About a year ago, I took a hard look at my kids’ bookshelves (and my classroom library) and realized how few books give our children the heroines and heroes they need— diverse protagonists that are courageous, just and wise, and whose actions have contributed to change in the world. I also wanted to use my author voice to inspire kindness and hope. An idea popped into my head and into my heart: to write about real kids doing things to make a difference! I started researching and was amazed by what I found. As I read about these kids, I was uplifted and inspired by their stories. I realized how much I wanted to share them with the world!

To find and verify the stories, I went right to the source: the young people themselves and their families. I spent hours interviewing each young change maker and their families, reading articles about them, and doing research on their websites. I took great care to make sure that the stories and illustrations were accurate.