Local Teacher Turns Storyteller: Grain Valley’s Mendi Spencer Releases Fourth Children’s Book

Grain Valley News caught up with Grain Valley High School (GVHS) science teacher and local children's book author Mendi Spencer this week to discuss her newest book, A Tale of Two Swifties. 

Spencer, known at school for guiding students through the complexities of biology, added author to her résumé a few years ago — and her newest children’s book, A Tale of Two Swifties, is now available for readers of all ages. 

A Tale of Two Swifties tells the story of a football-loving dad who plans to teach his daughter about the game — only to find himself sharing in her passion in unexpected ways. 

Spencer's first book, The Adventures of a Robot Vacuum: The Ransom, was the result of a real-life ransom caper involving another GVHS teacher's runaway Roomba vacuum providing inspiration. Additional books quickly followed, including The Sleep Squad, and When A Snore is Something More, which brings awareness of improper tongue placement with children in an engaging way. The book has been lauded by dentists, speech therapists, and other professionals working with children with snoring and other issues related to tongue placement. 

Spencer plans to release her next book, The Teachers Lounge, this fall. 

Spencer shared that the experience of watching children engage with her books as the most rewarding part of being a writer. 

Spencer's books can be found locally at Owl Creek Market in Odessa and Tami Sue’s in Buckner. All of Spencer's titles can also be found on Amazon at Amazon.com: Mendi Spencer: books, biography, latest update. ​

GVHS teacher and local children's book author Mendi Spencer has released her fourth book, A Tale of Two Swifties, which tells the story of a football-loving dad who plans to teach his daughter about the game — only to find himself sharing in her passion in unexpected ways. Photo credit: Grain Valley News staff