Gilmer Native Authors Debut Children’s Book Helps Kids Navigate Grief Through a Magical Candy World

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Kimmie Pooh & Suga Bugga: The Empathy Machine of Yamtasticville releases October 24 on Amazon

Rowlett, Texas – First-time author Kimberly Mathis, writing as M.A. Thist, will release her debut middle-grade novel, Kimmie Pooh & Suga Bugga: The Empathy Machine of Yamtasticville, on Saturday, October 24, 2026. The illustrated book for readers ages 7 to 12 will be available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle.

The story follows twelve-year-old Kimmie, who is struggling after the loss of her beloved grandmother, Suga Bugga. When Kimmie wraps herself in Grandma’s old quilt, the Family Knot, she is carried to Yamtasticville, a candy-sweet world of gummy bears, lollipop folk and gingerbread houses. There, as her younger self, Kimmie Pooh, she discovers that love does not end when someone is gone.

“This book was born from my own personal experience of loss,” said Mathis. “I wanted to give children a safe and magical way to understand grief and know that love never truly dies.”

The book was inspired by Mathis’s real grandmother, Elnora Finch Marshall, a grandmother from the Piney Woods of East Texas. She lived in Gilmer, home of the East Texas Yamboree, where everyone who loved her knew her as Suga Bugga. Phrases from their real conversations, like “Do you love me one or two?” and “I love you three,” appear throughout the story.

Suga Bugga was spicy, fearless and full of life. She worked at the jail in Gilmer, and she helped raise many children who weren’t her own. One of them, Connor, now has a family of his own, and his mother still speaks highly of her to this day. “She definitely lived her life to the fullest,” said Mathis.

With 12 chapters and 61 full-color illustrations, the book also includes a section for families with discussion questions, ideas for honoring a loved one, and a list of grief support organizations for children. It is written for kids who have lost someone they love, and for the parents, grandparents, teachers and counselors who support them.

Book details

• Title: Kimmie Pooh & Suga Bugga: The Empathy Machine of Yamtasticville
• Author: M.A. Thist (Kimberly Mathis)
• Release date: October 24, 2026
• Formats: Paperback and Kindle eBook, on Amazon
• Ages: 7 to 12
• Paperback ISBN: 979-8-234-07901-5
• Publisher: Kimmie Suga Books
• Where to buy: Kindle eBook available for pre-order now at amazon.com/dp/B0HLRH9RQ3
• Free first chapter: kimmiesugabooks.systeme.io/free-gift

About the Author

Kimberly Mathis writes as M.A. Thist. She was raised in Gilmer, Texas. Kimmie Pooh & Suga Bugga is her first book, inspired by the bond she shared with her grandmother. She is already working on the next adventure in the Kimmie Pooh & Suga Bugga series. Mathis is available for interviews, school visits and library readings.