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Lucy Mettler

About the Author

Lucy Mettler resides in Charleston, South Carolina, where the tides of the Atlantic Ocean deliver treasures daily. She is a firm believer that every child should have the opportunity to discover the magic that exists in nature.

More About Lucy

Lucy Mettler has believed in the power of children’s literature to inspire, teach, comfort and entertain since she was first drawn to books at age four. 

Throughout her childhood and teenage years, Lucy spent countless hours sea shell hunting with her family. She has a deep appreciation for the unique, formative journey that each shell travels on its way to the seashore – a metaphor for a child’s journey through life.

Lucy lives in Charleston, South Carolina, where she is a senior at Ashley Hall High School.

She saved her earnings from three years of summer jobs to commission the illustrations for Treasures of the Tide. She is working on her next literary work.

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Frequently Asked Questions

I’ve always loved children. Last summer, I had a job as a camp instructor, where I taught kids how to play tennis and how to do arts and crafts. I loved it. I saved the money I earned from three summers of work to commission the illustrations for the book.

When my little brother was younger, he would dress up as a pirate every year for Halloween. He had a treasure chest that he used to keep all his special things in. Treasure can be anything that brings you joy or that holds a memory. For me, treasures are seashells. But someone else’s treasure might be completely different.

The setting is a combination of the beaches I used to visit with my grandparents. My grandfather – who we called Tom Tom – lived in Palm Beach, Florida. And my grandmother, Bumble, lived on Kiawah Island in South Carolina, near Charleston.

I’m the fifth generation of my family on my mom’s side to go to an island in the British West Indies called Barbuda. My mom and I love walking the beach there and looking for shells – it’s one of our favorite things to do together. That’s how I came up with the idea to write this book.

I lost my grandparents when I was seven years old. At the time, I didn’t understand how to process grief, but as I got older I learned to appreciate the times that I was able to spend with them. I learned that grief is something that can actually be a beautiful thing if it leads to being grateful for the times you had with the people you lost.

I hope this book gives kids the encouragement and space to slow down and take in their surroundings. I think that’s really important in fostering creativity. And I also hope the book can be comforting to kids who are dealing with grief. I wanted the tone of the book to feel warm and calming.

I really like to during sunset or sunrise. I feel like that’s when I’m at my most creative. We have a dock in our backyard, and I like to write by the water with the wind blowing when the sun is rising or setting.

The National Alliance for Children’s Grief

The National Alliance for Children’s Grief (NACG) is a nonprofit organization that raises awareness about the needs of children and teens who are grieving a death and provides education and resources for anyone who supports them. $2 from every book sale goes to the NACG.

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