Kerry O'Malley-Cerra

Kerry O’Malley Cerra is the author of the award-winning, middle-grade novel JUST A DROP OF WATER — published in September of 2014 by Sky Pony Press. It has won a Florida Book Award, the Crystal Kite Award, and was named to VOYAs Top Shelf Fiction for Middle Readers’ 2014 list. In addition, the book was a finalist for the 2015-2016 Maine Student Book Award, the 2017-2018 Garden State Teen Book Award (New Jersey), the 2016-2017 Truman Award list (Missouri), and the 2018 Nene Award (Hawaii). It won runner-up for the 2016-2017 Magnolia Award (Mississippi).

Her second novel, HEAR ME, was published on Sept. 6, 2022, by Carolrhoda Books/Lerner Publishing INC. Based on the author’s own hearing loss/deaf experience, this contemporary middle-grade novel follows 12-year-old Rayne who–at odds with her parents over her sudden hearing loss and looming cochlear implant surgery–sets off on a journey where she discovers that even though her ears may be broken, she is not.

Kerry holds a degree in Social Science Education from the University of South Florida and currently works in a high school as the media specialist/librarian where she’s thrilled to spend other people’s money on books for her students. She continues to use her teaching skills in author presentations at schools across the country.

Though she’ll always consider South Jersey/Philly her home, she currently lives in Florida with her husband and two poorly behaved rescue dogs.