Brizel
Brizel
I am 15 years old and a sophomore in high school. I am also a first-generation American with Mexican parents, a little sister, and an adorable little dog. Some of my hobbies include baking, crocheting, and writing poems and short stories. This is my first published book. My favorite part of this writing process was collaborating with my team members and sharing our perspectives and personal experiences while deciding certain story elements. I hope readers enjoy this story which is meant to promote youth power, cultural diversity, and honoring lost loved ones.
BOOKS BY BRIZEL
Bright Before Us Like a Flame is available for preorder. The book will be shipped in October.
By the Young Writers of Shout Mouse Press
For ten years, Shout Mouse Press has championed the voices of young writers, publishing their authentic and necessary stories. Now, this landmark anthology of youth writing celebrates a decade of storytelling—and invites readers to pick up their pens and write the path ahead.
Spanning memoir, poetry, fiction, comics, and children’s literature, Bright Before Us, Like a Flame is more than a retrospective—it’s a creative writing resource and a call to action. Taking its title from Langston Hughes’ poem “Youth,” this collection ignites both hope for the future and the power to shape it. Through stories of immigration, identity, social justice, and resilience, young authors confront today’s most urgent topics with insight and empathy. Their words challenge, inspire, and invite readers to add their own voices to the conversation.
What’s Inside:
✅ A diverse collection of youth-authored memoirs, poetry, fiction, comics, and children’s literature, featuring underrepresented voices.
✅ Creative writing prompts and behind-the-scenes insights to inspire students and emerging writers to tell their own stories.
✅ Intergenerational conversations with award-winning guest authors, exploring the role of storytelling in social change.
✅ Discussion questions for middle and high school classrooms, book clubs, and creative writing workshops.
At a time of uncertainty and urgent global challenges, these young authors remind us: Words have power. Stories create change. And the future is yours to write.
Perfect for:
📖 Aspiring young writers looking for inspiration, mentorship, and creative guidance.
🎓 Educators and librarians seeking an engaging, diverse, and inclusive classroom writing resource for middle and high school students.
🎁 Readers who believe in the power of storytelling to spark dialogue and transform communities.
ISBN: 978-1-950807-82-6
Age: 12+
Page Count: 304
Coming Fall 2025
Authors: Luisa Orellana-Castillo, Brizel Martinez Cruz, Camila Melany De la Luz Villegas
Illustrator: Romeo Montero
Amidst changes in a gentrifying neighborhood, a young girl must overcome her fears in order to fight for her community and her aunt’s memory in this heart-warming bilingual children’s book.
En medio de los cambios que atraviesa un vecindario en proceso de gentrificación, una niña debe superar sus miedos para poder luchar por su comunidad y por la memoria de su tía en este conmovedor libro infantil bilingüe.
Written by first-generation Latinx teens, this bilingual book – told in Spanish and English – follows Belinda, a young girl of Mexican and Salvadoran heritage who once loved to sing. But ever since her aunt’s death, Belinda has been afraid to use her voice. When a new owner decides to paint over the mural that was created to honor her aunt, Belinda rallies the entire community together to stop it. Can Belinda lead her community and lift her voice to save Tía’s mural? From the shy reader to the young activist, this endearing story uplifts our future leaders.
Esta historia bilingüe –contada en español e inglés—, escrita por adolescentes latinos de primera generación, narra la historia de Belinda, una niña de ascendencia mexicana y salvadoreña a quien le fascinaba cantar. Desde la muerte de su tía, Belinda siente temor a usar su voz. Cuando un nuevo propietario decide tapar con pintura un mural que se creó en honor a su tía, Belinda congrega a toda la comunidad para detenerlo. ¿Podrá Belinda liderar a su comunidad y elevar su voz para salvar el mural de su tía? Esta adorable historia alienta a nuestros futuros líderes, desde los lectores tímidos hasta los pequeños activistas.
ISBN: 978-1-950807-64-2
Age: 4-9
Page Count: 40
Publication Date: Oct 2023
