Hocus Focus

by Sylv Chiang, Riddhi Deshpande (Illustrator)

A playful story and teaching tool for kids who struggle with attention and focus

Lately, school hasn't been easy for Kai. Whether they're following a squirrel on their way to school, interrupting story time, or wiggling out of their chair, they keep losing their focus! So when their dad gives them a magic wand and some spells to stay on track, Kai is excited to try again. They've got magic on their side! Except Kai isn't the best at aiming their wand . . .

For teachers and parents looking to equip kids with ADHD tools, and for all kids who struggle with paying attention, Hocus Focus offers strategies to help readers center themselves and create short-term goals. The back of the book shares Kai's "spellbook" of attention management strategies to help kids like them succeed.

Kindle Edition

Expected publication August 10, 2027

About the author

Sylv Chiang grew up in Toronto. As an only child, she had a lot of quiet time to read. Her favorite series was Trixie Belden, but she also loved books by Judy Blume and Beverly Cleary. In grade one, she wanted to be an author when she grew up. Besides reading, young Sylv loved playing outside, swimming, and doing gymnastics.

As a teenager, she coached gymnastics and worked at a local museum giving tours to school groups. She also did tour guiding for class trips to Montreal and Quebec City.

Sylv studied French at the University of Toronto, and since all her past jobs had involved teaching kids, the obvious path was to become a French teacher. She has taught French Immersion, Extended French, and Core French in the Toronto District School Board.

When her second daughter was born, Sylv remembered her childhood dream of becoming an author. She enrolled in a Writing for Children class and soon began her middle grade fiction series, Cross Ups, to appeal to the students in her grade five class who are more interested in video games than books. Anyone’s Game (Fall 2018) is the second book in the Cross Ups series.

Sylv’s favorite part of being an author is when her characters surprise her by doing something she wasn’t expecting. She loves the cast of characters in Cross Ups and looks forward to spending time with them while writing further books in the series. When she’s not writing, you can find Sylv on her yoga mat or at the library helping her daughters discover great books.