on Tuesday night at John Paul Jones Arena. Here are our five quick takeaways from the Cavaliers’ win over the Jaspers.
Virginia was in serious need of a win after suffering those two humbling losses to Tennessee and St. John’s in The Bahamas. But a convincing and comfortable victory would have been even better and for a while, it seemed like the Cavaliers were on their way to doing just that. UVA led by as many as 15 points in the first half and opened up a 16-point advantage midway through the second half. But rather than putting the game away, Virginia let Manhattan hang around and the visiting Jaspers were in a situation where they were fouling to stop the clock in the final minutes, narrowing the deficit to as little as six points. A win is a win, but this was far from a confidence-boosting performance.
Virginia went with a new starting lineup on Tuesday night, as Andrew Rohde replaced TJ Power. Rohde has been playing very well recently, particularly with his resurgent outside shot, while Power came into this game shooting 25% from beyond the arc this season.
Power initially responded well to the benching, swishing a corner three shortly after he first entered the game, hitting the deck for a loose ball, and coming up with a steal to stop a Manhattan fastbreak. But he wound up playing only six minutes, fewest among Cavaliers who saw the floor in the game. That does not bode well for the Duke transfer.
Read Val’s Plus/Minus breakdown of the game here.
Rohde, on the other hand, had another solid game and was perhaps the top performer for the Hoos on Tuesday night. Though he missed his only three-pointer, which was a desperation off-balanced heave at the end of the shot clock, Rohde finished with a season-high 14 points, two assists (with one turnover), two rebounds, and four steals. Rohde showed excellent feel for the game, getting exactly where he wanted to go and exhibiting some nice touch on a couple of floaters plus a short jumper off the glass. If Rohde is playing like this and his three-point shot continues to be there, this could be a big season for the former St. Thomas transfer.
The main reason why this game continued to be close deep into the second half is because UVA’s defense frequently broke down and gave up open shots to Manhattan, particularly from the perimeter. The Jaspers shot 11/26 (42.3%) from beyond the arc and and seven different players knocked down a three. A couple of those Manhattan triples were well-contested, but the vast majority of them were wide-open. That’s very concerning and shows that this Virginia defense, with its many new faces, is still very much a work in progress.
Virginia’s offense was pretty well neutralized by Tennessee and St. John’s in The Bahamas. Tuesday night against Manhattan was a small step in the right direction, but there’s still a lot of room for improvement.
Let’s start with the good. Five different Cavaliers scored in double figures, including a game-high 18 points from Isaac McKneely, who hit three of his four three-point attempts and went 5/6 from the free throw line. We still think McKneely needs to shoot way more, but we’ll leave that alone for now. Dai Dai Ames scored 10 points and dished out five assists, but fouled out of the game. Blake Buchanan made his first four shots and finished with 11 points and five boards. Cofie made five of his seven shots and finished with 10 points and five boards. The best part of the game was that Virginia had 15 assists on 29 made baskets and turned the ball over only eight times, a vast improvement over the team’s turnover issues in The Bahamas.
Virginia outscored Manhattan 42-22 in the paint. That looks like a good stat, but it’s also an inevitable stat because of UVA’s size advantage over the Jaspers, whose tallest player in the rotation is 6’8″. Still, Manhattan snared 10 offensive rebounds and scored 11 second-chance points. In The Bahamas, UVA was dominated on the glass and was simply outmatched from a physicality and athleticism standpoint. Nothing we saw from the Cavaliers on Tuesday night did anything to alleviate those concerns.
Up next, Virginia remains at home for another (supposed) tune-up game against Holy Cross on Friday at 4pm at John Paul Jones Arena.
Virginia vs. Manhattan Live Updates | NCAA Men’s Basketball
UVA Basketball: Ten Things We Learned About Virginia in The Bahamas
Virginia Basketball Falls to St. John’s 80-55 | Key Takeaways
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