Meet the Author of Finding a Friend
![]() |
“A lot of times we have someone who’s right by our side and we don’t even realize it. Even though Deep Blue has this mission of finding a friend, she doesn’t realize that what she’s been looking for has been right in front of her all along!”
![]() |
Sometimes in life, we discover that the hard-to-find things we’re looking for have been with us all along. That’s one of the lessons that Traci Swain learned from writing Finding a Friend, the Scholastic Book Clubs Book of the Week and the first installment in the Shark Stories series. It’s an important life lesson that Traci hopes to share with her readers through Deep Blue’s underwater friendship tale.
Watch this exclusive video interview to discover Traci’s journey as an author, how Cushy came to be, how Traci got to know the famous great white shark Deep Blue, and more!
Do you know another teacher or reader who would enjoy this interview with Traci Swain? Please share on Facebook and Instagram using the hashtag #ScholasticBookClubs.
![]() |
Traci Swain was born and raised in the South Bronx and spent every summer of her childhood in Talladega, Alabama. While Traci was growing up, her mother and brother loved to read. However, she did not share this love until she was introduced to the books of Judy Blume and S. E. Hinton, and she began to see herself as a reader. When Traci was 12, her summer day camp creative writing class was assigned to write in a journal every day, and she began to see herself as a writer.
Traci started writing children’s books to help connect young readers with topics that make them laugh and want to learn new things. She helps foster the joy of reading with stories that inspire creativity and build confidence, all while teaching empathy, inclusion, and kindness.
When Traci isn’t creating books, she spends her time with family and friends, traveling, and checking things off of her bucket list. Her biggest feat to date: climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. Finding a Friend is her debut book.
Photo Credit: Melissa Hamburg Photography
![]() |
This Book Is Available from Scholastic Book Clubs
![]() |