Reading Worm

Most time-travel stories focus on high-stakes paradoxes or distant historical eras. But in Maxwell Hoffman’s omnibus, Ty "Turbo" Knight: Pandemic Interference , 22nd-century trainee Tyler Knight drops into a very specific setting: March 2020 Los Angeles . Sent on an undercover mission for the Department of Relativity alongside Commander Edla Fromm, Tyler must navigate street-level gang operations while trying to recover stolen heirlooms. The backdrop isn't a glossy sci-fi wasteland—it's early-pandemic LA, complete with masks, COVID shots, and White Batch hoodies. What really stands out about Hoffman’s storytelling: Dialogue-First Pacing: Fast, talky chapters move the plot rapidly through museum break-ins and Glendale toy shop heists. Character Guilt: A simple pocketed toy continues to talk back in Tyler's mind, creating a surprisingly grounded psychological thread. Non-Traditional Heroics: This isn't a polished hero story—it's a raw look at an underc...

Finding STEM and STEAM books that balance real-world career accuracy with genuinely engaging storytelling for upper elementary and middle schoolers can be a challenge. Linda Soules’ So You Want To Be An Architect hits that sweet spot effortlessly. What Makes It Stand Out for the Classroom Written with a direct, conversational tone ("So, you want to be an architect"), the book walks readers through the full lifecycle of a design project. Key educational highlights include: Constraint-Based Thinking: Soules frames budget limits and site restrictions as creative puzzle pieces rather than roadblocks. Interactive Elements: Includes hands-on sketching prompts, a self-check list for aspiring builders, and a detailed glossary of studio terminology. Rich Visual Context: Features real-world landmarks like Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater alongside quirky architecture like the Longaberger Basket Building. While a few studio terms might require light scaffolding for younger readers, it ...

Children are natural psychologists. They notice when a classmate suddenly stops talking, why a silly song gets stuck in their head for days, or why yawns seem contagious. Too often, we answer their questions about human behavior with a hand-wave: "That's just how people are." Linda Soules’ book, So You Want To Be A Psychologist , gives middle schoolers (ages 10–14) a much better answer: we can actually measure it. Rather than watering down the field into generic self-help, Soules treats young readers like real scientists. She introduces proper terms like hypothesis , peer review , and informed consent , showing how curiosity transforms into rigorous research. What Kids (and Parents) Learn Inside: Real Career Paths: How psychologists work everywhere from courtrooms and sports fields to tech companies designing user-friendly products. Psychology vs. Psychiatry: A clear breakdown of credentials and care roles that even most adults confuse. Myth-Busting: Why common advice ...

For many parents, bringing up the topic of therapy or counseling with a pre-teen can feel incredibly daunting. We worry about saying the wrong thing or making them feel like something is "wrong" with them. But what if we treated mental health care as something entirely ordinary? In her new book, Linda Soules does exactly that for readers aged 10 to 12. Instead of focusing on clinical jargon or treating therapy as an emergency response, she introduces the concept through the comforting, everyday details of a counselor's room: The Environment: Two chairs, a box of tissues within arm's reach, and a white noise machine in the hallway. The Tools: How sand trays, puppets, and drawing help kids express feelings they don't have words for yet. The Access: Normalizing the school counselor's door as a place to go just because you have something on your mind, not because you're in a crisis. By framing emotional wellness as a normal part of growing up, this book giv...

Every parent knows that kid. The one who doesn't just take your word for it, who questions the rumors in the schoolyard, and who might even fact-check a group-chat claim before going to sleep. If you are raising a naturally curious ten- to twelve-year-old, Linda Soules’s new book, So You Want to Be a Journalist , belongs on your radar. Part of the popular So You Want To Be A series, this guide completely strips away Hollywood headline glamour. Instead, it introduces kids to the real, patient, and essential work of reporting. Soules doesn't water anything down. She covers everything from the journalists' ethics code and FOIA requests to the golden newsroom rule: even if your mother says she loves you, check it out. Complete with engaging illustrations of busy newsrooms and profiles of legends like Nellie Bly and Gordon Parks, it’s the perfect book to read together. It naturally sparks great family conversations about truth, accountability, and the weight of putting your na...

We’ve all seen it: that one kid who can debate their bedtime with the precision of a supreme court justice. If you have a middle-grader who is constantly questioning the rules, it might be time to channel that energy into something practical. Linda Soules’s new book, So You Want to Be a Lawyer , is the perfect reality check for legally-minded kids. Instead of feeding them Hollywood courtroom drama, this book dives into what real attorneys actually do. It explains how lawyers look at rules, build a case, and help regular people navigate confusing systems. What makes it a great read for families is its absolute honesty. It doesn't hide the long hours or the fact that lawyers sometimes lose cases. It’s written in a sharp, clear style that respects a child's intelligence, backed up by great illustrations of courtrooms and legal databases that give you a perfect excuse to pause and talk about the legal system together. If you know a child who wants to understand how the world actual...