Adventure Awaits

 

Adventure awaits young readers in my short story for kids ages 5-10. Join a runaway pup named Roxy and her squirrel friend, Bolt, in this fun summer tale.

Roxy watched the car pull out of the driveway and disappear around the street corner.

“This isn’t fair!” Roxy said. She sat with a thump onto the grass. “First my family leaves on vacation. And now this!”

“They’ll be back soon,” Hobbes said.

“But it’s not fair!” Roxy said. “Why do we have to stay?”

Roxy wanted to go on an adventure. Not stay in the yard. And wait.

“Let’s play together,” Hobbes said, his sandy tail wagging. “They’ll be back before we know it!”

Roxy turned away from Hobbes. “No.” Her curly black hair bobbled as she shook her head.

“Okay,” Hobbes said. And he dashed off to find his bone.

If they can go, so can I! Roxy thought. She trotted along the fence. Until she spotted it. The perfect place to escape.

Read the full story in StarLight magazine's June 2025 issue.

Brother's Keeper

Brief overview:

Brother's Keeper invites middle grade readers into the world of North Korean refugees during the 1950s. Join 12-year-old Sora and her Christian family as they flee the war in North Korea and walk hundreds of miles to South Korea.

Recommended age range: 4th grade & up

Strengths:

• Provides a kid-friendly angle to this historical event
• Sora is a main character you want to root for, despite her flaws
• Learning about the culture of North Korea and the difficulty presented during the Korean War for many North Koreans who didn't agree with the communist government
• Brings the reality Christians in North Korea faced during the Korean War to light
• Sora's growth arc is well done and believable, but incredibly hard earned

Additional Notes:

• This book deals with some heavy emotions, including Sora's mixed feelings toward her younger brothers because she must stop attending school to care for them.
• Sora's relationship with her mother is complex, but when viewed from the Korean perspective, one can understand her mother was trying to prepare her for what was expected of women in North Korea. (A reality woven from different women characters throughout the book.)
• The kids experience some weighty events, including bombings, a drowning, a baby dying, an elderly man soiling himself on a long, cramped train ride, lost of a loved one. Again, these are mostly depicted in appropriate ways for young readers (not too over the top), but they are present in this storyline.
• The reality of the communism and the war is depicted from a kid's perspective, but can be heavy at moments. 
• An adult may want to read ahead to determine if a certain scene or description could be skipped without missing out on the overarching narrative of the story.
• Reading the story together might provide a better opportunity to discuss any difficult (but real) moments with a young reader. 
• Spoiler: Why Sora's parents didn't seem to search for her and her brother was unclear. Their route to South Korea was so much easier and the parents didn't seem to really want to hear the difficulties their kids endured to be reunited with them.