Stories that Change the World

Winner of the 2023 IPPY Silver Medal for Juvenile Fiction

DAISY WOODWORM CHANGES THE WORLD

When her social studies teacher assigns students a project to change the world for the better along with an oral report, Daisy fears the class bully—who calls her Woodworm— will make fun of her lisp. Still, she decides to help her brother who has Down syndrome fulfill his dream of becoming a YouTube fashion celebrity despite their parents’ refusal to allow him on social media.

With the help of her best friend Poppy, and Miguel—the most popular boy in school and her former enemy—Daisy and her brother launch a publicity campaign. But catastrophe strikes when her parents discover him online along with hateful comments from a cyberbully.

If Daisy has any hope of changing the world, she’ll have to regain her family’s trust and face her fears of public speaking to find her own unique and powerful voice.

“Better with Books includes corresponding fiction and memoir recommendations to deal with all of the issues and insecurities that young people face. It’s super thorough and helpful and I will definitely be referencing it as my daughter grows up.”
—Padma Lakshmi, actress, television host, and author of Love, Loss and What We Ate

BETTER WITH BOOKS: 500 DIVERSE BOOKS TO IGNITE EMPATHY & ENCOURAGE SELF-ACCEPTANCE IN TWEENS & TEENS

A guide that includes 500 reading recommendations for preteens and teens with the goal of inspiring greater empathy for themselves, their peers, and the world around them. As kids are diagnosed with anxiety and depression in increasing numbers, characters in books can help them feel less alone. Reading books that feature a diverse range of real-life topics helps generate openness, empathy, and compassion .

Each chapter explores a particular issue affecting preteens and teens today and includes a list of recommended related books. Topics include adoption and foster care, body image, immigration and diversity, learning challenges, LGBTQIA+ youth, mental health, nature and environmentalism, physical disability, poverty and homelessness, race and ethnicity, and religion and spirituality. Better with Books is a valuable resource for parents, teachers, librarians, therapists, and all caregivers who recognize the power of literature to improve young readers' lives.

Oregon Battle of the Books 2019 Middle-School Selection Watch the Book Trailer for Avenging the Owl

AVENGING THE OWL

Fourteen-year-old Solo Hahn loves his screenwriting classes, his Southern California Beach House, and surfing with his best friends. But he loses all three when his father attempts suicide, and his mother moves the family to a trailer in Oregon.

When Solo attempts to shoot a Great horned owl who kills his kitten, a judge sentences him to eight weeks of community service at the local raptor rehabilitation center. Trouble is, Solo is terrified of birds. So why, a month later, does he find himself blocking the door of a mew with his teen neighbor who has Down syndrome, risking everything to save another Great-horned owl?

The wild beauty of Oregon, along with unexpected friendships and captivating birds of prey, may be just what Solo and his family need to help them start over.

"Twin narratives skillfully woven together make for an exciting and endearing roller coaster of a memoir."
--Publishers Weekly

"Wild Within is a delight, an uncommon braiding of family, heartbreak, romance, redemption, and--of course--raptors.
--Lyanda Lynn Haupt, author of Crow Planet

WILD WITHIN: HOW RESCUING OWLS INSPIRED A FAMILY

It’s impossible to be depressed about a lethargic adoption process when a baby owl sporting a bad mullet sits on a perch in the living room. Although my husband and I struggled three years to adopt a child—first from China, then from Vietnam, finally choosing to adopt from Oregon’s foster care system—we kept our sanity by learning to train owls at a local wildlife center. Weird work, to be sure; on our first date, we drove two hours to pick up 600 pounds of frozen rats and an orphaned fledgling Barred owl. Though talons terrified me, I began scrubbing mews alongside Jonathan and ended up committing seven years to caring for birds threatened by poison and gunshot and habitat loss—work that reversed my decision to live child-free and plunged us into the convoluted world of adoption.

Through lively prose and compelling imagery, Wild Within illuminates the unexpected connections between injured and orphaned children and birds of prey . . . and the people who work to empower both.