Guest post

Author Guest Post: “Empathy and Gratitude Through Immigration Stories” by Nazanin Agange Ford, Author of My America Blooms

by
Share

“Empathy and Gratitude Through Immigration Stories”

I’ll come right out and say it: the world has me worried.

From tragic ICE events, to the ongoing conflicts around the globe, to heat domes, and measles outbreaks, I am worried about a lot of things that I feel helpless to affect. And, if a fairly reasonable, generally non-panicking adult (me) is worried, what are our kids feeling?

Anxious?
Confused?
Maybe a little less kind than usual?

Did that last one surprise you?

Let me explain. When I have a lot on my “worry” plate, I don’t have as much room to think about others. For me, this creates an isolating narrative, which transforms the worries into frustration and anger. I think this is true for others, too.

The best way I know to tackle this spiral is with gratitude and empathy. These are small mindset pivots I can make to create space for problem-solving, dialogue, understanding, and hopefully respect. Our kids need that infusion of gratitude and empathy to operate in this uniquely challenging world, too.

All stories hold the power to inspire gratitude and empathy. In particular immigrant stories, which are also timely right now, offer eye-opening perspectives, even for those of us who are immigrants. These stories can provide a bridge toward understanding and appreciating every member of our community a little better.

When I wrote My America Blooms, I hoped it would help more people understand the challenges of starting a new life in a new place, and I wanted those who have experienced it to know they weren’t alone—that they could share their story, too. But I also wanted to share my gratitude for all the kindnesses and opportunities people offered my family.

Here are eight great immigrant story picture books I recommend for spreading gratitude and empathy.

We Came to America - by Faith Ringgold (Paperback)

We Came to America by Faith Ringold (Alfred A. Knopf, 2016) – a boldly illustrated, simple and poetic text that pays tribute to “every American who came before us” and honors the children who will carry the “message of diversity into our nation’s future.”

    • Activity: Using colors and inspiration from Ringold’s illustrations, have children recreate their favorite page.
    • Discuss: Is the picture you chose about your own ancestors? Did you learn something new about other Americans?

Mama's Nightingale: A Story of Immigration and Separation: Danticat, Edwidge, Staub, Leslie: 9780525428091: Amazon.com: Books

Mama’s Nightingale, A Story of Immigration and Separation by Edwidge Danticat, illustrated by Leslie Staub (Dial Books, 2015) – a family is separated because of the mother’s immigration status and the child “discovers that her words can change the world” and reunite her family.

    • Activity: Have children write a short letter about something they want to see changed.
    • Discuss: How did writing a letter help make people aware of the mother’s situation? What would you feel if someone you knew was experiencing something like this?

Amazon.com: Some of Us: A Story of Citizenship and the United States: 9780316571753: LaRocca, Rajani, Voun Lee, Huy: Books

Some of Us, A Story of Citizenship and the United States by Rajani LaRocca, illustrated by Huy Voun Lee (Christy Ottaviano Books, 2025) – describes the path to becoming US citizens in a poetic way with beautiful images depicting the diversity of immigrants.

The Welcome Chair | Book by Rosemary Wells, Jerry Pinkney | Official Publisher Page | Simon & Schuster

The Welcome Chair by Rosemary Wells, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney (Paula Wiseman Books, 2021) – follows the journey of a chair through generations and various families of immigrants. There is a heartwarming story of belonging with each new owner.

    • Activity: Have children tell the story of the welcome chair’s next home. They can write and/or illustrate their story, or share it aloud.
    • Activity: Create a “welcome” space in by writing welcome in as many languages as you can collect.
    • Discuss: What does it mean to be welcoming? How does it feel when you are welcomed?

Rostam's Picture-Day Pusteen by Ryan Bani Tahmaseb: 9781623543815 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books

Rostam’s Picture-Day Pusteen by Ryan Bani Tahmasek, illustrated by Fateme Mokhles (Charlesbridge, 2024) – Rostam is worried about wearing his father’s traditional pusteen for picture-day. When he braves sharing about his Persian culture, his classmates are excited to learn more and try on the pusteen.

    • Activity: Using paper bags cut to fit like vests, have children draw and decorate their own pusteens with symbolic colors, patterns, and materials.
    • Discuss: Do you have any traditional clothes or clothes that have been passed down? Have you ever worried about standing out and feeling out of place?

Gibberish: Vo, Young: 9781646141104: Amazon.com: Books

Gibberish by Young Vo (Levine Querido, 2022) – Everything Dat hears in his new country sounds like gibberish, until a new friend helps him start to make sense of the strange sounds.

    • Activity: Make up new words or share words from a different language for items around the room. Make signs and put them on the items. Have gibberish day where you use the alternate words when talking about the items.
    • Discuss: How do Young Vo’s illustrations show how the world changes for the main character as he begins to understand his classmate’s words?

Wishes by Muon Thi Van | The Scholastic Parent Store

Wishes by Mu’o’n Thi Văn, illustrations by Victo Ngai (Orchard Books, 2021) – spare, lyrical text shares several wishes, while illustrations depict a family leaving their home, becoming refugees, and eventually arriving in a new country.

    • Activity: Make a list of wishes, either the children’s own (“I wish”) or inanimate objects like the story does. These can be shared or kept private in a personal wish jar. Children can share wishes to create decorations, like mobile(s) hung from the ceiling or a constellation of wishes on a wall.
    • Discuss: What do the things that we wish for tell us about each other? Do most people have the same wishes? Are wishes important? Why or why not?

New - by Niña Mata (Hardcover)

New by Niña Mata (Harper, 2025) – an uplifting story of a child starting school in a new country and making a friend.

    • Activity: Make a poster of things everyone can do to help someone new feel welcome.
    • Discuss: Share stories of when each of you were new somewhere. How did it feel to be new? What helped you feel comfortable? What made you feel uncomfortable?

My America Blooms
Author: Nazanin Agange Ford
Illustrator: Fateme Mokhles
Published June 30th, 2026 by Beaming Books

View Discussion and Activity Suggestions for Educators and Parents for My America Blooms HERE

About the Book: Inspired by the author’s experience of immigrating to the U.S. from Iran, My America Blooms shares a story of hope.

My America Blooms is a story about a young girl who is uprooted from her home in Iran. When she and her family are forced to flee Tehran, she brings a pocket of golnar petals from her beloved garden. In America, she begins to tend a new garden as she creates a new life as an immigrant. America brings friendships, community experiences, and stability, planting the seeds of hope. But every garden has its thorns–the girl must dig deep within herself to cultivate the promises of her new home.

This hopeful story embodies the American dream in all its complexity. Fateme Mokhles’ evocative, impressionistic art depicts the immigrant experience through the eyes of a child, while Nazanin Agange Ford’s moving words remind all readers that they belong.

About the Author: Nazanin Agange Ford was born in Tehran, Iran and moved to the United States at a young age. She grew up in Southern California and now lives in Nevada with her husband, two daughters, and an Aussie Labradoodle. Her writing explores her Persian heritage and the adventure of growing up. Naz is a former teacher and journalist. She is a member of Inked Voices, the 12×12 Picture Book Challenge, and the American Library Association.

About the Illustrator: Fateme Mokhles is an illustrator and interdisciplinary artist whose practice is rooted in storytelling. Born in Iran and now based in California, she often draws inspiration from her heritage and lived experiences. Fateme is also the illustrator of Rustam’s Picture-Day Pusteen. Her illustrations bring a sense of belonging and depth to children’s literature, inspiring imagination and connection.

Thank you, Nazanin, for sharing these books that we can bring to our spaces to spread empathy and gratitude!

Author Guest Post: “Teaching the Next Generation about September 11th” by Jacqueline Jules, Author of Smoke at the Pentagon: Poems to Remember

by
Share

“Teaching the Next Generation About September 11th”

“What happened at the Pentagon?” one of my students asked me. “Why are they ringing that bell?”

It was September 11, 2008, seven years after the 9/11 attacks. I was an elementary school librarian in Northern Virginia. A select group of students, chosen to be my library helpers, had just walked into the library. They gathered around me, watching a wall-mounted television in the center of the room. I had turned it on earlier that morning so the staff could watch the dedication of the Pentagon Memorial on C-Span.

“Why are they reading names?” another student asked. “Did people die?”

I won’t forget the upturned faces, focused on the television screen that morning. All six of my library helpers stood silently, watching a man in a white Navy suit, wearing white gloves, pull the cord on a large golden bell. Another man read names from a podium on an outdoor stage. The solemnity of the dedication ceremony was very clear to my students. Yet they were baffled by the reason for it. I was surprised. 

As residents of Northern Virginia, these students were certainly familiar with the Pentagon. Like me, they’d seen the huge five-sided building with its enormous parking lot on their way to the airport or a nearby mall. But not one of the six children in front of me knew that the Pentagon had been attacked on September 11, 2001.

I shouldn’t have been shocked. These students were only four years old in 2001 and unlikely to remember much. Not all of them had even lived in Virginia at the time of the Pentagon attack. Why should they know what happened?

A good question. As a teacher, it was something I thought about a lot. Should 9/11 be a part of our curriculum? Can we understand our present society better when we have knowledge of past events?

Today’s students may not be aware of the drastic changes in airport security since 9/11. Even more importantly, they may not be aware of the way Americans came together to help each other and rebuild after 9/11. Knowing that Americans overcame tough circumstances in the past can give students the courage to face future challenges if they arise. The history of 9/11 can demonstrate the resilience of American society. The Pentagon was rebuilt within a year. It’s a story of perseverance our students should be aware of.  

My collection of narrative poems, Smoke at the Pentagon: Poems to Remember, portrays the reactions of young people who experienced September 11th  in Northern Virginia where the Pentagon is located. Kelvin, age 5, is on the swings at recess when he is frightened by a loud sound. Emily, age 13, describes her feelings as she watches her teacher holding on to his desk, visibly shaken by the news he shares with the class. Cyrus, age 10, waits for his father, a fireman responding to the Pentagon attack. Tyra, age 14, watches rubble cleared from the Pentagon while riding the bus to school.

The twenty poems in Smoke at the Pentagon: Poems to Remember could be performed as a Reader’s Theater. If the class has more than twenty students, the introduction can be divided up into extra speaking parts. Role-playing the different characters can help students understand and discuss many perspectives. Other teaching ideas for Smoke at the Pentagon: Poems to Remember can be found in the Teacher’s Guide posted on my website and at the Bushel & Peck website.

I hope you will consider discussing September 11, 2001 in your classrooms and at home. We are approaching the 22nd anniversary of the event. Today’s children will have no knowledge of this history if educators and other adults don’t introduce it.

Published September 19, 2023 by Bushel & Peck Books

About the Book: A moving book of poems to remember 9/11 at the Pentagon.

On September 11, 2001, American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. One hundred and eighty-four innocent people were killed. The event occurred at 9:37 a.m. and was part of a coordinated terrorist attack against the United States involving four hijacked flights.

Author Jacqueline Jules, who was a school librarian living in Arlington, Virginia on 9/11, tells the story of that day through a tapestry of poems. These poems tell the stories of young people from all aspects of the Arlington and Pentagon communities and are composites drawn from personal experiences with students and friends residing in Northern Virginia at the time of the attack.

September 11th changed childhoods. Anyone old enough to remember that day will never forget, but today’s children need to be told the story.

Download the Teacher’s Guide: http://jacquelinejules.com/images/Teacher’sGuideSMOKE%20AT%20THE%20PENTAGON.pdf

“A powerful, humanistic look at the aftermath of a national tragedy, and an important purchase for modern collections.”―School Library Journal, starred review

About the Author: Jacqueline Jules is the award-winning author of over fifty books for young readers, including the Zapato Power series, the Sofia Martinez series, Unite or Die: How Thirteen Became a Nation, My Name is Hamburger, The Porridge-Pot Goblin, and Tag Your Dreams: Poems of Play and Persistence. A retired elementary school librarian and teacher, she has created numerous resources for her website, available to educators for free download. Please visit www.jacquelinejules.com.  

Thank you, Jacqueline, for this reminder that history needs to be taught!

Author Guest Post: “The Child Who Feels Different: What They Need from Adults in the Room” by Dr. Nahal Delpassand, Author of The Seasons of Little Tree

by
Share

“The Child Who Feels Different: What They Need from Adults in the Room”

Have you ever looked back on the reel of your life and realized there was one scene, one moment that would shape the foundation of your story?

The first time I realized something was off. I was in kindergarten. Our teacher asked us to pull out our rulers and draw a straight line. I was left-handed so I tried to stabilize the ruler with my right. But as I pressed down, the ruler wobbled and when I looked down, my line was jagged. Everyone else’s lines were perfectly straight.

This moment has stayed with me not because of the jagged line but because of what it revealed. It was the first time, I understood that my hands and body moved differently, It was the first time I realized I had a neurological condition, that was known as Cerebral Palsy.

Years later when I replay this moment in my mind, I realized it was symbolic of my first lesson in truth ,that life itself is a jagged line.

The jagged line became a metaphor I didn’t know I was drawing, a preview of how my life would unfold. Cerebral Palsy taught me that control is an illusion, but effort that’s sacred.

The effort that lives between two kingdoms where ability and limitation meet in quiet negotiation.

Growing up as I engaged in activities at school, I spent years trying to make my line look like everyone else’s . I learned to hide the spasticity in my hand, to steady It under the table, to move slower, to pretend the imbalance was not there. I was confused. I didn’t understand what I was feeling. Was I bad, was I wrong, was I weak?

This was a very lonely pursuit. I spent many years of my life trying to erase the evidence. Severing these parts, only to have to confront them later.

This story is symbolic because it was the first time I experienced feelings that I did not understand. I did not understand whyI was different. Looking back on my formative years, knowing what I know now, I realize that something was missing.

I learned many important skills in school :how to read, how to write, how to calculate, but I was never taught how to understand the emotions that I felt in that moment in kindergarten, the zingers that echoed through my heart and body. So I pushed these feelings away and tried even harder to hide.

I do not want our children today to have to get by as I did. I want them to know that school can be a place where emotional understanding is prized just as much as academic achievement.

As I look back on this moment in Kindergarten, I recognize now that my children’s book, The Seasons of Little Tree, embodies the growth that prevailed throughout my life. This experience reflects the quiet roots that were growing beneath the surface long before I could see them, roots that sustained me through seasons of uncertainty, loneliness, and self-discovery.

Little Tree is the translation of my name in Farsi, and the child I once was.

Little Tree looks around and wonders why she doesn’t measure up. She questions why others seem stronger, taller, more capable. She watches the world reward what is obvious while the quiet work happening beneath the soil goes unnoticed. Like so many children, she mistakes difference for deficiency because no one has yet given her the language to understand otherwise.

That is why I wrote this story.

Not because every child has cerebral palsy, but because every classroom holds children carrying something unseen. A learning difference. Anxiety. Grief. A disability. Family struggles. Loneliness. The quiet fear that they are somehow “less than.” Children rarely have the words to explain these experiences. Instead, they express them through behavior, withdrawal, perfectionism, frustration, or silence.

As psychologists, we know that children do not simply need instruction. They need recognition. They need adults who notice and recognize, who can help them make sense of what they are feeling before those feelings become the stories they tell themselves about who they are.

When I think back to that jagged line, I don’t wish someone had drawn it for me. I wish someone had helped me understand what I was feeling as I looked down at it.

That conversation would not have changed my cerebral palsy, but it may have changed how I understood myself.

Teachers have opportunities like this every single day. Often, they are not the big moments that become memorable. They are the quiet ones, the child who hesitates before raising a hand, the student who tears up over a small mistake, the child who never seems to join the others at recess. These moments ask us to look beneath the behavior and wonder what roots are growing underneath.

My hope is that The Seasons of Little Tree becomes an invitation: for teachers, parents, counselors, and caregivers, to recognize children more deeply.

Because every child is growing roots we cannot see.

And sometimes, the smallest tree in the forest is quietly becoming the strongest one of all.

Five Books for the Child Who Feels Different

These are picture books I’d put in the hands of any teacher who wants to open the conversation – books that hold complexity without rushing toward a tidy resolution.

  • The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig – A quiet boy on the edges of his classroom becomes visible when one act of kindness shifts everything. This book is less about the child who is different and more about what it costs to be unseen. Teachers often find it works as well with the witness as it does with the child who recognizes themselves in Brian.

  • Bitsy Bat, School Star by Kaz Windness – A little bat starts school doing everything “wrong-wrong-wrong” until she finds a way to shine that is entirely her own. Three starred reviews. Written by an autistic author-illustrator, this one earns its place because it doesn’t just celebrate difference – it shows the exhaustion of trying to do things the way everyone else does them first.

  • Maybe Just Ask Me! by Katie Mazeika – Mazie wears an eyepatch and a head scarf on her first day at a new school. Her classmates don’t ask; they invent wild rumors instead. What makes this book stand out is that Mazie isn’t waiting to be rescued – she’s building the courage to tell her own story. A strong read-aloud for conversations about disclosure, curiosity, and why it matters to go to the source.

  • Becoming Vanessa by Tami Charles – On her first day of school, Vanessa’s clothes are too bright, her feather boa has too many feathers, and even her name feels too hard. She wants to shrink herself into something simpler. Then her mother tells her what her name means. I include this one because the turning point isn’t someone else accepting Vanessa – it’s Vanessa learning that her name, and everything it carries, was chosen with intention.

  • The Seasons of Little Tree – I wrote this one, so I’ll speak to it plainly: I needed this book when I was five years old. It follows a small tree learning that belonging doesn’t require sameness, that growth happens in seasons, and that a winter that looks like nothing is happening is still a form of becoming. For children who are moving at a different pace, taking a different shape, or simply trying to find their place on the page.

The Seasons of Little Tree
A Children’s Book About Growth, Change, Resilience, and Becoming
Author: Dr. Nahal Delpassand
Illustrator: Aram Amini
Self Published April 1st, 2026

About the Book: The Seasons of Little Tree by Dr. Nahal Delpassand, beautifully illustrated by Aram Amini, is a heartfelt children’s book about identity, disability, emotional growth, and discovering your strength through life’s changing seasons. Inspired by real lived experiences, this beautifully illustrated story follows Little Tree through the changing seasons as she discovers that growth is not always visible — and that strength often comes from the roots we quietly nurture beneath the surface. What This Story Offers Themes of resilience, self-acceptance, and belonging Gentle conversations about difference and emotional growth A calming, meaningful bedtime reading experience Rich, full-color illustrations inspired by nature and cherry blossoms A Story That Grows With You Written for readers ages 0–99, The Seasons of Little Tree resonates with children and adults alike. Through poetic storytelling and immersive artwork, readers are reminded that every season of life holds meaning — even the difficult ones. Like roots beneath a tree, the most important parts of us are often the parts no one else can see. Perfect for families, educators, therapists, caregivers, and anyone navigating change, this timeless story is a celebration of hope, perseverance, and becoming.

DrD_new bio image.jpeg

About the Author: Dr. Nahal Delpassand is a licensed psychologist, speaker, and author based in Austin, Texas, serving clients across 40 states through PSYPACT. She is the author of the debut children’s book The Seasons of Little Tree. Her work centers on emotional literacy, self-esteem, and what it means to stay rooted in yourself through uncertainty and change. She lives and practices through her signature philosophy, Rooted in Self.

Thank you, Dr. Delpassand, for sharing your story and your book!

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

by
Share

“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!

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

by
Share

“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!

Author Guest Post: “The Magical Science of Graphic Novels” by Matthew Manning, Author of The Spark Experiment

by
Share

“The Magical Science of Graphic Novels”

Somewhere in the haze of the 1980s, two first grade boys carefully placed a plastic bowl in the neatly trimmed grass outside an old Ohio farmhouse. They filled that bowl with Rice Krispies, milk dangerously close to its expiration date, and dish soap. Then one poured in a half bottle of Windex before darting to a nearby bush for cover. The boys were convinced that their concoction would erupt in – if not a full-blown explosion – at the very least a deadly cloud of poison gas.

Instead, the bowl snapped, crackled, and popped, and not much else.

That was my first attempt at a “science” experiment, and aside from a small spot of brown grass in my parents’ lawn, there wasn’t much else to show for it. My short attention span soon drifted to the next big thing, and life as a scientist was put on an indefinite hold.

I should’ve known better. I was the creative type, not quite equipped with an analytical mind. As a kid, I was more concerned about which imaginary supervillain I was going to battle at recess than with any math test that crossed my desk. Although I wasn’t exactly against learning, I had quickly discovered how to stay on the honor roll by doing the bare minimum. When every rock on the playground could become a stepping stone bobbing in hot lava, when the margins of every notebook were a blank canvas for werewolves to dwell, how could the cold hard facts of a text books hope to compete?

All that said, I can still vividly remember the first time I fell in love with something science related. I had just sold a bunch of action figures at my grandmother’s garage sale, and had a handful of fresh bills burning a hole in my pocket. At the local comic shop, I decided to buy a few issues of a series well before my time: 1965’s Metamorpho: The Element Man. Thanks to exposure to a strange meteorite, adventurer Rex Mason was transformed into a living chemistry set, a being who could change into any element – or combination of elements – found in the human body. This “Fab Freak” was teaching me chemical formulas while battling diminutive aliens and ancient Egyptian queens. While flipping through the slightly browned comic pages, I had no time to daydream, I was too busy worrying over what chemical concoction Metamorpho would use to defeat a jealous reanimated caveman. As outlandish as those comics were, I devoured every single one I could find, learning far more than what was presented to me in the form of monotone classroom lectures. I still have those same issues today, filed meticulously in one of way too many comic book boxes.

Those boxes now sit in my home in Asheville, North Carolina, which is also the home turf of High Touch High Tech, a company that delivers hands-on science experiments to kids in the classrooms of a variety of states, countries, and even on Royal Caribbean cruise lines. Not long ago, I met with the founder of HTHT, Daniel Shaw, and we began collaborating on a single comic book issue that would incorporate three of his company’s experiments into a fantasy adventure. That comic became the first of six chapters of our graphic novel, The Spark Experiment, a book lovingly drawn by cartoonist Matthew Loux.

When Dan had mentioned wanting to wade into the world of comics, waters I’ve been splashing in for the last twenty-five years, I immediately thought back to that Metamorpho-obsessed kid from Ohio. If I was going to write a science-based story, I was going to make it fun. If kids know they’re learning, half the magic has already spilled out of the cauldron, and the potion isn’t near as potent. The trick is maintaining the illusion, keeping the audience focused on the showmanship so they miss the sleight of hand. For me, that meant delivering an adventure that I myself would enjoy, and luckily, I had picked the perfect artist for the job. Matt Loux and I are old friends from our college days at the School of Visual Arts. We share the same sense of humor, and both focus on story over style. All I had to do was write a story that Matt would be excited to draw. That energy could then spill out onto the page, and abracadabra, the result would be magic.

Together, Matt and I invented David Patel, a 5th grader who loves science more than can possibly be good for him, and his sidekick 2nd grader Marta Martinez, who somehow loves science even more. These two little weirdos were the perfect protagonists to be accidentally teleported to a Micro Universe, a strange fantasy realm where only their natural knack for science experiments can get them safely back to our world. Well, science and a little creature with inspiration powers that goes by the name of Spark.

Each chapter of The Spark Experiment has three do-it-yourself experiments for kids that utilize common items found around the house (not much harder to find than a box of stale cereal or a bottle of Windex). There are eighteen experiments in all, each one serving the story by helping David and Marta not only navigate the Micro Universe, but also battle lethargic little Negatrons that follow them back home. It’s a story about the inspirational power of science, about how fun is contagious, and about how all of us – even the bored daydreamers – can embrace the sciences when their creativity is given just the slightest little Spark.

The Spark Experiment by Matthew K. Manning
Illustrated by Matthew Loux
Published April 28th, 2026 by Andrews McMeel Publishing

About the Book: When a science experiment goes wrong, kid neighbors David Patel and Marta Martinez find themselves in the Micro Universe—a whole new world where the laws of physics don’t apply! This full-color graphic novel is perfect for fans of science fiction and adventure.

When fifth grader David Patel and his second-grade sidekick Marta Martinez uncover a science experiment gone wrong, they find themselves transported to the Micro Universe, a weird world inside our own that doesn’t obey the laws of conventional physics. While they’re able to return home thanks to the help of a strange little creature named Spark, the pair doesn’t realize that they’ve led a group of nefarious beings called Negatrons back to our world in the process.

Using 18 real do-it-yourself science experiments that readers can try at home, David, Marta, and Spark must save their small town from an invasion of these energy-leeching Negatrons, all the while learning how to “spark” their own imaginations. This is a new graphic novel is perfect for kids interested in hands-on activities and science fiction adventures!

About the Author: Matthew K. Manning is a comic book writer, historian, and fan. Over the course of his career, he’s written comics or books starring Batman, Superman, the Justice League, and even Bugs Bunny. Some of his more recent works include AMP’s The Superman Files. He lives in Asheville, North Carolina, with his wife, Dorothy, and his daughters, Lillian and Gwendolyn.

About the Illustrator: Matthew Loux is the author and artist of the graphic novels Prunella and the Cursed Skull Ring, The Time Museum Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 (published by First Second Books), Sidescrollers, and the five-volume series Salt Water Taffy (originally published by Oni Press). The Time Museum Vol. 1 received a starred Kirkus review, was listed on the 2018 Texas Library Association’s prestigious Maverick list, was a Panda Book Award winner of 2018, and was nominated for the RI Children’s Book Award. Sidescrollers was placed on the American Library Association’s YALSA, Great Graphic Novels for Teens, list of 2008, and in 2009, Salt Water Taffy was placed on the Texas Library Association’s Maverick list, as was Prunella and the Cursed Skull Ring in 2023. Matthew also illustrated the graphic novel F-Stop and the board comic Good Night Gabbaland, based on the Nick Jr. television show Yo Gabba Gabba, and has contributed comics and cover art for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.

Thank you, Matthew, for this focus on the magic of graphic novels and highlight of The Spark Experiment, a science-infused graphic novel!

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

by
Share

“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!