mo'olelo for us stories for us
mo'olelo for us stories for us
About Kauakanilehua
Kauakanilehua Māhoe Adams is a mixed Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) author and poet from Washington State. She earned her BA in English and Creative Writing from the University of Washington and her MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Her short story in verse, Braving the Storm, can be found in Cynthia Leitch Smith’s anthology Legendary Frybread Drive-in (Heartdrum/HarperCollins). Her poem Hawaiian Baby Food Circa 1997 was a finalist for the 2025 Steve Kowit Poetry Prize. her debut young adult verse novel, An Expanse of Blue, (Heartdrum/HarperCollins), is slated for publication in Summer 2026.
Kaua lives in Carlsbad, California with her partner where she spends her time writing, reading, daydreaming, dancing hula, and bending to her dogs’ every wish and whim.
Books
An Expanse of Blue
Rosemary Brosnan and Cynthia Leitch Smith at HarperCollins/Heartdrum have acquired, in a preempt, AN EXPANSE OF BLUE, a debut YA novel in verse about a diasporic Native Hawaiian teenager and her struggle to find herself in the wake of a heartbreaking discovery about her family.
Heartdrum/HarperCollins
Short Stories & Poems
Hawaiian Baby Food Circa 1997
Braving the Storm
Short Story in Verse
Now Available for Preorder
Bookshop | ThriftBooks | Camino Books | Warwick’s
Praise for Legendary Frybread Drive-in!
“…The emotional core of the book feels deftly balanced, ranging from touching moments of magical connection with loved ones to emotional explorations of feelings like grief, and regular teenage awkwardness and crushes….”
— Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
“…A huge range of tribal affiliations and locales are represented, and distinct traditions and customs are easily woven in through dialogue, avoiding heavy exposition or explanation…”
—Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“Stories in this noteworthy and absorbing compilation work as stand-alones, but to get the full benefit and sense of intertribal community, read them together…. In voices, styles, and scenarios as varied as the tribes and locations represented, the stories and poems…capture often-pivotal moments in young people’s lives.”
—Shelf Awareness
Follow Kaua on Instagram for book news, reflections, and a surplus of dog photos.
Follow her on Threads for publishing updates and sporadic appearances.
