Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 27, Number 6, 1 June 2010 — Young author to give book reading [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Young author to give book reading

A classroom assignment has turned into a published book for young writer Kekauleleanae'ole Kawai'ae'a. The 10-year old author will be reading excerpts from his debut work Kohala Kuamo'o: Nae 'ole 's Race to Save a King at Native Books/Nā Mea Hawai'i on Sunday, June 20 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. As a third-grader at Kamehameha Schools-Kapālama, he was assigned to research his family's Hawaiian name. Kekaulele, as he is called, took the assignment to the max and eonsulted with his grandfather, Walter Kawai'ae'a, who explained how

the 'ohana name reflects an important connection to Kamehameha the Great. The true story is not only compelling, it is also so colorful that Kekaulele's father, artist Aaron Kawai'ae'a, was inspired to illustrate the book. Kekaulele's reading and book signing celebrates both Father's Day and the birth month of Kamehameha, who united the islands of Hawai'i in 1810. This special event is sponsored by Kamehameha Publishing. The book will be available for $8, a 50 percent discount, at the event sponsored by Kamehameha Publishing.

Kohala Kuamo'o, by Kekauleleanae'ole Kawai'ae' - Photo: Courtesy of Kamehameha Publishing