Education key to Soontornvat’s literary recognition

Christina Soontornvat

Sam Bond

Christina Soontornvat is quick to credit her Parker County experiences for her love and talent of writing. The 1998 Weatherford High School graduate’s energetic, positive personality is reflected in many characters of her children’s novels and her perspective of historical events has earned her awards in non-fiction as well.

Targeting primarily children and middle-grade students, her more than two dozen volumes educate, entertain, and charm students of all ages.

The star characters in her books are often autobiographical, including two novels, The Tryout and The Squad.

“Oh, yes. It’s a memoir,” the author said. “It’s about growing up in Weatherford, middle school, and trying out for cheerleader. All of it is true.”

Soontornvat mentions teachers Janis Smith and Charles Carroll among the educators that touched her life. Carroll teaches Weatherford High School AP English and Composition, and literature instructor Smith is retired from WISD and is the director of communications for Manna Storehouse in Weatherford.

“Christina was a phenomenal reader and writer, although I think she was strong in all academic areas. Her university major would certainly indicate that,” Carroll said of his former student. “I am flattered Christina considers me a positive influence on her development as a writer. She is a funny, insightful, intuitive person who shared her ideas and perspectives in extraordinarily effective prose.”

Soontornvat receivedwhat she calls a world-class education in Weatherford where the teachers encourage and push students to be their best.

The author is not limited to encouraging and motivating students through storytelling. In 2018, a monsoon trapped a teen-aged soccer team and their coach deep in the Tham Lang cave system of Soontornvat’s ancestral Thailand for 18 days, and the writer’s research and report of the incident in her book, All Thirteen, earned a 2021 Kirkus Prize plus nine other literary honors.

Along with the New York Times bestselling novel The Tryout, other Soontornvat titles include The Ramble Shamble Children, To Change a Planet, and Diary of an Ice Princess. It was announced at the January WISD school board meeting The Squad will be included in all Weatherford elementary school libraries and each board member was given a copy for Board Member Appreciation Day.

Soontornvat has a  B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and a master’s degree in Science Education. Last year she was recognized as a Weatherford ISD’s Distinguished Alumnus.

To order Soontornvat books or view videos about her novels including her five-book series, Diary of an Ice Princess, visit www.soontornvat.com. Also, view a video Weatherford ISD produced about Christina Soontornvat by visiting https://bit.ly/soontornvat.