Foreword by Elizabeth Acevedo. Edited by Sasa Aakil and Kathy Crutcher.

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

Authors: Sol Mundo, Jonathan Lopez, Yasmina Konate

Illustrator: Hee So

A young boy from an immigrant Salvadoran family learns a valuable lesson about money, work, and the sacrifices that his family have made so that he can go to school.

Un niño de una familia inmigrante salvadoreña aprende una valiosa lección sobre el dinero, el trabajo y los sacrificios que ha hecho su familia para que él pueda ir a la escuela.

For all the kids who see their family working hard, this uplifting bilingual story – told in Spanish and English – shows how important it is that they have a chance at a better life. Fernando, a young first-generationimmigrant, realizes how hard his Salvadoran family works for the community every day and he wants to help. Follow his adventures around Washington, DC as he tries to surprise his family with a contribution to their “rainy day jar.” But when his ideas don’t work out, Fernando learns that there are other ways for him to make his family proud. Through humor and charming details, this book highlights some of the ways immigrant families show love for each other.

A todos los niños que ven los esfuerzos de su familia, esta inspiradora historia —contada en español e inglés— les muestra la importancia de que tengan la oportunidad de gozar de una mejor vida. Fernando, un inmigrante de primera generación, se da cuenta de lo duro que su familia salvadoreña trabaja a diario por la comunidad, y decide ayudar. Sigue las aventuras que vive en Washington, D. C. en su intento de sorprender a su familia con una contribución para el bote de “los días lluviosos”. Sus ideas no funcionan, pero Fernando aprende que hay otras cosas que puede hacer para que su familia se sienta orgullosa de él. A través del humor y detalles encantadores, este libro resalta algunas de las maneras en que las familias inmigrantes se demuestran su amor.

• ISBN: 978-1-950807-63-5

• Age: 4-9

• Page Count: 40

• Publication Date: Oct 2023

• “Poignant and powerful . . . the students write with fresh power about loss, about the failures of the system around them, and how to decide when, how and where they should speak out.” —Publishers Weekly

• “Our young people are asking that we sit with them, that we listen to them, and that we see their lives in all of their complexity. The stories in What It Cost Us must be read. They must be remembered." —Clint Smith, author of How the Word is Passed: Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America

• “Authentic and sincere.” —Kirkus Reviews

• “A momentous account of a time we must remember.” —Wendy Wan-Long Shang, author of The Secret Battle of Evan Pao

Foreword by Candice Iloh

In this collaborative novel, ten diverse young writers from Washington, DC recreate the historic year 2020 from their perspectives, through fictional stories inspired by their own lived experiences. Told chronologically from the onset of the pandemic to the insurrection of January 6th, their stories of change and resilience are accompanied by maps, social media, original artwork, and real-life headlines to create an immersive experience of an unprecedented coming of age. 

You’ll meet Faiza, a Muslim high school student, who struggles to celebrate Ramadan during the worst of the COVID-19 shutdowns. You’ll protest with Roman, the only Black student in his class, whose relationships are challenged in the wake of the murder of George Floyd. You’ll face the fraught 2020 election with Dennis, a young Nigerian immigrant, as he questions a democracy that seems to count him out. 

By examining the shards of this shattered year, these authors explore “what it cost us” through stories that both acknowledge loss and celebrate what got us through.

• ISBN: 978-1-950807-55-0

• Age: 12+

• Lexile: 780L

• Page Count: 329

• Published: Spring 2023

Authors: Deyssy Mosso, Yenner Rengifo Chaverra

Illustrator: Fatima Seck

In Perla’s Magical Goodbye, Deyssy and Yenner wanted to write a book that reflects the experience of leaving home to move to another country. Perla has been friends with Pablo and Genesis for as long as they can remember. But now that Perla is moving away from her hometown of San Unicornio to the US, she is sad about leaving them. After making a wish at the town’s unicorn fountain, Perla and her friends are visited by a magical creature who helps them spend one last beautiful day together. How can Perla and her friends learn to hold onto these magical memories and say goodbye?

En El adiós mágico de Perla, Deyssy y Yenner quisieron escribir un libro que reflejara la experiencia de dejar su hogar y mudarse a otro país. Perla ha estado con sus amigos Pablo y Génesis desde que tiene memoria. Pero ahora que Perla se va a mudar de su pueblo natal, San Unicornio, hacia los EE. UU., está triste por dejarlos. Después de pedir un deseo en la fuente del unicornio del pueblo, Perla y sus amigos son visitados por una criatura mágica que los ayuda a compartir un último y hermoso día juntos. ¿Cómo aprenderán Perla y sus amigos a preservar estas memorias mágicas y decir adiós?

• ISBN: 978-1-950807-40-6

• Age: 4-9

• Lexile: AD550L

• Page Count: 40

• Published: Fall 2021

Top Ten Books for 2022 In The Margins Book Award

by Damarco, Emilie, and Japan of Reach Incorporated

Damarco, Emilie, and Japan wanted to write a story about how friends can disagree and move through disagreements about important issues. Cody and Nene are best friends, and they have been all their lives. But when the Black Lives Matter protests erupt in response to police violence, they realize they may not be so alike after all. While Nene defends cops like her uncle — “Not all cops are like that!” — Cody gets more and more upset about injustice. This movement will put their friendship to the test, and may push them into separate corners just when they need each other most. Can they learn to hear each other out and mend their friendship?

• ISBN: 978-1-950807-09-3

• Age: 4-9

• Lexile: 540L

• Page Count: 38

• Published: Fall 2020

by Talik, Anaya, and Dewan of Reach Incorporated

Marcus isn’t the coolest kid in school. The other kids make fun of his old clothes and raggedy backpack, but at least he has one true friend, Taylor, who likes him for who he is. But when Marcus finds a winning lottery ticket on the ground on the last day of school, his whole world changes! Now, with a backpack full of money, everything is possible--and Marcus goes on the spending spree to show it: never-ending arcade games, all-day Chipotle, and all the best elementary school bling. Marcus’s classmates flock to him and shower him with praise, and he is feeling good, spending money on his “new friends.” In the meantime, Taylor is shrinking further and further away. Will Marcus get caught up in the world of money and fame or will he learn to stay true to himself and remember his real friend?

Want all four titles from this year’s amazing Reach Incorporated authors? Buy the set!

• ISBN: 978-1-950807-04-8

• Age: 4-9

• Lexile: 570L

• Page Count: 40

• Published: Fall 2019