MAY ISSUE
Our May line-up includes interviews with Mia Armstrong, Pan Cooke, Ashley Iman, Margaret Finnegan, Aiden Woosol Lee, Tim Kleyn, and Sandra Nickel! Conrad Storad tells us about a giant cactus that is in a prickly situation, Judy Newman falls down a rabbit hole, Reach Out and Read launches a very special collection, and Nick Spake reviews Garfield: The Movie!
And be sure to check out our newest book reviews, spring reading list, and special submissions by kid writers! It's all inside!
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FEATURES
photo by Shandon Photography
Mia Armstrong
Is a Masterpiece
by Raven Howell
“I am proud of my story. I wanted other kids with and without disabilities to be proud of their stories and have the courage to share them too,” says young teen superstar, Mia Armstrong. The multi-talented actress, model, and voiceover artist has added “author” to her résumé. Mia made history as the first child with Down syndrome to voice a cartoon character on Netflix. Now, her new book, I Am a Masterpiece, details her childhood and unique perspective on living with Down syndrome. It celebrates her life with a refreshingly playful and uplifting sparkle.
In spite of understanding and seeing the world in a way that may not make sense to others, Mia considers her life—and herself, a masterpiece. The message is unmistakable and compelling. “Being a ‘masterpiece’ means you were created for a purpose. I want all student readers to understand that even when things in life are difficult or frustrating that there is a bigger plan for their lives. A masterpiece isn’t perfectly done. It is done with excellence. We all have different gifts and unique struggles. There are certain things you can’t change about yourself, but don’t let that get you down. I can’t change that I have Down syndrome, but I can keep doing my best.”
Mia is influencing the way intellectual disabilities and differences are perceived as she advocates inclusion. “My generation, Generation Alpha, has the opportunity to change how people with disabilities are perceived. Children today see the world differently than their parents and grandparents did. It’s important for young readers of my book to understand that they can change the world by appreciating and valuing people with Down syndrome. Together, we can bust outdated stereotypes.”
Pan Cooke
Offers an Inside Look at Growing Up with OCD
by Raven Howell
Irish artist Pan Cooke was ten years old when he began to wrestle with anxiety. Obsessive-compulsive thoughts felt like pieces of an impossible puzzle, and fear and exhaustingly time-consuming rituals became more frequent. His experience, written with winsome honesty and humor, produced a powerfully candid and accessible new graphic novel. Puzzled: A Memoir About Growing up with OCD is Pan’s account of living with and learning about OCD.
Writing and illustrating Puzzled was a catharsis. “It was therapeutic reaching back through time to my younger self,” says Pan. “Knowing that some of the most challenging experiences of my life may contribute to helping someone else going through the same thing is intensely gratifying.”
That’s not to say there were not parts of the book he found difficult to share. “Parts of it were hard,” he admits. “However, I was reassured by the knowledge that my story may help someone else. After a while, it became an oddly healing process, even returning to some of the more challenging experiences.”
Ashley Iman
Introduces Readers to a Little Girl with a Lot to Say
by Raven Howell
Ashley Iman’s character, Ruby René, is an inquisitive young student who is compelled to spout out interesting facts, share her thoughts and dreams, and ask loads of questions. Innocent enough, until problems arise when the teacher calls home to say Ruby’s ways have become distracting. This lovable character’s goal is to use own her voice while learning to find the perfect creative outlets for her curiosity.
Ruby René Had So Much to Say is Ashley’s debut picture book. “It’s been wonderful to see how many people identify with Ruby. I didn’t realize how many people had similar experiences in school,” she says.
Getting the plot up and running took some effort. “I struggled to write this story because I was hyper-focused on the message that I wanted children to walk away with. The first few drafts read more like an advice article for teachers. When I stopped focusing on the message and instead focused on Ruby’s character, it came together quickly.”
photo by Stephen Finnegan
Margaret Finnegan
Inspires Readers to Use Their Voices
by Raven Howell
“It’s a lark of a book, but Judy Blume’s Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing had a huge impact on me,” says author Margaret Finnegan. “I checked it out of my school library in sixth grade, and I must have started reading it in class because I vividly remember walking alone on the playground, marveling that a novel could make me laugh out loud. I didn’t know a book could do that! I think that’s why I always try to include some humor in my own work. I want kids to have the same ah-ha moment I did, the one where they go: ‘Oh! So a book can lighten my heart! It can give me joy. It can get me through hard times.’”
Margaret has met that challenge. Presently, she’s celebrating her fourth middle grade novel, Sunny Parker is Here to Stay. The book centers around a young girl learning to speak up for herself and others when her community opposes an affordable-housing project. The main character, Sunny Parker, never considered her living conditions in an affordable housing complex different, but when the city proposes to turn an old, abandoned school into new affordable housing, the backlash of affluent neighbors reveals that not everyone appreciates the place she regards as home.
The story’s inspiration came to Margaret when an image of a young girl riding her bike through an apartment complex sprung into her head. “I immediately knew that I wanted to explore who this girl was, and I took it from there. That was the first time something like that had happened to me. Usually, my writing is informed by a question that I’ve been pondering. But in this case, Sunny dropped by for a visit, and she stayed for the duration.”
Launching “35 for 35”
A New Inclusive Book Collection
During a meeting last fall, a Boston-based national nonprofit did what many nonprofits do all around the world every day. They started a conversation about how to make the world measurably better.
Reach Out and Read is in the business of using evidence, backed by research, to find ways to improve the health of children, and specifically to shine a light on pathways to health that begin at birth. One of the most impactful ways for children to achieve and maintain health, Reach Out and Read promotes, lies in the early relationships they develop with adults. Moreover, there is a portable tool, a vehicle that operates successfully in all kinds of conditions, that brings adults and children together like nothing else can—the book.
Books are purchased by Reach Out and Read and delivered to hospitals, clinics, and doctors’ offices across the country. At well-child visits for infants and children up to 5 years old, clinicians give a book to families and caregivers, and incorporate literacy, reading together, and playing with books as part of the health regimen and discussion of developmental milestones. They also speak to “moments that matter,” showing caregivers that time spent with infants and young children is deeply connected to physical and mental health, and books are a perfect prescription to make those moments happen.
One to Read:
Aiden Woosol Lee
by Raven Howell
Galon used to be a strong glass of water, until one day, he fell down from the counter. He is fortunate to have been saved by the pink rug on the floor. But while he survived his accident, he’s now ... different. He’s only half full of water in a community of full cups. He feels lesser than … until he discovers his new ability.
Nearly all children (and adults) can relate in some way to feeling different and misunderstood. Using bold illustrations and compelling text, 16-year-old Aiden Woosol Lee inspires children to stay strong in the face of bullying in his most recent story, A Galon of Water, and its message garnered him the Story Monsters Approved Book of the Year honor.
Tell us a bit about your background/life growing up.
I am from California, the Golden State, the place of sunshine, and the state of the media and entertainment. I guess I was born here to have a relationship with art. My mom is an art teacher, so I grew up in an environment full of creativity and surprises. Growing up as an Asian American in SoCal wasn’t too difficult, so I was very flexible meeting those who were different from myself. Every school I went to had a different demographic, from an Asian-dominant school to a more diverse school, to a European school. All of these experiences became nutrients that allowed me to create stories comfortably today.
Are you still a student?
Yes, I am still a sophomore in high school and am currently 16 years old.
photo by Emma Vanderveen Photography
Q&A with
Tim Kleyn
by Julianne Black DiBlasi
Comfort food is a real equalizer, isn’t it? Most trauma can be eased with a pizza or a pint of ice cream if it’s shared with the right people. Or even the wrong people if it’s under the right circumstances.
As a member (most of the time) of the human species, I am certainly prone to turn to grilled cheese and tomato soup during times of trouble. Or when it’s raining. The commonality of that particular comfort food, for whatever reason, strikes a cord across many ages and backgrounds, making the story infinitely heartwarming and relatable.
In Grilled Cheese? Yes, Please! the idea of having that unilateral connection over a shared and welcomed sensory experience brings the characters together in a moment of difficulty. With a storm raging outside their little island home, Margot and her grandfather patiently await Margot’s mother’s return with yummy grilled cheese and tomato soup. But her mother wasn’t the first person in need of Margot’s culinary hospitality….
The Book Bug
Sandra Nickel
Inspires Big Ideas with New Picture Book
by Raven Howell
“I would love to be able to speak to animals like Dr. Doolittle. Also, I would love to be able to speak to trees,” confides award-winning author Sandra Nickel.
Having grown up in the United States and now residing in Switzerland with her husband and daughter, their household members also include a dog, cats, and fish. No need to wonder if Sandra is a fan of animals. She’s celebrating her latest picture book, Bear’s Big Idea, the follow-up to the highly acclaimed Big Bear and Little Fish, another testament to Sandra’s appreciation.
She’s inspired by “generosity and kindness, this beautiful world of ours. And authors who write stories that are close to their hearts. These are the hardest of all to write, and I am enormously grateful for the bravery, and often the love, that drives authors to write these stories.”
MONTHLY COLUMNS
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Monsters at the Movies
The Garfield Movie
by Nick Spake -
Life of a Reader
So … You Want to Go Down a Rabbit Hole?
by Judy Newman -
Conrad‘s Classroom
Tough Times for Desert Giants
by Conrad J. Storad -
Liv On Life
Online Shopping at a Cost …
by Olivia Amiri -
Kids Corner
Find a Friend Scavenger
Huntfrom Sandra Nickel
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School of Thought
Earth Formation
by Nivaan Pathak Mishra, age 9 -
My Favorite Teacher
Mrs. Lampshire
by Halie Humbrecht, grade 12
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