Local with Lisa: When Ken Needs a Minute

Local with Lisa Lisa Chan Carnazzo May 27, 2026

Lisa: This book is a must-read for all families and our community. It was written by a Piedmont High School student who shares a deeply personal and powerful story of her brother with special needs. Let’s meet the incredible young author behind this book.

Lisa: Katie Tran is a Junior at Piedmont High School. Her twin brother Ken is autistic, and Katie wanted to help people better understand how he experiences the world through a different lens.

Katie: When my brother was little, he had a hard time bonding with other kids, and I wanted a book to incorporate him bonding with other kids.

Lisa: Katie says her brother was nonverbal until 2nd grade.

Katie: He’s really energetic, really optimistic, and he definitely loves elevators, and he loves meeting new people. He had issues with food and loud noises. When someone would turn on the vacuum, he couldn’t stand it, so my family had to sweep floors instead.

Lisa: Her friend Anna Szymanski, also a student at PHS, illustrated the book.

Anna: I found it really inspiring, so I decided to offer to illustrate her book.

Lisa: The book took a year to complete and involved extensive research.

Katie: We interviewed a bunch of speech therapists and people who work closely with kids who have neurodiversities.

Lisa: Katie says writing a book advocating for inclusivity is something she has wanted to do since she was in elementary school.

Katie: I want people to take away that everyone needs a minute and it’s ok to take a break.

Anna: I hope people can find connections that have special needs. And I hope people who don’t have special needs can understand what it feels like, and it can bring the community together.

Lisa: You can purchase the book on Amazon. Katie and Anna also hope to get it into school libraries throughout Piedmont and Oakland.

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