Sofia’s YA Book Nook: The Lost Year by Katherine Marsh

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Sofia is a 13-year-old brilliant reader who aspires to be a book reviewer. Since she was 8 years old, on select weeks, Sofia shares her favorite books with other young people her age! She is one of the most well-read youth that we know, so she is highly qualified for this role!

Dear readers,

Let me introduce you to The Lost Year by Katherine Marsh, an incredibly moving historical tale about the story of three girls during the Ukrainian Holodomor. I picked this book off of the Nutmeg shelf at my local library, which is an award they give to children’s all the way to high school books in Connecticut. There are a few books selected each year in every age category and they tend to be great reads, but this time, I was not ready for the whirlwind of emotions that followed picking this book off the shelf. It is told in three perspectives, Mila, Helen, and Matthew. One day during COVID, Matthew is ordered by his mom to stop playing video games and to help his great grandmother declutter some of the boxes she has in her room. Matthew just wants to play on his Nintendo Switch but after realizing that isn’t an option, he reluctantly agrees to help. His grandmother has never really talked much about her life and all he knows is that she almost starved in some Ukrainian famine but as soon as he opens the first box, he learns much more. The past is told by Mila, who is the daughter of a Ukrainian Oligarch and Helen, who lives in New York as the daughter of Ukrainian immigrants. Both girls are living in the 1930’s while Ukraine was a part of the Soviet Union, which is where Mila lives. It was so exciting and heartbreaking to watch their stories unravel, I hope you read this important historical tale.

Goodreads Summary

A middle-grade survival story that traces a family secret back to the Holodomor, a terrible famine that devastated Soviet Ukraine in the 1930s. Thirteen-year-old Matthew is miserable. His journalist dad is stuck overseas indefinitely, and his mom has moved in his one-hundred-year-old great-grandmother to ride out the pandemic, adding to his stress and isolation. But when Matthew finds a tattered black-and-white photo in his great-grandmother’s belongings, he discovers a clue to a hidden chapter of her past, one that will lead to a life-shattering family secret. Set in alternating timelines that connect the present-day to the 1930s and the US to the USSR, Katherine Marsh’s latest novel sheds fresh light on the Holodomor – the horrific famine that killed millions of Ukrainians, and which the Soviet government covered up for decades. Inspired by Marsh’s own family history.

My Thoughts

Wow, wow, wow, that is all I can say after reading this masterpiece. This is a book about a horrible time but the story is told beautifully. I usually don’t cry when I read a book, even if they are really sad but I shed a few tears at the end of this novel. So many unexpected things happen and you find yourself on the edge of your seat the entire time, hoping that the characters will be okay. Marsh NAILED Mila’s perspective, making us understand how blinded by Soviet propaganda Mila was. Before this book, I had never even heard of the Holodomor, and it is so powerful that The Lost Year brings to light this disgusting period of human history, which everybody should know about.

Also, heads up, you should read the Author’s Note because it just makes the story so much more special and important. All in all, I think The Lost Year is a book everybody should read because of the beautiful writing and gripping story. I hope you enjoy this book!

I would recommend this book for ages 13+ because of the difficult topics including death, genocide, the Soviet Union and grief.

**Thanks so much, Sofia!**

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 9/1/25

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It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?
For readers of all ages

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly blog hop we host which focuses on sharing what we’re reading. This Kid Lit version of IMWAYR focuses primarily on books marketed for kids and teens, but books for readers of all ages are shared. We love this community and how it offers opportunities to share and recommend books with each other.

The original IMWAYR, with an adult literature focus, was started by Sheila at Book Journeys and is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. The Kid Lit IMWAYR was co-created by Kellee & Jen at Teach Mentor Texts.

We encourage you to write your own post sharing what you’re reading, link up below, leave a comment, and support other IMWAYR bloggers by visiting and commenting on at least three of the other linked blogs.

Happy reading!

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Wednesday: Student Voices: Reflective Opinions About Books vs. Movies, BookTok, and Becoming a Reader from Raegen B., Luiza N., and Ernesto G.

Sunday: Author Guest Post: “Co-Authoring a Novel” by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner, Author of Lady’s Knight

**Click on any picture/link to view the post**

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Kellee

It’s my week off! You can always learn more about any of the books I’ve been reading by checking out my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

Ricki

Picture Book

I was so intrigued by the cover of this book and the title, that I dove right in. I instantly knew that I wanted my 1st grader to read it. That night, we read it together, and he loved it. He’s read it several times now. Highly recommend Ellie Has a Secret by Amelia Bothe.

Middle Grade

I actually haven’t read this one yet, but I am including it here because I wanted others to know about it. (I will read it this weekend!) My 11-year-old son read and LOVED Oppenheimer and the Atomic Bomb by Kai Bird & Martin J Sherwin and Adapted by Eric Singer. He wrote a positive review on GoodReads, and Eric Singer reached out to offer other recommendations for him. I love authors who are this generous. If your kid loves history, science, war, or nonfiction, I highly recommend this one.

Adult

A friend recommended Culpability by Bruce Holsinger. This book made me extremely reflective about the world, and I’ve been recommending it frequently.

One of my book clubs selected this book, Things We Never Say by Caitlin Weaver. I enjoyed reading it, but I will say that my book club members absolutely adored it. So it was a crowd pleaser.

This book is beautiful. Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall is gut-wrenching. I have also been recommending it to many other folks. I am really excited to talk about it in my other book club this weekend!

Adult Romance


I enjoyed Christina Lauren’s The Soulmate Equation. Admittedly, I felt it was a bit slower than their books typically are—but I still really enjoyed reading it.

I devoured Lucy Score’s Things We Never Got Over, Things We Hide from the Light, and Things We Left Behind. I found it difficult to join the world because I was so hooked on this series. I especially enjoyed the third book! If you like contemporary romance, I highly recommend this series.

I liked Elle Kennedy’s The Graham Effect and have been told the third book in this series is great, so I will likely keep going and reading more of these books.

My friend kept recommending Christina Lauren’s The Paradise Problem, so I grabbed a copy. It was really charming.

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Ricki

Sisters in the Wind by Angeline Boulley

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Thursday: Sofia’s YA Book Nook: The Lost Year by Katherine Marsh

Sunday: Author Guest Post: “Something New” by S. Isabelle, Author of The Great Misfortune of Stella Sedgwick

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Link up below and go check out what everyone else is reading. Please support other bloggers by viewing and commenting on at least 3 other blogs. If you tweet about your Monday post, tag the tweet with #IMWAYR!

 Signature andRickiSig

Author Guest Post: “Co-Authoring a Novel” by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner, Authors of Lady’s Knight

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“Co-Authoring a Novel”

The number one question that we get asked when we do book events is: how do you co-author a novel?

Even now, over a decade since our first co-authored novel hit the shelves, we find ourselves a little baffled by the ubiquitousness of that question. We get asked it at every event, in every interview, whether we’re talking about a co-authored book or one we’ve written solo. For us, writing together comes so naturally that we find the fascination with the process a bit confusing. At first, we even struggled to answer reader questions on that front because we couldn’t quite figure out why people kept asking us that question.

“But what happens when you disagree?” asked one reader, insistent. “Which one of you has the final say?”

We just eyed each other across the signing table, realizing that we had no answer for that. We never disagree.

To those of you now reading on with some skepticism: yeah, you’re not wrong. Of course we disagree, but the point is we never disagree in ways that put us on opposite sides of an issue. We actually learned very early on in writing our first book together that if we disagreed about what should happen next in our story, or what a character would say, or how the relationship arc would go, what was actually happening was that we were both wrong. Or, rather, we were both right—but going about listening to our instincts the wrong way. Amie thinks it has to be A, Meg thinks it’s obvious that it should be B – what’s really going on is that we’ve both missed the fact that the right answer is really the hidden, secret option C.

For instance, Amie might think the next scene ought to be full of action, but Meg thinks it ought to be a romantic scene. It’s not because one of us is wrong and one of us is right, it’s because actually what we’re picking up on is that neither of us has the perfect next scene. So we talk about why Amie feels the need for a fight scene—we need to see the characters showing off their strengths, perhaps—and why Meg feels more pulled toward romance—because we need to see the characters becoming closer, and cementing their bond. And it turns out that the perfect scene for both those things is actually a scene where they confront an obstacle together in a way that binds them and shows them being good at what they do.

Writing with a partner in a full, 50/50 split of the responsibilities requires the ability to set aside ego in favor of the book. It took us many years to figure out why this seemed to come naturally when it struck so many others, usually budding artists and young writers themselves, as strange. “I could never do that,” we keep hearing from readers. “Give up control that way!” But the truth is that any good, healthy relationship between friends (or anyone, really) demands that you value the strength of your connection over whatever project you might be embarking upon. From the very beginning, we always said that if writing together ever started threatening our friendship, we would simply stop. The friendship mattered most.

When we began writing Lady’s Knight, Amie suggested that we try a new way of outlining the book. Meg was a bit resistant to it, because that’s not how we’d worked before, and it wasn’t what came naturally to her, but we gave it a go and it turned out to be the perfect way of approaching this book. With the plot largely decided upon in advance, it meant that we could pour ourselves into the joyful anachronistic world-building, witty dialogue, and pretty much every joke we’ve ever wanted to put into a book we were writing.

Each book is a little different in terms of how we go about writing it, but Lady’s Knight was an exercise in joy and healing from the very beginning. Conceived of during the height of the pandemic, when we were all confined to our homes and wondering how many years it would be before we could see our loved ones in person again, this book just became our happy place. We’d call each other from opposite sides of the planet, bursting with ideas and jokes, laughing and writing them down as fast as we could.

We wrote about a girl who dreams of being a knight, and a noblewoman who finds herself put up as the prize for a tournament—and rather than waiting for someone to save her, she decides to engineer her own salvation. Each of the girls learn a lot about themselves, during the adventure that ensues. We learned a lot about ourselves, writing them.

We wrote this book to delight each other—whether it was breakfast on the balcony with plates of delicious pastries, a makeover scene with incredible fashion, a breathless rush through the castle after a falling-out, or the satisfaction of skewering a sexist old man (only verbally, don’t worry), we always came back to what we loved. We told a story from our hearts, and in pursuit of joy.

There’s a beautiful merging of egos, when you write something with someone you deeply trust, and even though this was our eighth book together, there was still a special kind of magic as we watched all our ideas merge into a very special “secret option C.” This book ended up being the best of both of us, and a love letter to our friendship, and it was such fun to write.

Published June 3rd, 2025 by Storytide

About the Book: An undeniably fierce, unforgettably funny, unapologetically queer feminist romp through the England of medieval legend. Bestselling and acclaimed authors Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner bring readers along on an epic quest for valor, freedom, and, above all, love. A Knight’s Tale meets the Lady Jane series, with a dash of The Great!

Gwen is sick of hiding—hiding the fact that she’s taken over her father’s blacksmithing duties, hiding her attraction to girls, hiding her yearning for glory as a knight.

Meanwhile, Lady Isobelle of Avington, queen bee of the castle, has never once considered hiding who she is—until now. She’s been chosen as the grand prize in the Tournament of Dragonslayers, to be given to whichever knight can claim her hand. And for the first time in her life, she can’t talk her way out of trouble.

When Isobelle discovers Gwen’s knightly ambitions, they hatch a scheme together—Gwen will joust in the tournament, disguised as Sir Gawain. Winning means freedom for Isobelle, and glory for Gwen. Losing means… well, let’s not go there.

One thing’s for sure: Falling in love was never the plan.

But the best laid plans…are often trampled all over by dragons.

About the Authors: Amie Kaufman is a New York Times and international bestselling author of young adult and middle grade fiction and the host of the podcast Amie Kaufman on Writing. Her multi-award-winning work is slated for publication in over thirty countries and has been described as “a game-changer” (Shelf Awareness), “stylistically mesmerizing” (Publishers Weekly), and “out-of-this-world awesome” (Kirkus Reviews). Her series include the Illuminae Files, the Aurora Cycle, the Other Side of the Sky duology, the Starbound trilogy, the Unearthed duology, the Elementalstrilogy, and The World Between Blinks. Her work is in development for film and TV and has taken home multiple Aurealis Awards, an ABIA, and a Gold Inky, made multiple best-of lists, and been shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards. Raised in Australia and occasionally Ireland, Amie has degrees in history, literature, law, and conflict resolution and is currently undertaking a PhD in creative writing. She lives in Melbourne with her husband, daughter, rescue dog, and an extremely large personal library. Learn more about her and subscribe to her newsletter at amiekaufman.com.

New York Times bestselling author Meagan Spooner grew up reading and writing every spare moment of the day while dreaming about life as an archaeologist, a marine biologist, or an astronaut. She graduated from Hamilton College in New York State with a degree in playwriting. She’s traveled all over the world, to places such as Egypt, Australia, South Africa, the Arctic, Greece, Antarctica, and the Galápagos Islands, and there’s a bit of every trip in every story she writes. She currently lives and writes in Asheville, North Carolina, but the siren call of travel is hard to resist, and there’s no telling how long she’ll stay there. She’s the author of Hunted and Sherwood and the coauthor of the award-winning Starbound Trilogy (These Broken Stars, This Shattered World, Their Fractured Light) and the Skylark Trilogy (Skylark, Shadowlark, Lark Ascending). In her spare time she plays guitar, plays video games, plays with her cat, and reads. meaganspooner.com

Thank you, Amie & Meagan, for sharing your process!

Student Voices: Reflective Opinions About Books vs. Movies, BookTok, and Becoming a Reader from Raegen B., Luiza N., and Ernesto G.

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Reflective Opinions About Books vs. Movies, BookTok, and Becoming a Reader

“Are Books Really Better Than Movies?” by Raegen B., 7th grade

It has been a debate for a long time when books started getting adapted into movies, as to whether the books were better or the movies were better.

People say that the books are better than the movies because without the books, the movies wouldn’t have anything to go off of, they have more detail, and have all the original information without anything being cut.

However, some people say that the movies are better because they have visuals for people to see the story unfold.

Opinions from real students

Why are the books better than the movies? (all said from real students)

“They give a lot more emphasis on the characters than the movies do; a lot of movies only show certain characters once or in one scene.” -Leonardo V.

“The movies are based on the books so that makes the books more accurate and because of this, the books cannot be messed up. -Makena A.

“Books take more time developing like the characters and key parts of the story. You understand the story better because of this.” – Valiya T.

“You get to hear more thoughts in the books than the movies.” – Layla N.

“They have more description of the story and characters and how they feel; you can also create the scenarios in your head.” – Marianne P.

“The books are usually have more detail and are the original idea that the movies are based on.” – Veronica O.

“They get to be more detailed and they don’t have a time or page limit on how long the book can be.” – Luiza N.

“There’s more details, more indications that we don’t get in the movies, more content, and there’s more content to enjoy than in the movies.” – Maya D.

Why are the movies better than the books? (all from real students)

“If done right, it lets you think more about the visual of the story. For example, when you watch the movies, you can see what the characters and setting look like. But when you read the books, a lot of times, you only focus on the plot.” -Makena A.

“You can actually hear the characters and their tone of voice, their facial expressions, and the setting of the movie.” – Neyla A.

My opinion

Now, I might have a biased opinion on this topic because I am a bookworm, but I think that the books are better than the movies. First of all, without the books, the movies wouldn’t have a story to film or make. Not to mention that they are constantly changing how the characters look.

A big example of this is in the Hunger Games. Not a lot of people know this, but in the books, Katniss is supposed to have olive skin and grey eyes. However in the movie, she’s white, and has brown eyes.

It’s understandable to not be able to find exact actors that look exactly how the characters are described in the books, but some movies have successfully done this. To stay on topic of the Hunger Games, in the movie, The Ballad of Song Birds and Snakes, Coriolanus Snow is described as having blonde hair and blue eyes, and the actor chosen, had blonde hair and blue eyes. So, it is possible for the producers to hire people who look like how characters are described in the books.

So we know that it is possible for producers and movie directors to get look-alikes.

Another big example of movie producers and directors getting characters wrong is in the Harry Potter movie series. One main thing that they got wrong is Harry’s eyes. In the books, Harry’s eyes are described as being green and “having his mother’s eyes.” But, Daniel Radcliff has blue eyes which isn’t that much of a big deal if you think about it, but it actually is. Like I mentioned before, Harry is constantly being told that “he has his mother’s eyes” in both the films and the books. But, in the Deathly Hollows movie, in Snape’s memories, we see Lily (Harry’s mom) in his memories and there’s even a close up of her eyes and they aren’t even blue to match Daniel’s eyes; the young actress chosen had brown eyes. You would think that they’d try and get an actress with blue eyes to match the already screwed up main characters eyes right? 

But, what do you think? Are the books really better than the movies?

“Problems with BookTok” by Luiza N., 7th grade

BookTok, a large community on the TikTok app where people come together to share their love for books. What started as a fun place for readers to engage with each other, is now a controversial topic of conversation. From its rise in popularity back in 2020, BookTok has developed serious problems. Said problems range from the readers inside the community, to authors, and the writing itself. 

One main issue with the community of BookTok is how it promotes overconsumption. The rich influencers of TikTok like to show off their huge, beautiful collection of books. Now this doesn’t exactly sound like a huge problem at first, but it is. Most of the books shown off in these collections are only for aesthetic purposes. A big number of influencers are not actually reading any of the books they are buying, but instead using them as a way to garner views and influence public opinion. By promoting such collections they not only make commission for themselves, but also encourage buying books in bulk from massive corporations, such as Amazon, who profit from exploiting workers and produce excess waste. The more unrealistic bookshelves are promoted on BookTok, the worse this problem will become. 

Another big problem in the BookTok community is its romanticization of the “idea” of reading, instead of reading itself. A couple months ago it “came out” that many BookTokers were skipping over main paragraphs of the book, mostly only reading the dialogue. While some do this to reach an unobtainable goal of books read throughout the year, some simply do not actually enjoy the act of reading. They are inspired by influencers on TikTok to have a certain aesthetic, to appear intellectual. A problem I, personally, have with this is that they are not even reading what could be considered “good literature”. Instead of reading well thought out books, meant to genuinely entertain, inform, or even persuade the reader, they are reading (really skimming) one-dimensional books with poor writing, story pacing, and plot, often made by money-hungry corporations and authors, contributing to the next problem I found with the BookTok community. 

Recently, authors on tiktok have started to write basically the exact same stories. This is not about the many plagiarism controversies of BookTok, but about the repeated tropes and world building found in its popular books. Authors have taken notice of how much BookTokers like certain tropes. For example, the trope “enemies to lovers”, a tag with 2.7 million posts, and many more views, on TikTok. Due to the insane popularity of enemies to lovers, the trope has started to be inserted into many books, some authors/companies even going as far as to mark their books enemies to lovers when they are not. This becomes an issue when books start blending together. Readers are not encouraged to explore new topics, but instead read the same thing over and over. There is a negative impact on both readers who are not discovering other tropes and stories they might like, but also authors who dare to to be creative, writing something they are genuinely passionate about. Of course, authors on BookTok are not the only ones to be blamed for this issue, but also readers. The more these books are read and shown off, the more these books will continue to be published and rewritten. BookTok should strive to be a community filled with innovation and creativity, not the regurgitation of the same stories. 

Although BookTok may have some good qualities, it is important to acknowledge the issues within the community, be it overconsumption, romanticism, or even plagiarism. If these issues can be talked about and known, I believe BookTok can return to what it once was. Providing readers with an environment to discuss, recommend, and share literature. 

Sources:

“The Struggles of Reading Books for Non-Readers” by Luiza N., 7th grade

Reading books can seem like a fun and easy task for most people, but for some, it can be a challenge. First, the struggle of books can be due to there being a lack of encouragement at home and at school, it may also be attributed to them being constantly forced to read which can deprive them of enjoyment. Furthermore, reading can also be associated with school work or an obligation which is one of the main reasons that people dislike reading.

According to the National Institutes of Health, they have found that encouragement at home is associated with children’s motivation to read. In addition, studies done by Readingrockets.org, have proved that when reading material is made relevant or encouraged to students, they are far more likely to become “Engaged & competent readers”. Thus, encouragement plays an important role in students’ motivation to read. Similarly, pleasure and entertainment is one of the various motives for reading books. However, Pewresearch.org suggests that reading enjoyment has dropped and reached the “Lowest level since the 1980’s” in American children. This lack of interest and pleasure for reading can be attributed to academic pressures and social media which is why less people are reading books. Nevertheless, Social media in general can also be a big struggle for Non-Readers to overcome due to kids and teenagers being “Glued to their screens” every day which results in them preferring to play video games or watch videos instead of choosing healthier or more productive activities such as reading.

As a previous “Non-Reader,” myself, here are some ways people can incorporate reading frequently in their daily agenda: 

  • Spend 10-15 minutes reading and add a couple minutes each day. 
  • Explore different genres and don’t be loyal to just one genre.
  • Read a mixture of short and long books
  • Don’t stick with a book that you strongly dislike and find a new book that you like.
  • When given the opportunity to choose between your phone or read a book, dedicate some time to reading a book.
  • Lastly, take breaks whenever you feel like you’re getting bored or tired.

Finally, changing bad habits or your opinion or emotions on something is a gradual process. So take your time and be patient when reading books.  Always remember that “A book is a gift that you can open again and again”-Garrison Keillor.

Thank you so much to my student voices today and their look at these popular book point of views!

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 8/25/25

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It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?
For readers of all ages

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly blog hop we host which focuses on sharing what we’re reading. This Kid Lit version of IMWAYR focuses primarily on books marketed for kids and teens, but books for readers of all ages are shared. We love this community and how it offers opportunities to share and recommend books with each other.

The original IMWAYR, with an adult literature focus, was started by Sheila at Book Journeys and is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. The Kid Lit IMWAYR was co-created by Kellee & Jen at Teach Mentor Texts.

We encourage you to write your own post sharing what you’re reading, link up below, leave a comment, and support other IMWAYR bloggers by visiting and commenting on at least three of the other linked blogs.

Happy reading!

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Thursday: Sofia’s YA Book Nook: Under the Same Stars by Libba Bray

Sunday: Author Guest Post: “Building Writer’s Voice” by K. Ibura, Author of Tempest

**Click on any picture/link to view the post**

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Kellee

Young Adult

  • The Great Misfortune of Stella Sedgwick by S. Isabelle: I love love love love Stella Sedgwick! I love that she speaks her mind, that she wants more than the society wants for her, that she isn’t a runner, that she would rather walk away from something than stoop to a level beneath her, and that she is just so sassy! This historical fiction romance is more than just a romance (though it is a great romance, too!), it is about changing how others view you just because of the color of your skin and for being who you are despite what others want you to be. I am so glad I read this book.

Middle Grade

  • The Wild Robot series by Peter Brown: I reread the first Wild Robot book so I could read the rest of the series, and I am so glad I did! I loved Roz after just reading the first one, but Roz becomes so much more in the next two books. She becomes what people should strive to be. Peter Brown’s series is full of adventure and heartfelt moments and are just such a pleasure to read.
  • The Deadly Fates (The Conjurverse #3) by Dhonielle Clayton: I LOVE THIS SERIES! Truly, stop hyping up the boy wizard book, let’s hype up this magical book instead! I don’t want to spoil too much, but this book take us into Ella’s 3rd year at the Arcanum where she continues to show that Conjurers belong, even with the tension between Marvellers and Conjurers reaching a breaking point in society.

And you can always learn more about any of the books I’ve been reading by checking out my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

Ricki

This is my week off; see you soon!

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Kellee

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Wednesday: Student Voices: Reflective Opinions About Books vs. Movies, BookTok, and Becoming a Reader from Raegen B., Luiza N., and Ernesto G.

Sunday: Author Guest Post: “Co-Authoring a Novel” by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner, Author of Lady’s Knight

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Link up below and go check out what everyone else is reading. Please support other bloggers by viewing and commenting on at least 3 other blogs. If you tweet about your Monday post, tag the tweet with #IMWAYR!

 Signature andRickiSig

Author Guest Post: “Building Writer’s Voice” by K. Ibura, Author of Tempest

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“Building Writer’s Voice”

On a television show I watched once, there was a curvy girl trying out for a ballet program. She got cut almost immediately. Her ballet teacher gave her a wig and told her to audition under another name. She quickly got cut again. Her ballet teacher sent her in under a third name. Someone who was watching said, “This is madness. They saw her, and she got cut.” The ballet teacher said, “They didn’t see her. She’s auditioning with all these skinny girls and they see that she has the biggest thighs and the biggest hips and they cut her. They aren’t actually seeing her. Eventually, she’ll go in with a group of girls and someone else will have big thighs, then they will see her.”

This statement blew my mind. How many times have we been rejected from an opportunity, not based on merit but on some external bias beyond our control? And how many times have we taken that judgment to be a ruling on our talent (or lack thereof) rather than a prejudice against our being. Students fight this battle of perception on a daily basis. I have a colleague who is working in an afterschool program. There are two boys in the program who are constantly getting in trouble together. One of them, however, has a behavior plan and goals that the adults in his life are monitoring. The other boy has nothing. She asked, “Why doesn’t this boy have a plan too?” The head of the program said, “Because we don’t care about him.” He laughed when he said it, but it was true. Two troublemakers, but one was seen as redeemable and one was not. We internalize the judgments that are made on us—but we have no idea what biases may be at play when people are reacting to us. That was really all the ballet teacher in the TV show was looking for. She wasn’t pushing to have her student selected, she was pushing to have the biases stripped away so her student could be seen. Isn’t that what we are all looking for?

As humans we all need relationships in which we are authentically seen, valued and appreciated, but being seen can be a really tricky proposition. For the main character in my YA novel Tempest, being seen is dangerous. Born with the power to control the wind, Veronique grows up knowing that there are threats to her life and her freedom. To keep her safe, her grandmother insists that she hide, but a life of hiding is limiting—and safety based on hiding can quickly become a trap. Over the course of the novel, Veronique learns how to face the forces that are hunting her—and she learns how to face herself and fully embrace her power.

The dangers of being seen may not be life-threatening for all of us, but very early in our lives, we learn how closely judgment is tied to visibility. Being seen means opening ourselves to being criticized. For the entire first half of my career, being seen was an intensely uncomfortable sensation. I didn’t like sharing pictures of myself or personal information about myself. And, the idea of sharing my work—my raw, unpolished, initial drafts—was excruciating. I remember years ago when a magazine editor asked me to submit an article. I told her I didn’t know where to begin. She told me to write a draft off the top of my head and send it to her unedited. I looked at her like she was crazy. She said, “I know sharing your work at such a raw stage feels strange, but I think the first draft holds power.” It was painful for me to even consider turning over a first draft of anything. With MASSIVE reluctance, I shared my first draft with her. The process unfolded just as the editor said it would. She gave me some guidance and I completed the piece.

Fast-forward 12 years. An editor asked me for an essay. I was willing but busy. I sat down and banged out a draft in two hours. I sent it to her without reading it over even once. “I need to edit this piece,” I wrote, “but please review it and let me know if this is what you’re looking for.” I trusted that she could see the essence of the essay in the draft, she could read the bones and I could fill in the flesh later. She reviewed it and affirmed that it was exactly what she was looking for. She gave me a deadline to turn in edits. I made some tweaks and the work was done.

The difference between these two experiences was about a decade of writing. When I was less developed as a writer, I was more rigid and more controlling about my work. Now, I’m happy to hear critique and insight. I welcome new suggestions and perspectives. And I don’t mind sending out an underdeveloped draft for feedback. I believe it is because more experience = more confidence. More confidence = less need for every single thing I write to be perfect.

The biggest thing artists need as they are developing their voices, as well as when they are maturing to deeper and deeper levels of mastery, is the willingness to follow their ideas. So often, the need for perfection stops people from bringing their ideas to life. Willingness and acceptance are the biggest barriers to developing skill and identity as a writer. The only way to grow is to make mistakes, to write clumsily, and to discover the potholes of storytelling. When we are willing to be imperfect, we learn the rhythm of writing more quickly. We must also accept that all writers have both gifts and challenges. No matter how much mastery we gain, we are constantly called to both acknowledge our imperfections AND validate our writing

But how do we get there? If seasoned writing requires time and space, and for so many evolving writers, just staring at the blank page sparks vulnerability and the intense desire to hide, what do we do? Evolving writers need frequent, low-stakes practices that build fluidity and confidence into their writing. It’s a huge gift to offer people—both grown-ups and students alike—the space to play freely and explore creatively. In his excellent Free Play: Improvisation in Life and Art, Stephen Nachmanovitch draws on Buddhist philosophy to talk about the tendency of humans to compare ourselves to others. Nachmanovitch defines the “fear of ghosts” as our habit of measuring ourselves against the talents and directives of our “teachers, authorities, parents or the great masters.” That’s why writing assignments that are not graded, that are short, and that are frequent can give growing writers a little bit of breathing room.

When guiding developing writers, it’s important to remember that for so many people, writing just feels like setting themselves up to be judged. When we share our writing, negative marks can validate self-criticism and strengthen our certainty that our writing voice is faulty and our efforts are useless. If the only focus in writing is the right way to structure a sentence or a paragraph or a paper or a story, we lose our own personal relationship to writing. We rob ourselves of the ability to personally connect to the work and discover our own reasons for writing. The academic side of writing is essential, but without valuing the uniqueness of our voices, we can end up frozen and afraid to write. Finding value in our own writing style is essential— it’s not just about healthy esteem, it is literally the key to forward motion. We all need to learn about topic sentences and paragraphs, but we also need support and guidance to celebrate our authorial voice, just as it is.

Published June 24th, 2025 by Qull Tree Books

About the Book: In this lyrical and epic contemporary novel with magical fantasy elements, a girl must learn to master her powers over the wind before a sinister secret organization finds her. Perfect for fans of Legendborn,  A Song Below Water, and Vespertine.

After Veronique’s parents died, her grandmother raised her on a farm in rural Louisiana. For sixteen years, it’s just been Veronique, MawMaw, and an ocean of trees. That’s because Veronique has a secret—one MawMaw has warned her she must always keep safe.

Veronique has the power to control the wind.

But when MawMaw falls ill, Veronique is forced to move to New Orleans to live with family she never knew she had. New Orleans is a far cry from her old quiet life, but Veronique finally gets her chance for a normal life—one with school, friends, and even love. But when her new life threatens her ability to control her powers, she quickly learns that the world is bigger and more dangerous than she’d ever imagined. Veronique must uncover what MawMaw was trying to protect her from before it’s too late.

About the Author: K. Ibura is a writer and visual artist from New Orleans, Louisiana. The middle child of five, she grew up in a city full of music and culture, a neighborhood full of oak trees and mosquitoes, and a home full of art and activism. She has written two short story collections for adults: Ancient, Ancient—winner of the James Tiptree Jr. Literary Award—and When the World Wounds. Her debut novel and first book for young people, When the World Turned Upside Down, was published in February 2022. Find her online at kiburabooks.com.

Thank you, K, for this thought-provoking and inspiring post!

Sofia’s YA Book Nook: Under the Same Stars by Libba Bray

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Sofia is a 13-year-old brilliant reader who aspires to be a book reviewer. Since she was 8 years old, on select weeks, Sofia shares her favorite books with other young people her age! She is one of the most well-read youth that we know, so she is highly qualified for this role!

Dear readers,

Let me introduce you to… Under the Same Stars by Libba Bray! A fantastic historical fiction novel that keeps you on the edge of your seat! This book is told from three locations in time, one in a small town in Germany during WWII, another in West Berlin in the 1980s, and the last one in Brooklyn, during COVID. All of these settings are told in third-person omniscient narration, meaning you get to see these worlds through the eyes of, essentially, an all-knowing cloud, which knows all the characters’ feelings and tells the story that way. I read this book with my mom, in our book club, and it was amazing to discuss all of the important events happening in this book! I would highly recommend finding someone to read Under the Same Stars with, since it helps you dig deeper into the themes and meaning of the story. We loved this book and I hope you do too!

Goodreads Summary

It was said that if you write to the Bridegroom’s Oak, the love of your life will answer back. Now, the tree is giving up its secrets at last.

In 1940s Germany, Sophie is excited to discover a message waiting for her in the Bridegroom’s Oak from a mysterious suitor. Meanwhile, her best friend, Hanna, is sending messages too—but not to find love. As World War II unfolds in their small town of Kleinwald, the oak may hold the key to resistance against the Nazis.

In 1980s West Germany, American teen transplant Jenny feels suffocated by her strict parents and is struggling to fit in. Until she finds herself falling for Lena, a punk-rock girl hell-bent on tearing down the wall separating West Germany from East Germany, and meeting Frau Hermann, a kind old lady with secrets of her own.

In Spring 2020, New York City, best friends Miles and Chloe are slogging through the last few months of senior year when an unexpected package from Chloe’s grandmother leads them to investigate a cold case about two unidentified teenagers who went missing under the Bridegroom’s Oak eighty years ago.

My Thoughts

Under the Same Stars is an amazing novel, which led me to think more deeply about how history connects to our current lives, and what we can learn from it. I love that this novel is told from three different perspectives, since it makes the story a lot more interesting and complex, although at the beginning, my mom found the perspectives a bit difficult to follow; though as we kept on reading, this problem went away, as the storylines became more connected and we began to remember the characters better. I love that this book always kept me and my mom on our toes, we were always making theories about what could happen next, and mostly being surprised when something else happened! Out of all of the characters, I think Jenny was the most fun to talk about with my mom. Her actions were always so irrational that we couldn’t help discussing what we would have done, and what potentially caused her to act that way. Along with its detailed characters, Under the Same Stars is also written beautifully. The way that Libba Bray puts moments into words is spectacular, adding complexity and emotion into the story. My favorite quote is “Don’t die in the waiting room of the future”(Bray 68), which I find very inspirational and motivating.

Under the Same Stars was so good that my mom and I took it on vacation and still finished it on time, which is very unusual for us. This book just kept on getting more exciting so we had to keep on reading! Additionally, if you appreciate when a book has a nice cover, when you take the sleeve off of Under the Same Stars, which we did so it wouldn’t get ripped on the flight, there is a beautiful golden tree on the front! The tree is so detailed, and fits with the gorgeous red tree rings on the unbound edges of the book! This book has received a handful of compliments, which has never happened to another book I have read! I will embed a photo below so you can see! Under the Same Stars is an amazing book that both my mom and I loved, so I hope you will enjoy it too!

I would recommend Under the Same Stars for ages 14+, because of the difficult topics, advanced reading level, and the complex storyline. Some of the more difficult topics in this book include WWII, the COVID pandemic, George Floyd, homophobia, violence, and death.

**Thanks so much, Sofia!**