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Author Guest Post: “Writing from the Margins” by Romina Garber, author of Wolves of No World: Lobizona & Cazadora

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“Writing From the Margins”

I wrote WOLVES OF NO WORLD for teen-me.

Like Manu, I was born in Argentina, and I immigrated to the United States when I was young. Growing up in Miami, I read every story I could get my hands on, but I never found myself represented on the shelf. There were no books like Lobizona available to me.

Young Romina would have loved to read the adventures of an immigrant girl with painful periods who finds her place in a magic school where everyone speaks Spanglish and eats Argentine foods and returns to their homeland once a month to stay connected to their roots!

The inspiration behind the worldbuilding of my series is a curious Argentine law: ley de padrinazgo presidencial 20.843. It declares the President of Argentina godparent to the seventh consecutive son or daughter in a family, which means the state covers all their educational expenses. When I researched the history of this law, I came across an old legend that claimed seventh daughters would be born brujas and seventh sons would be lobizones.

The fact that the law is still in effect today underscores the enduring power of myth, and shows how the stories we tell can shape the reality of a particular population. Consider the term illegal, and how it can negate one’s humanity and worth when applied to a person, paving the way for subhuman treatment by the law.

I used the folklore at the root of this Argentine law as the basis for the magic system to underscore how thin the border is between fantasy and reality in this story.

At its heart, Wolves of No World is a celebration of the immigrant identity. Since many paranormal creatures are essentially humans with a supernatural ability, they’re partly of our world and partly of another. To demonstrate this duality, every full moon the Septimus must return to Lunaris, a magical realm that is the source of their power.

Manu’s hybrid identity as a human and a Septimus is a threat to both her worlds, and rather than having two homes, she’s left with none. As an immigrant, this sense of homelessness is one I’ve struggled with my whole life.

Here are five more books that draw from cultural myths/legends/politics from around the world, offering today’s teens a chance to find themselves on the page:

Cemetery Boys (Cemetery Boys, #1) by Aiden Thomas | Goodreads

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas: A trans boy determined to prove his gender to his traditional Latinx family summons a ghost who refuses to leave.

Amazon.com: Raybearer: A Novel: 9781419739835: Ifueko, Jordan: Books

Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko: In this West-African-inspired fantasy, a girl with the ability to see people’s memories must navigate the political council of the Crown Prince and rise to challenge the systems that oppress her.

Woven in Moonlight

Woven in Moonlight by Isabel Ibañez: Inspired by Bolivian history and politics, the story follows a girl who steps in as a decoy for an exiled royal and offers herself to a usurper king to spy and reclaim her people’s city.

Amazon.com: Shadow of the Fox: A Coming of Age YA Fantasy of Samurai and Ancient Demons: 9781335145161: Kagawa, Julie: Books

Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa: A Japanese-inspired fantasy about a half-human, half-kitsune girl who goes on a grand adventure to help protect the world from demons.

A Song Below Water

A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow: Set in a modern-day Portland where mythical creatures live alongside humans, it follows two sisters who must learn to use their voices. The novel explores identity, power, sisterhood, racism, and Black girl magic.

Lobizona
Published August 4th, 2020 by Wednesday Books

Cazadora
Published August 17th, 2021 by Wednesday Books

Wolves of No World 2-in-1 Collector’s Edition
Published September 15th, 2026 by Wednesday Books

About the Book: In the duology, Manuela Azul is an undocumented immigrant, crammed into a small Miami apartment with her mother, hiding from ICE and from her father’s Argentine crime family. When disaster shatters her carefully constructed world, she follows the only clue she has about her past—a mysterious emblem—into a secret realm of witches and werewolves, cursed cities, and illegal magic rooted in real Argentine folklore. In this hidden world, she discovers that it’s not just her U.S. residency that is illegal. It’s her entire existence. Steeped in Argentine folklore and written partly in Spanglish, WOLVES OF NO WORLD is the rare fantasy that earned both starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist and is dedicated to “all our children caught in the crosshairs of nationalism.”

About the Author: Romina Garber is a New York Times and international bestselling author whose books include The Last Vampire, Castle of the Cursed, Lobizona, Cazadora, & the ZODIAC quartet. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and raised in Miami, Florida, Romina landed her first writing gig as a teen—College She Wrote, a weekly Sunday column for the Miami Herald that was later picked up for national syndication—and she hasn’t stopped writing since. She is a graduate of Harvard College and a Virgo to the core.

Website: www.rominagarber.com
Instagram: @rominagarber
Facebook: @rominabooks

Thank you, Romina, for this thoughtful post and these amazing recommendations!

Author Guest Post: “The Book That Taught Me WHAT IF?” by Jonathan White, Author of The Secret on the Second Shelf

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“The Book That Taught Me to Ask WHAT IF?”

Every reader has one book that changes them.

Not because it wins awards. Not because it becomes their favourite story of all time. But because it arrives at exactly the right moment in life and quietly changes the way they see the world.

For me, that book was The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.

Like many readers, I picked it up expecting an entertaining science-fiction adventure. What I found was something far more profound. Yes, it was hilarious. Yes, it was wildly imaginative. But beneath the humour was something that would shape me for years to come: an invitation to be endlessly curious.

Every chapter seemed to ask another impossible question.

What if?

What if the universe was stranger than we could possibly imagine?

What if the impossible was simply something we didn’t understand yet?

Those questions stayed with me long after I finished the book.

Looking back, I don’t think The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy simply made me fall in love with science fiction.

I think it made me a curious person.

That curiosity followed me everywhere. It led me to read about history, astronomy, mythology, and scientific discoveries. The more I learned, the more I realised that every answer simply opened the door to another fascinating question.

I’ve come to believe that’s one of the greatest gifts a book can give a young reader.

As parents, teachers and librarians, we often celebrate books because they improve literacy, expand vocabulary and encourage a love of reading. Those are great outcomes, but I wonder if there’s an even greater one.

The very best books don’t simply provide answers.

They teach children to ask better questions.

A child who begins asking Why?, How? and What if? doesn’t stop being curious when they close the final page. They carry that curiosity into the classroom, into conversations, into museums, into science, into history and, ultimately, into life.

Years later, when I sat down to write The Secret on the Second Shelf, I realised I wasn’t trying to recreate Douglas Adams’ humour or his wonderfully eccentric universe.

What I wanted to recreate was the feeling his book gave me.

The feeling that anything might be possible.

The feeling that an ordinary child could stumble across an extraordinary mystery.

The feeling that turning one more page might reveal something that changes the way you see the world.

That’s why The Secret on the Second Shelf blends mystery, history and the supernatural. I wanted readers to enjoy an exciting adventure, but I also hoped they’d finish the story wanting to know more about the real places, the historical events and the mysteries that inspired it.

Of course, as every author knows, once a book leaves your desk it no longer belongs entirely to you.

It belongs to its readers.

I wanted to find out whether the curiosity I’d tried to weave into the story would actually come alive, so I took The Secret on the Second Shelf, together with the short film created to accompany it, into schools across the UK.

Standing in front of classrooms was a very different experience from sitting quietly behind a keyboard.

After each presentation, I invited questions.

I expected a few polite hands to go up.

Instead, they seemed to come from every corner of the room.

Some pupils wanted to know which parts of the story were based on real history. Others asked whether time travel could ever be possible, how I came up with the mystery, what inspired particular characters, or whether there would be another adventure. A few even challenged me with questions I’d never considered myself.

Those were my favourite moments.

The children weren’t simply asking about the book anymore. They were asking about history, science, imagination, writing and the world beyond the final page.

Watching that happen gave me an incredible buzz.

As an author, you spend months, sometimes years, working alone, hoping your story will connect with someone you’ve never met. Standing in those classrooms, I could actually see curiosity taking hold. One question sparked another. Children began building on each other’s ideas, offering theories, making connections and imagining possibilities I hadn’t even thought of.

It reminded me exactly how I had felt all those years earlier when I first closed The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

Not satisfied.

Inspired.

Inspired to ask another question.

And then another.

Those school visits reinforced something I’ve come to believe wholeheartedly; books don’t have to provide all the answers to be successful.

Sometimes their greatest achievement is encouraging readers to keep asking questions long after they’ve finished the story.

If one child leaves The Secret on the Second Shelf wanting to learn more about the Great Plague, visit Cambridge, read another science-fiction novel, write their own mystery, or simply look at the world with a little more curiosity than they did before, then I feel I’ve succeeded.

Because curiosity doesn’t end with childhood.

It begins there.

And sometimes all it takes is one remarkable book to spark a lifetime of asking, “What if?”

About the Book: When fourteen-year-old Tim Shaw discovers a secret, he is hurled more than 300 years into the past. Trapped in seventeenth-century England, Tim must unravel an ancient mystery and uncover the truth behind his mother’s disappearance before time runs out. Blending history, mystery and the supernatural, The Secret on the Second Shelf is an adventure for readers aged 8+ who love puzzles, hidden secrets and impossible questions.

In May 2026, the story was also released as an audiobook, bringing Tim’s adventure to life through the narration of David Sweeney-Bear, an award-winning voice actor. Whether readers choose the printed book or the audiobook, the story invites them to step into the past, embrace their curiosity and discover that some of history’s greatest mysteries may still be waiting to be uncovered.

About the Author: Jonathan White is the author of The Secret on the Second Shelf. Inspired by writers including Douglas Adams, Roald Dahl and Terrance Dicks, he has spent much of his life asking “what if?”, a curiosity that has taken him from a career in technology and engineering leadership to travelling and working across the UK, Estonia, Bulgaria, Malaysia and Cyprus, gathering ideas from the people, places and history he encountered along the way.

His passion for storytelling extends beyond the page. In addition to writing the novel, Jonathan created a short film inspired by its world and has visited schools across the UK, sharing both the story and the film with young readers. Seeing children debate theories, challenge ideas and ask thoughtful questions has only strengthened his belief that the best books don’t just tell great stories, they inspire a lifelong curiosity about the world around us.

You can discover more about The Secret on the Second Shelf, watch the book trailer and short film, see behind-the-scenes footage from the audiobook recording sessions with award-winning narrator David Sweeney-Bear, and explore additional content from the world of the story at the official website.

Website: The Secret on the Second Shelf | Jonathan White | Fantasy Adventure for Children

TikTok: The Secret on the Second Shelf | Book Trailer & TikTok shorts

Thank you, Jonathan, for this post about the magic of books!

Author Guest Post: “The Facts About Creating Fiction” by Amy Fellner Dominy, Author of Monster Down Deep

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“The Facts About Creating Fiction”

When I visit schools, I ask kids where they think I get my ideas for fiction. The first reply: Your imagination!

And they’re right. Imagination plays a huge part. It’s the next part that always surprises them. Because in order to develop the idea, I don’t just rely on imagination. I need facts.

“But it’s fiction,” they’ll say. “Make believe.”

Honestly, it came as a surprise to me too when I began writing novels. But facts absolutely inform fiction. In fact, one of the unexpected joys of writing novels has been diving into new topics and learning about unexpected things.

Monster Down Deep is a perfect example. When I started the story, I imagined that one of the characters was a fish. But it had to be a unique fish—a missing link. What features would make it special? For that, I needed facts. I turned to books, online searches, a visit to an aquarium and multiple discussions with a marine biologist. The things I learned sparked my imagination. And in turn, my imagination sparked new questions that lead to new research that eventually led to a very special fish named Blue.

This idea of combining imagination and research makes for a great story-building activity. (It’s also a wonderful way for kids to see that research can be fun.) Here’s an activity you might want to try with your students:

  1. Find an image online that you think will spark their curiosity. It could be a place: A waterfall with red water. Ice bubbles in a lake that can explode. Unusual trees growing out of a stream. Or a character: A blood-sucking bug. A window-washer 80-stories high. A pure white fox.
  2. Ask kids to brainstorm some questions they have about the photo. If you start with a place, you want to work your way toward a character that might live in the environment or be affected by it. For example: Ice bubbles that can explode. Where is the lake? Who lives nearby? What lives in the water? Focus on the most interesting suggestions and brainstorm a character with a problem: A boy who needs to cross the lake to get to his injured grandfather. A shark that has to escape the lake before it freezes.
  3. Now ask the kids: Before they can create a story, what research do they need? What questions have to be answered? For instance, what conditions makes the bubbles explode? How big of an explosion? Can the explosions be controlled? You can supply research in the form of printed fact sheets you have ready in advance. Or, you can allow internet research if that’s something open to your classroom. Kids can do this in pairs, small groups, on their own, or as a class.
  4. Create a story. At this point, kids will have a setting, and a character with a problem. The basic elements of a story. They’ll also know a bit about how the world works thanks to research. Now, ask them how the character can resolve their problem? Put it all together and they have a new story. Again, kids can do this in pairs, small groups, on their own or the story can be built as a class, taking suggestions from everyone. (Usually, the only problem I have with this method are too many suggestions and everyone wants a turn.)

So there you have it. My secret ingredient to fiction is fact. 🙂

If you’re a teacher or librarian who’s able to bring authors to your school, in person or virtually, please reach out: amy@amydominy.com.  I love to do visits and I offer a variety of programs, almost all that incorporate story creation as a way to inspire and motivate kids to create stories of their own.

GIVEAWAY: Amy will send a classroom pack of 25 Monster Down Deep bookmarks to 10 teachers. Send an email to amy@amydominy.com with a Subject Line: Unleashing Readers Giveaway. Bookmarks will go to the first 10 who reply.

Subscribe to Amy’s monthly newsletter for book news, insights and giveaways. www.amydominy.com/newsletter

 Monster Down Deep
Author: Amy Fellner Dominy
Published April 1st, 2026 by Pushkin Children’s Books

About the Book: A missing diamond necklace with a million dollar reward attracts 2 beachcombing children, who instead find what could just be the discovery of the century

An uplifting middle-grade adventure perfect for fans of Jessie Burton, Hannah Gold’s The Last Bear, and books by Katya Balen.

I am the one they call the Monster Down Deep.
Except… I am not really a monster. I am just the Very Afraid Fish.

Somewhere off the coast of San Diego, the yacht of billionaire Clifton Royce III has capsized. While most of the vessel’s belongings have been reclaimed, one piece remains a 74-carat diamond necklace, worth over $50 million dollars. And for the person who finds this gem, there is a $1 million reward up for grabs.

No one is more determined to find the necklace than 11-year-old Cassie Stein. Her dad’s beloved aquarium is on the brink of financial ruin, and that money could be the answer to all their problems. Armed with her trusty metal detector, Sylvia, Cassie begins her search.

But while hunting for the treasure, she discovers something that may be even more valuable than the diamond. A fish, unlike any she has ever seen before. One that seems to understand her every word perfectly. His name is Blue, and he desperately needs Cassie’s help.

As news of her once-in-a-lifetime discovery spreads, however, Cassie is torn between two impossible protect Blue and help him find his way home… or embrace the fame and fortune that could change her life forever.

About the Author: Amy Fellner Dominy is an MFA playwright and the award-winning author of 9 books for children. She especially loves stories that celebrate kids who can be anyone and choose to be themselves. Amy currently lives in Phoenix, Arizona.

Thank you, Amy, for this guide to inspiring kids to write and for the giveaway!

Educators’ Guide for The Metamorphosis of Bunny Baxter by Barbara Carroll Roberts

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The Metamorphosis of Bunny Baxter
Author: Barbara Carroll Roberts
Published: July 22nd, 2025 by Margaret Ferguson Books

Summary: Bunny Baxter thinks nothing could be worse than starting seventh grade at a school where she knows no one. But after her first day, she realizes things can actually get much worse.

If Bunny Baxter were an insect, she’d have so many ways to slip through seventh grade unnoticed. But she’s tall instead of tiny, has flaming red Medusa hair instead of camouflage, and she suffers from social anxiety, which makes it hard to be part of a swarm. Worst of all, she’s been redistricted to a new middle school away from her best friend who she could always hide behind when her anxiety got the best of her.

The first day at E.D. Britt Middle School does not go well. Bunny trips on the steps, falls into the cutest boy in the school, and causes a kid domino pile-up. At lunch, she unintentionally causes an uproar in the cafeteria, which lands her and another girl in the principal’s office. Bunny decides there is only one option: to get expelled so she can transfer to the school her best friend attends.

She soon discovers that it isn’t that hard to get in trouble—don’t turn in your homework, walk around the track instead of run in P.E., pretend you deliberately hit someone with a badminton birdie. What isn’t so easy for Bunny is realizing she now has a reputation as a troublemaker. And even more confusing, when it looks like her plan to get expelled might work, she’s no longer sure what to do.

The Metamorphosis of Bunny Baxter is a heartfelt coming of age story about an insect-loving girl who is learning to grow into herself—quirks and all.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation and Discussion Questions: 

Please view and enjoy the educators’ guide I created for the author:

You can also access the educators’ guide here.

You can learn more about The Metamorphosis of Bunny Baxter on its page on Barbara Carroll Roberts’s website.

Recommended For: 

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Author Guest Post: “Activities with Adventures in the City of Stories” by Emma Otheguy, Author of Adventure in the City of Stories

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“Activities with Adventures in the City of Stories”

In Adventure in the City of Stories, cousins Siggy, Camila, and Jorge travel back in time to save historical artifacts: puppets made by librarian and author Pura Belpré. After reading Adventure in the City of Stories, try these creative activities and writing prompts!

  1. Learn more about the historical figures in the book: While visiting the year 1930 in their magic time-travel boat, the cousins meet literary luminaries who shaped the field of children’s literature. The book’s extensive backmatter includes lots of suggestions for further reading. You might want to start with these picture book biographies: My Name is Gabriela by Monica Brown, Miss Moore Thought Otherwise by Jan Pinborough, The Man Who Built a Library by Carole Boston Weatherford, and Planting Stories by Anika Aldamuy Denise.
  2. Make a puppet: Librarians like Pura Belpré were famous for their dramatizations of literature and folktales, including pantomimes and puppet shows. Belpré even organized a club of kids to make their own puppets! Try using materials like brown paper bags, toilet paper tubes, popsicle sticks, pipe cleaners, brads, and of course paper, paint, and crayons to fashion your own puppet inspired by literature or folklore.
  3. Put your puppet in a museum: Imagine it’s a hundred years in the future. What makes your puppet special? Why would someone want to preserve it for history? Use a cardboard box and either saran wrap or the top of a plastic takeout container to put your puppet in a display case. If you’re working with a class or homeschool group, make a museum with all your displays!
  4. Write the wall text for your exhibit: If your puppet were really in a museum display case, what would the wall text say? Tell museum visitors who made your puppet and in what year. Describe the materials you used. Explain why the puppet is important and what visitors can learn from looking at the puppet.
  5. Find the portal: Look around your museum. A portal is a door to a different world–a magical or historical universe separate from ours–and in fiction portals are often found in ordinary places. The rabbit hole from Alice in Wonderland and the wardrobe from The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe are both examples of portals. In Adventure in the City of Stories, the cousins’ aunt has a large clay pot that acts as a portal. If there were a portal in your classroom, bedroom, or wherever your museum is located, what would it be? How would kids “activate” the portal and reach another world? Have fun writing about your portal!
  6. Share your project with the author!: I love when teachers and parents tell me about the creative activities kids have done with my books, and I always welcome pictures of student work. Educators can contact me through my website.

Adventure in the City of Stories
Author: Emma Otheguy
Illustrator: Poly Bernatene
Published July 21st, 2026 by Atheneum Books for Young Readers

About the Book: Cousins Jorge, Camila, and Siggy never imagined that dusty old puppets and a mysterious book would launch them into a time-traveling adventure. But when they discover their aunt has treasures belonging to Pura Belpré, the trailblazing Latina librarian and storyteller, they’re transported back to 1930s New York City. Their mission? Race against time to return Pura’s puppets and a signed first edition of her book, proving their aunt isn’t a thief.

The past is full of danger, though. A powerful woman will stop at nothing to steal the book, the cousins’ nosy neighbor is snooping around, and the hardship of the Great Depression is all around them. Luckily Jorge, Camila, and Siggy meet Antonia, a fierce Puerto Rican girl fighting injustice against her community.

The cousins will need courage, quick thinking, and a little help from history to protect Pura Belpré’s legacy, clear their aunt’s name, and make it back home. Can they pull it off before time runs out?

About the Author: Emma Otheguy is the author of several books for young readers, including the picture books A Sled for Gabo and Martina Has Too Many Tías, the bilingual picture book Martí’s Song for Freedom, and the middle grade novels Sofía Acosta Makes a Scene, Cousins in the Time of Magic, Silver Meadows Summer, and, with Adam Gidwitz, The Madre de Aguas of Cuba, part of the Unicorn Rescue Society series. Visit her at EmmaOtheguy.com.

Educators, a READING GROUP GUIDE can be found on the book’s Simon & Schuster webpage HERE!

Thank you, Emma, for these fun activities to implement with your book!

Student Voices: The Power of Books from Mina Y. and Mily R.

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The Power of Books

“Books vs. Movies” by Mina Y., 7th grade

The long-time debate is movies vs. books: which one is better? Many people say books are better because they include more details, while others say movies are better because you can actually see what is happening. Both books and movies have good and bad sides, but books usually have more advantages. Books can show characters thoughts, emotions, and backstories, while movies sometimes skip those things to save time. Here are some examples of books that are better than the movies.

1: Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
The Lightning Thief book is better than the movie because it shows Percy’s personality and humor through his thoughts and narration. Like when Percy demonstrates his intense loyalty and protective nature by choosing to send Medusa’s head to Olympus rather than keeping it, specifically to ensure his mother is freed from Gabe, a plot point that is completely absent from the movie. The story also includes more details about Greek mythology and the adventures Percy and his friends go through. The movie removes many jokes and important parts of the story. Because of that, the book feels more complete and exciting.

2: Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
The Sea of Monsters book is better than the movie because it explains the adventure in much more detail and stays closer to the original story. In the book, it demonstrates his intense loyalty and protective nature by secretly taking Tyson on the quest, even defying Chiron’s orders, a deeper emotional connection not fully portrayed in the movie. Readers learn more about the characters and the Greek myths connected to the plot. The movie changes several parts of the story and leaves out important scenes, which makes it feel less exciting and funny than the book. When you read the book, you can imagine the world the way the author described it, but the movie feels more rushed and different.

3: Holes by Louis Sachar
The Holes book is better than the movie because it explains the characters’ thoughts and backstories more clearly. This helps readers understand the story’s mystery and connections. The book also gives more details about the setting and the events that happen at Camp Green Lake. While the movie shows the main parts of the story, it misses some of the deeper emotions and clever storytelling in the book. Stanley’s deep insecurity and struggle with his weight are prominently shown through his initial inability to defend himself against bullying by a much smaller kid, Derrick Dunne, that makes the book so interesting.

4: Wonder by R. J. Palacio
The Wonder Book is better than the movie because it tells the story from different characters’ points of view. In the book, Auggie jokes that if he were born in medieval times, he would have been roasted on a spit, showcasing his sharp, defensive humor that isn’t in the movie. This helps readers understand how each character feels and what they are going through. The book also shares Auggie’s thoughts and challenges in a deeper way, which helps readers connect with him. The movie shows the main events, but it leaves out some details and emotions that make the book so meaningful and inspiring.

5: Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
The Diary of a Wimpy Kid book is better than the movie because it shows Greg’s funny thoughts in his diary entries. In the book, Greg often treats Rowley more like a project to be managed for his own personal gain, including having Rowley carry his backpack, which contrasts with the movie,ff where they often appear as more equal friends. The drawings and writing style make the story feel more personal and entertaining. Readers get to see Greg’s awkward and hilarious moments exactly how the author wrote them. The movie is still funny, but it leaves out some jokes and small details that make the book more fun to read.

6: The Giver by Lois Lowry
The Giver book is better than the movie because it shows Jonas’s thoughts and emotions more clearly. In the book, readers learn more about the rules of the society and how everything works in that world. It also explains the themes of freedom and choice in a deeper way. The movie shows the main events, but it misses some of the ideas and emotions that make the book so powerful. When Jonas accidentally hoards an apple, he immediately feels deep remorse and apologizes to his community, rather than challenging the rules as he does in the film.

7: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Hunger Games book is better than the movie because it shows Katniss’s thoughts and feelings throughout the story. Readers get to understand her fears, choices, and struggles more clearly. The book also gives more background about the world and the other characters in the book. When Peeta admits his crush during the first interview, book-Katniss is furious and pushes him into a vase in the heat of the moment, whereas the movie plays this moment much more calmly, making her seem colder and more manipulative in the text. The movie has exciting action scenes, but it cannot show all the emotions and themes that the book explores.

8: Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling
The Harry Potter books are better than the movies because they include much more detail about the magical world and the characters. Readers get to learn more about the friendships, challenges, and mysteries in the story.in The books In Order of the Phoenix, while being interviewed by Rita Skeeter, book Harry shows his rebellious side by quibbling with her and displaying a fiery temperament that contrasts with the often quiet, also explores deeper themes about bravery and growing up. The movies show many important moments, but they cannot include all the details and emotions that make the books so memorable.

In conclusion, while movies can be exciting and entertaining, books usually tell the story in a deeper and more detailed way. Books allow readers to understand the characters, thoughts, emotions, and backgrounds better than movies can. Many movies also remove or change important parts of the story because of time limits. Because of this, books often give readers a richer and more complete experience than movies.

“Hyperactivity, Reading, and Literacy” by Mily R., 7th grade

Hyperactivity can make everything harder, even reading. Although people may like books, hyperactivity can really put a strain on their reading. Sometimes not being able to sit still, or not being able to focus on the words can really make that difference. With this, it makes people with hyper activity prefer to read shorter chapters or quicker paced stories.

Some things that can happen are that they lose focus or they might have to re-read parts that they missed the first time, and it can bring frustration and anger which does not let the reader enjoy the book. Although other times they can hyperfocus that means that they can get really intrigued into a book and read big chunks at a time without losing focus because the book has captured their attention.

Over time reading is good with making good concentration and keeping their attention centered on the book. Having good concentration also helps with school work and a lot of other things. So some books that help grab attention are usually graphic novels and mangas because the type of story telling and illustrations help keep the readers attention on the book instead of having it jump the focus on something else. Next, audio books also help because the reader does not have to stress about the struggle of skipping a word or missing a line because it is simply being played in the reader’s ear. Also they can listen to the book while they do something else like cleaning or cooking because it helps boost their concentration by giving them something else to focus on so their attention spam lasts longer 

Last off is most people find ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) and hyperactivity as the same thing when it’s not. The biggest difference is hyper activity is just hyper activity and adhd attention deficit hyper activity which focuses more on the lost atention. Although they can have a lot of the same skills they are not exactly the same. But if you need to, most of the time you can use helping tips from adhd on hyper activity. 

So after all of this, just because you have hyper activity doesn’t mean you can’t read. And I know that it’s gonna be hard, but hopefully you can take some tips and be able to better understand this condition. Now let’s take this as a sign to continue reading.

Thank you so much to my student voices today and their look at books and reading in their life and the world!

Author Guest Post: “Ancient Setting, Modern Issues (Carefully Concealed)” by Anthony Peckham, Author of Children of the Black Glass Series

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“Ancient Setting, Modern Issues (Carefully Concealed)”

I have a 15 year old son with a finely tuned ear for any attempt to instruct, improve or enlighten him. The slightest hint and he will bolt for the hills (or basketball court), leaving an unread book in his wake. I remember being exactly the same. Perhaps we all  were like that.  

As a teenager, I wanted tense, twisty and dark. I wanted characters to love and characters  to fear and despise. I wanted fast pace, action and surprises. I wanted some form of  magic. I still do.  

But as a writer and a parent, I also wanted to explore some of the serious issues and concerns facing our children right now.  

So I hid them in the past. I set my Black Glass trilogy in an unstable time long ago, somewhere between the end of the age of stone and the beginning of the age of metal.  

This propulsive sibling saga covers just a year in the life of a family, a village and a city. Brother and sister are trying to deal with the disappearance of their mother two years  before. The remote village they live in is known for its rigid rules and ruthless attitude to  the outside world. The vast trading city they journey to is being ripped apart by a sorcerer’s coup.  

To survive, sister and brother have to rely on their formidable mountain skills and toughness, on strangers who become allies, and a sorcerer who is friend to nobody.  

Clearly, this is not a modern story in any way.  

However, the books explore contemporary issues like the processing of loss and grief, and the recovery of joy and purpose. They explore the idea of resilience. They explore  self determination for youth. They model and valorize competence. They engage with  environmental degradation and rehabilitation. They speak to our loss of faith in  institutions at a time of economic instability and uncertainty. They even explore  collective action against cultural and physical oppression … 

… without ever using any of the words and phrases I just laid upon you. These things are  all just an organic part of the story and action. If discussed at all, the words used are  appropriate to that time, not our time. And everything is processed through the minds,  hearts and souls of four teenagers of that ancient time.  

It turns out they’re much like our own teenagers.  

It seems to have worked. So far my son hasn’t bolted for the hills.  

The Black Glass trilogy is Children of the Black Glass, Winter’s Fire and The Law of  Solitude.

Children of the Black Glass Series
Author: Anthony Peckham

Book #3 The Law of Solitude Publishing July 28th, 2026 by Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books

About the Book: Tell and Wren face a wraith—a sorcerer gone rogue—in this third and final book in the Children of the Black Glass middle grade fantasy series that’s Howl’s Moving Castle meets Christopher Paolini!

Now a captive in Desert’s house, Wren learns the evil sorcerer has melded herself into a human body to become a wraith. Wielding even more power, more strength, and more magic than ever before, Desert’s still not satisfied…not until she consumes Wren’s too.

Tell will stop at nothing to save his sister, and while he lacks magic himself, he discovers one of their friends has mystical powers and is as determined as Tell is to save Wren—the girl who once saved him.

Separated for the first time, Tell and Wren are both left to rely on their quick wits, mountain training, and allies old and new to vanquish Desert once and for all. As desperate sorcerers prepare to battle the twisted wraith, they know losing would mean losing the city of Halfway…and each other.

About the Author: Anthony Peckham is an award-winning screenwriter and novelist. His movie credits include Invictus, Sherlock Holmes and Don’t Say A Word. He was awarded the Christopher Award and Paul Selvin Award by the Writers Guild of America for Invictus, and was nominated for an NAACP Image Award. Anthony was also awarded the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival Spotlight Award in 2016. His Children of the Black Glass middle grade fantasy trilogy is published by Simon & Schuster.

Tony was born and raised in South Africa and completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Cape Town in English and Classical History. He moved to California to attend film school at San Francisco State University and earned a M.A. in Film. He now lives in Hawaii with his family.

Thank you, Tony, for this post looking at how stories from all time periods can connect with teens of today!