Suzin and Chandler Carr produced “I Choose”
By Steve Lee
Staff Writer
LUTZ — Suzin and Chandler Carr, of Lutz, have received plenty of recognition for “I Choose,” a book authored by the mother and illustrated by her 9-year-old son.
Their first writing award, however came on Oct. 24 at the Florida Writers Association conference in Orlando. The Carrs won a Royal Palm Literary Award, taking first place in the published children’s book category.
Needless to say, Chandler’s mother reacted to the news a bit more enthusiastically than her son. Upon hearing they won the award, Suzin literally dragged her son to the podium.
“I dragged him down the red carpet,” said Carr, the Lutz Guv’na. “Poor Chandler was like, ‘Would you please let go of my arm?’”
Chandler chuckled at that recollection.
“She took my arm and took me down the red carpet. Then she ran fast,” Chandler recalled. “I said, ‘Mom. Mom. Let go. I haven’t seen you this excited since the Guv’na thing.’”
Asked if he was nervous accepting an award in front of about 300 people, Chandler responded, “Not really, because I didn’t have to do a speech.”
Chandler, a fourth-grader at Learning Gate, a charter school in Lutz, plans to take his illustrations to another level.
“I want to be a video game designer,” he said. “Drawing’s a big part in making video games.”
Next up for mother and son is a Veterans Day appearance on Channel 10’s “The Morning Show.”
Carr said she will probably be a bit more subdued on television than she was at the writers conference in Orlando.
“I was known as the jumper and the screamer,” she said jokingly.
Already, the Carrs have been recognized by Fox News, Tampa Bay Parenting magazine and Dr. Laura Schlesinger.
“I r-e-a-l-l-y like this one for kids. Frankly, I like it for adults too,” Dr. Laura said last May on her nationally syndicated radio show.
Having his book discussed on the radio, Chandler said, “was really neat for thousands of people to hear
