Everyone deserves to see themselves on the page, starting with our youngest readers. The Mini Mirrors series features books for toddlers that celebrate diverse families and experiences.

Our 2022 and 2026 titles were authored by student parents enrolled in Generation Hope’s Scholar Program in Washington, DC.

Everyone deserves to see themselves on the page, starting with our youngest readers. The Mini Mirrors series features books for toddlers that celebrate diverse families and experiences.

Our 2026 titles were authored by student parents enrolled in Generation Hope’s Scholar Program in Washington, DC.

When we pass the pen to young people, what stories emerge? Find out in Shout Mouse Press’s latest series, Beyond Borders, featuring bilingual children’s books centering the stories of immigrant families. 

The 2023 series is authored by program participants of the Latin American Youth Center in Washington, DC, representing six countries around the world.

Everyone deserves to see themselves on the page, starting with our youngest readers. The Mini Mirrors series features books for toddlers that celebrate diverse families and experiences.

Our 2022 titles were authored by student parents enrolled in Generation Hope’s Scholar Program in Washington, DC.

These books do a lot in less than thirty pages! They help kids learn about the days of the week and the community members that make up our families, or explore sounds and rhymes while teaching about Central America. They use imagination and curiosity to help kids manage separation anxiety, or celebrate diversity while honoring identities that don’t always get featured in books.

Curated by your favorite authors and SMP Megaphone Board members, Jason Reynolds, Elizabeth Acevedo, Hena Khan, Meg Medina, and Wendy Shang, this set contains books for young people ages 4-9

When we pass the pen to young people, what stories emerge? Find out in Shout Mouse Press’s latest series, Beyond Borders, featuring bilingual children’s books centering the stories of immigrant youth by immigrant youth.

The 2021 series is authored by program participants of the Latin American Youth Center in Washington, DC, representing eight countries around the world.

These children’s books are not only set in DC, but they’re keeping DC culture alive. Written by DC teens, these books take you into their city and show you the true DC through their eyes.

We’ve pulled together some of our favorites for our youngest readers! These fun, adventurous stories are great for read-alouds and bedtime snuggling, with bright colorful art, lovable characters, and rhymes (A to Z: The Real DC). The books in this collection are suitable for children ages 2-4, but can be enjoyed on different levels by older readers as well!

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

By the Young Poets of DC SCORES

TAKE A WALK BETWEEN THE WARDS WITH DC SCORES

Passing the Mic: Building a Poet-Athlete City represents thirty years of poetry from the poet-athletes of DC SCORES. For the last three decades, through soccer, poetry, and service, these young people have made their marks on history, claimed their power, and brought to bear their visions for improving this city’s future. This book honors their pain, celebrates their joy, and crystallizes the many ways in which they grew, both on the field and on the page.

Afterword by poet, activist, and avid soccer player Clint Smith.

“This is a treasure trove of knowledge that I hope everybody will pick up.”
—Ashley Hatch, Washington Spirit & US Women's National Team

“I hope folks will pick up this book and learn from these poet-athletes, and support them for the next 30 years and beyond.”
—Ben Olsen, former D.C. United coach and player

“These poems are a beautiful portrait of a city seen through the eyes of its young people.”
—Julie Kennedy, founder of DC SCORES

"It has been a tremendous privilege to witness firsthand the impact DC SCORES has had in our community."
—Briana Scurry, legendary US Women's National Team Goalkeeper

• ISBN: 978-1-950807-84-0

• Age: 12+

• Page Count: 118

• Published: 2025

By the young writers of Shout Mouse Press

“…a balm for loneliness and validation amid an increasingly hostile political climate for LGBTQ+ Americans…” —Booklife

“The Light Looks Like Me is meaningful, moving, and often surprising as it explores different experiences of queer love.”—IndieReader

“Powerful, affirming, and important reading for young people and the adults in their lives.”—Kirkus Reviews

Amidst a fraught regime where assaults on queer and trans rights are leveraged for political clout, the voices of queer youth are more important than ever. In this anthology, 28 DC-area writers aged 13-24 share their thoughts, feelings and vulnerability through poems, stories, comics, and art exploring love in all its forms. Running the gamut from self-love, to romance, and the love they show to their family, friends, and community, their work will resonate with readers of all ages. With authors representing varied sexualities and gender identities, as well as diverse ethnic, racial, and religious backgrounds, this tender anthology offers hope and validation to queer young people and cultivates greater understanding in supportive allies. Foreword by award-winning YA author Malinda Lo.

This project was created in partnership with The DC Center for the LGBT Community, Sasha Bruce Youthwork, SMYAL, and Split This Rock.

Educational Curriculum Available:

Discussion Guide created by nelle mills

Zine Workbook created by nelle mills

• ISBN: 9781950807833

• Age: 12+

• Page Count: 192

• Published: 2025

• “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

By Chase, Kevin, Khalil, and Josiah of Beacon House

Over the course of a historic year characterized by the COVID-19 pandemic, Black Lives Matter protests, and widespread social reckoning, four Black middle school boys from Beacon House in Washington, DC came together virtually, to dream. Pushing up against the hardship of current events, these new authors decided to create a collection of imaginative stories that share messages they believe the world needs to hear today about resilience, self-expression, and staying true to your dreams.

In this collection, you will meet Kobe, a teenage basketball player grappling with the death of his role model; Zim, a sword-wielding orphan on a quest to save his grandmother’s life; Ava, a cyborg girl who just wants to be normal; and Brandon, a boy struggling to choose between his passion and his family. This motley crew of heroes all learn to decipher their changing worlds, carrying with them necessary guidance for readers on how they can process their own. Artfully illustrated, and written in both poetry and prose, this book has something for every type of reader.

• ISBN: 978-1-950807-37-6

• Age: 9+

• Lexile: 590L

• Page Count: 120

• Published: Fall 2021

Voices on Youth Incarceration

• A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

• Foreword Indies Finalist

• Independent Press Award Winner

• “A powerful, devastating, essential read” - Starred review in Kirkus Reviews

When You Hear Me (You Hear Us) is an anthology of poetry and personal stories centering the voices of those directly impacted by the incarceration of young people in the United States. Compiled by Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop, this rich collection includes firsthand accounts from both the young people charged and incarcerated in the adult criminal legal system and from the community at large: the mothers, the loved ones, the correctional staff, public defenders, prosecutors, and others harmed and left with unhealed trauma. These critical voices, uniquely combined, illustrate the ecosystem that surrounds youth who are incarcerated--and expose the ripple effects that touch us all. This book challenges us to hear these voices calling out for accountability, transformative justice, and healing. Together, they demonstrate the collective impact of the prison system, and our collective responsibility to create a society where every one of us can thrive.

• ISBN: 978-1-950807-34-5

• Age: 12+

• Page Count: 288

• Published: Fall 2021

This set includes:

Bright Before Us, Like a Flame
A landmark anthology spanning ten years of Shout Mouse Press with memoir, poetry, fiction, comics, and children’s literature from underrepresented youth authors, offering both a retrospective and a call to action for a new generation of writers as well as teachers.

The Light Looks Like Me: Words on Love from Queer Youth
A stunning, affirming collection of poems, stories, art, and comics by queer youth authors that celebrates love, identity, and self-expression in all its forms.

Passing the Mic: Building a Poet-Athlete City
A powerful portrait of Washington, D.C., this collection showcases three decades of DC SCORES poet-athletes who use soccer, poetry, and service to imagine and build a better future.

Stock your classroom with 20 copies of this powerhouse anthology and teaching tool. Or give it as a gift to a teacher or class! Even better — pair it with the Bright Before Us Inspiration Set!

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.

• ISBN: 978-1-950807-82-6

• Age: 12+

• Page Count: 304

Get the complete set of books featured in Bright Before Us, Like a Flame. A perfect classroom companion or a gift for a teacher. Pair it with the Bright Before Us Classroom Set.

Curated by your favorite authors and SMP Megaphone Board members, Jason Reynolds, Clint Smith, Elizabeth Acevedo, Hena Khan, Meg Medina, and Wendy Shang, this set contains books for young people ages 12+

Get the full set of books by Beacon House teen writers. These books contain middle grade and young adult fiction centering the stories of Black youth.

This set includes:

Black Boys Dreaming, a collection of illustrated stories written in poetry and prose by four middle middle school Black boys. Over the course of a historic year characterized by the COVID-19 pandemic, Black Lives Matter protests, and widespread social reckoning, these authors from Beacon House came together virtually, to dream.

The Day Tajon Got Shot, an extraordinarily brave multi-perspective novel about prejudice and police brutality by ten teen girls from Beacon House.

Trinitoga, a novel-in-stories by middle-school authors of Beacon House. These young writers created a fictionalized neghborhood and populated it with an endearing and heartbreaking cast of characters, not unlike people they have encountered in their own lives.

Curriculum is available for these titles!

Get the full set of books by Free Minds incarcerated writers. These books feature poetry, essays, and personal stories written by incarcerated young people.

This set includes:

The Untold Story of The Real Me is a collection of poems written by young people who were charged and incarcerated as adults at the age of 16 or 17.

They Called Me 299-359 is an anthology of poetry and essays written, edited, and compiled by incarcerated youth who are Free Minds Book Club members, held both at the DC Jail and in adult federal facilities across the country.

When You Hear Me (You Hear Us) is an anthology of poetry and personal stories centering the voices of those directly impacted by the incarceration of young people in the United States.

Curriculum is available for these titles!

This collection of books includes voices of young, Black authors talking about topics that are important to them, including those at the heart of the Black Lives Matter movement: elevating Black voices and stories, police brutality, and the U.S.’s broken justice system. While these books are designed for readers ages 12 and up, their messages are valuable for people of all ages. We encourage readers, leaders, and educators to use these teen-authored books to spark critical discussions about injustice. For inspiration, check out our curriculum page for discussion questions and writing activities to use alongside each of these titles.

While characters are becoming more diverse in literature, too often these characters are written by authors who don’t reflect the demographics of their characters. That’s why these stories are so important: we need more books written by people who are from the communities they’re writing about. At Shout Mouse Press, we trust that our authors are experts on their lived experience. This collection of books includes voices of young people sharing personal stories in service of building empathy and understanding. In Voces Sin Fronteras, young, Latinx immigrants write about their journeys to the United States. In They Called Me 299-359, incarcerated poets share work about their experience of being caught in the justice system. In The Ballou We Know, writers from Ballou High School in Southeast D.C. share their memoirs. I Am the Night Sky features the art and stories of young Muslim American writers.

Curriculum is available for these titles!