The Science and the People
So You Want To Be A Doctor is an illustrated guide that explores a career in medicine, showing not just the science and skills required, but also the compassion, teamwork, and emotional intelligence that make a great doctor. What kind of child did you imagine while writing this book?
The dedication says it: “For every kid who ever put a bandage on a stuffed animal and meant it.” That’s the child I had in mind — the one who senses, very early, that taking care of someone is a serious and somehow sacred thing, even when the patient is a teddy bear.
But I also wrote it for the child who asks, “But why does that happen?” about their own body and wants a real answer, not a brush-off. The child who is affected when someone is hurting. The child who already understands, without anyone having to teach them, that paying close attention to another person matters.
And I wrote it for the child who is curious about both halves of medicine — the science and the people — because both are essential, and a book that honored only one would miss what makes medicine extraordinary.
The doctor-as-detective analogy is one of the book’s most effective framings. How did you develop that comparison, and what does it unlock for young readers that a more straightforward science explanation wouldn’t?
The book opens with the analogy: being a doctor is about being the world’s greatest detective. Every patient who walks through the door is a mystery — something hurts, something changed, something doesn’t feel right — and the doctor’s job is to ask the right questions, gather the clues, and figure out what is happening inside a body that cannot just tell you what is wrong.
The framing first occurred to me while I was writing So You Want To Be A Veterinarian, where the patients literally cannot speak. But I quickly realized the comparison fits every medical field. Medicine, at its core, is the work of pulling scattered data into a coherent picture of what is actually happening to a person — and that picture is rarely as straightforward as it looks at first glance.
The framing does three things at once that a straight science explanation cannot.
First, it puts the child in the active seat. A textbook hands you facts. A detective story invites you to think. The moment a young reader recognizes that doctors are working a case — asking, examining, reasoning until the most likely answer emerges — they stop being a passive learner and start being a participant.
Second, it captures something true that pure science framing misses: even though most patients can speak, the body itself speaks only in symptoms, not sentences. Decoding that requires curiosity, patience, and the discipline to keep asking questions when it may be tempting to settle for the obvious answer.
Third, it makes uncertainty honest. Detectives follow wrong leads. They hold open questions. They keep going when the answer doesn’t come quickly. Any real doctor will tell you that holding uncertainty while still acting carefully is one of the most important skills in medicine — and detective stories teach children that this is a virtue, not a weakness.
The book balances science with storytelling really well. How did you decide which medical concepts were most important to introduce for readers ages 10 to 14?
My goal was to select concepts interesting enough to spark genuine curiosity and understanding, but never so much that wonder turns into homework.
My filter came down to three questions. Does this concept make a child see the world more clearly the next time they walk into a doctor’s office — what a stethoscope actually does, what an MRI is really photographing, what a prescription represents? Does it teach a habit of mind that will serve them regardless of whether they choose to become a doctor — probabilistic thinking, intellectual humility, the paradox that pattern recognition is powerful and dangerous in equal measure? And does it carry a story worth telling — like the 1816 French doctor who rolled up a piece of paper because pressing his ear against a young woman’s chest would have been improper, inventing the stethoscope by accident?
I wanted concepts that arrive with their humanity attached. Probability sounds dry until you put it in a doctor’s voice: “There’s a 70% chance it’s this, 20% chance it’s that, and a 10% chance it’s something we haven’t thought of yet.” Suddenly, a child sees how doctors actually reason — and starts reasoning that way too.
What I left out was anything that required a textbook chapter of scaffolding to land. I’d rather plant one concept that takes root than throw five over the fence.
One of the most memorable ideas in the book is that listening carefully and making patients feel heard is part of “medicine at its fullest.” Why do you think empathy is such an essential skill for doctors?
Because medicine without empathy is technically competent and humanly incomplete — and patients always know the difference.
The book has a line I genuinely believe: “the science tells you what is wrong; the heart tells you how to help.” A diagnosis isn’t a piece of paper. It’s news delivered to a frightened person about the only body they will ever have. How that news is delivered and received is itself a clinical outcome. A patient who feels heard is a patient who tells you the symptom they were too embarrassed to mention — the one that may turn out to be the key to everything. A patient who feels rushed or unseen is the one who walks out with the right prescription and never fills it.
I’ve heard from multiple practitioners that listening to the patient is the most important lesson they’ve learned, that the patient is telling you the diagnosis. Most diagnoses begin in the medical interview, not the lab — and the doctor who can put a nervous patient at ease, who hears what is said and what is carefully not said, is gathering information no blood test can provide.
And there is something deeper still. The Hippocratic Oath is 2,400 years old, and the deepest part of its promise isn’t “I will save you” or “I will know everything.” It’s simpler than that. It is: I will not abandon you. Empathy is what makes that promise real. It is the part of medicine that doesn’t require a degree, but without which no degree is enough.
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So You Want To Be A Doctor is an illustrated nonfiction guide for kids ages 10 to 14 who feel the pull toward medicine and want real answers — not fairy tales. Linda Soules takes young readers inside the profession from the ground up: the years of study, the science of the human body, the emotional weight of holding someone’s health in your hands, and the deep reward that keeps doctors coming back to it, year after year.
Kids will learn how the body’s systems work together — how bones heal, how the brain sends signals through the nervous system, how doctors read symptoms the way a detective reads clues. The human body is staggeringly complex, and this book doesn’t shy away from that complexity. Instead, it makes the science vivid, accessible, and genuinely fun to dig into.
Beyond the biology, readers will explore what a medical career actually looks like day to day. What happens during hospital rounds? How do surgeons prepare for an operation? What does a pediatrician do differently than an emergency room doctor or a medical researcher? This guide covers the full range of paths within medicine so kids can begin to imagine where they might fit.
There’s also an honest look at the journey itself. Medical school, residency, the sacrifices, the sleepless nights — and the moments that make all of it worth it. Children who dream about healthcare careers deserve to know what the road really looks like, and this book gives them that clarity without talking down to them.
Every chapter is built on specifics. Real science. Real scenarios. Real insight into how doctors think, decide, and care for their patients. The illustrations make even the most complex medical concepts feel approachable, turning each page into something readers will want to explore rather than skip.
This is the book for the kid who asks questions that don’t have simple answers. The one who wants to understand not just how the body works, but what it means to dedicate your life to keeping it healthy. Medicine has always needed people with that kind of curiosity and heart.
A richly illustrated guide for science-loving kids ages 10 to 14 who are ready to discover whether a life in medicine might be their path.
Love Letter to Classic Sci-Fi
Novalunosis centers around a mismatched group of fugitives, scientists, pirates, and assassins as they uncover a sealed dome city ruled by a controlling lord. Where did the idea for this novel come from?
My writing style has always been rooted more in storytelling than anything else, and I think that comes from years of playing RPGs and running campaigns. Those experiences helped me develop my voice as a writer. The characters, their unique personalities, the worlds, and many of the ideas in the story were inspired by adventures and stories I’ve created over the years. Watching how different “players” interacted with characters, situations, and moral choices really helped shape the direction of the story and gave the world a sense of life and unpredictability.
Seeing all of those ideas finally come to life on the page has been an incredible journey. I’ve always loved science fiction and the sense of wonder, adventure, and imagination that comes with space operas. Growing up in the ‘90s, stories like that captured my imagination in a huge way, and they stayed with me throughout my life.
What drew you to writing a space opera with such a strong found-family core?
More than anything, the thing I value most in storytelling is the characters and the emotional connection you build with them. For me, the heart of any great adventure isn’t just the action or the worldbuilding — it’s the crew, the friendships, the conflicts, and the moments that make you genuinely care about the people involved. Because of that, this story really began with the characters first, and the universe was built around them.
This book is both a love letter to classic sci-fi and space operas and a celebration of the creativity and camaraderie that storytelling can create. My hope is that younger readers can fall in love with the genre the same way I did when I was growing up — getting lost in strange worlds, unforgettable characters, and adventures that make you dream a little bigger.
Were there aspects of the universe you developed that didn’t make it into the final book?
This is a great question! Honestly, a lot of it comes down to the fact that there was originally far more detail and lore written into the story, but much of it was ultimately cut in order to better fit the YA audience I was aiming for, rather than pushing too far into Adult sci-fi territory. There were entire sections of worldbuilding, history, and deeper explanations about the galaxy that I personally loved as both a writer and a reader, but in the end, some of it slowed the pacing or pulled focus away from the core story and characters.
That said, those ideas and details are absolutely still there behind the scenes, and I fully plan to explore them more in future books. My goal is for this to become a trilogy, and with the next installment, I really want to expand beyond a single planet and open up the galaxy in a much bigger way. I’m excited to dive deeper into the lore, different worlds, cultures, factions, and mysteries that only get hinted at in the first book. I want the universe to feel larger, stranger, and more alive with each entry, bringing an even greater sense of wonder, adventure, and discovery as the story continues.
What do you hope readers feel after finishing Novalunosis?
What I hope readers feel after finishing Novalunosis is a renewed passion and love for the sci-fi genre. We live in a world where people are constantly overwhelmed, stressed, and looking for even a small escape from everyday life. I wanted this story to feel adventurous, exciting, mysterious, and full of wonder, the kind of experience that reminds readers why science fiction can be so special. To me, sci-fi has always been about more than futuristic worlds and technology. It is about imagination, exploration, and the feeling that anything is possible. I especially hope younger readers and the next generation can connect with that sense of discovery and excitement.
At the same time, I wanted Novalunosis to contain deeper themes beneath the adventure. A lot of the ideas explored in the story are reflections of real-world struggles, emotions, and conflicts that people experience every day. Through the characters, their choices, and the world they inhabit, I hope readers can make connections to their own lives and the world around them. Sometimes it is easier for people to understand difficult truths, emotions, or perspectives when they see them through the eyes of fictional characters rather than confronting them directly in reality.
Ultimately, I hope readers walk away feeling entertained and inspired, but also thoughtful, carrying some of the book’s themes, questions, and emotions with them long after they finish the final page.
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Fatal Consequences
Deadly Dial follows a radio host who takes a chilling late-night call that opens the door to a civic nightmare. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
When I began developing the novel, the country was on the verge of another government shutdown. Approximately 1.4 million people (670,000 federal employees and another 730,000—including personnel from the TSA, NASA, OSHA, and the EPA) were forced to work without immediate pay. With roughly $14 billion in wages temporarily withheld, localized consumer spending collapsed. The politicians orchestrating this crisis appeared entirely insulated from its fallout, detached from the reality of citizens struggling to afford basic necessities.
Simultaneously, public discourse was fracturing; people grew increasingly brazen, invoking their First Amendment rights while remaining blind to the consequences of their words. While no single event inspired this book, the collective anxiety and social friction of that era heavily shaped the narrative. This atmospheric tension is also why I chose to leave the setting unnamed—I wanted to capture a universal cultural climate rather than anchor the story to a specific location or headline.
Were there particular crime novels, political scandals, or media events that influenced the book?
Although I intentionally steered clear of writing the story based on direct current events, reality had a way of bleeding into the pages. A mere week into writing the manuscript, a well-known conservative commentator was assassinated during a Q&A session on a university campus as he fielded questions about violence. Ironically, he was a man of faith who prided himself on unfiltered speech, and his sudden death served as a chilling, real-time validation of what I was exploring in my fiction. It proved, in the most tragic way possible, that our current culture of reckless speech carries heavy, sometimes fatal, consequences.
Did you want readers to fear the Prophet as a person, or as a symptom of something larger within the city?
I wanted readers to fear the Prophet as a symptom of a much larger, systemic issue within society. On a personal level, the Prophet simply mirrors the dark realities we see every day: politicians driven by corruption, self-interest, and a complete disregard for the “ordinary person.” The true horror stems from the reality that, in our world, these figures rarely face consequences for the devastation they cause. In my novel, however, that immunity is stripped away. While I am certainly not advocating for real-world assassination, within the heightened dramatic stakes of the book, these corrupt actors are finally exposed and forced to face the ultimate reckoning for their actions.
What is the next book you are working on, and when will it be available?
Writing has truly become something I simply cannot put down; creating these worlds and sharing them with readers is incredibly therapeutic and fulfilling. Right now, I am juggling several exciting projects. I am currently finishing a medical-dental suspense thriller titled A Deadly Extraction. Additionally, I have three completed, fully edited novels ready to go for The Dante Villehart Files series, along with a few standalone projects. My main focus right now is deciding whether to continue down the self-publishing route or pursue traditional publishing for these next releases. Either way, there is a wealth of new material coming very soon!
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In a world where words can wield deadly power, talk show host Riley Anderson finds herself at the epicenter of a possible political storm. When an anonymous caller, later dubbed “The Prophet”, rants about government corruption, his chilling threats suddenly turn into reality as the politicians he names, along with some of their associates, begin to turn up dead.
As fear grips the city, Riley struggles with the weight of her role in amplifying the chaos. Teaming up with seasoned detective Alex Thompson and tech whiz Eleanor “Ellie” Mitchell, Riley embarks on a harrowing quest to uncover the truth behind the calls. But when they discover that the number used by the caller belongs to a man who has been presumed dead for years, the lines between reality and conspiracy blur.
With each shocking revelation, Riley must confront the haunting legacy of a man driven by vengeance and the dark secrets that could change everything. As the clock ticks down to the next assassination, Riley and the team must race against time to unravel a deadly game that could cost her–and everyone in the city–everything.
Perfect for fans of political thrillers, murder mysteries, and fast-paced suspense, Deadly Dial delivers a pulse-pounding ride where the truth is the deadliest weapon of all.
The Kids’ Book of Brave: A Gentle Guide to Finding Your Yet
The Kids’ Book of Brave, by Catherine Stephenson, is a gentle picture book about confidence, nervousness, and the small, ordinary moments when children learn to keep going. Through classroom worries, playground rejection, spilled cupcake batter, jealousy, shyness, and trying something new, the book shows bravery as something quiet and practical rather than loud or showy. Its central idea is simple but lovely: children don’t have to feel fearless to be brave; they just need one small step.
I really appreciated how tenderly the writing handles big feelings. As a parent, I’m always drawn to books that don’t rush children out of discomfort, and this one sits beside them for a moment instead. The repeated ideas, such as adding “yet” to “I can’t do this,” taking a slow breath, and noticing the thump-thump in your body, feel reassuring without becoming preachy. The phrasing is especially warm, and Stephenson gives children language for feelings that can otherwise seem huge and shapeless.
The artwork has a soft, handmade sweetness that fits the subject beautifully. The pencil and watercolor illustrations feel light and convey emotions well, with children who look uncertain, proud, jealous, shy, or relieved in ways that are easy to recognize. I especially liked that bravery is shown in such modest scenes: raising a hand, tapping a soccer ball, asking for help, and walking into a classroom. The ideas are familiar, but they’re handled with care, and the book’s rhythm gives those little moments real weight.
The Kids’ Book of Brave is a thoughtful and comforting children’s book with a clear sense of purpose. It doesn’t make confidence seem magical or instant, which I value; it presents it as something children can build, breath by breath and choice by choice. I’d recommend it for preschool and early elementary kids, especially those who are anxious, perfectionistic, shy, or easily discouraged, and for parents who want a calm way to talk about courage without making feelings sound like a problem to fix.
Pages: 42 | ISBN : 978-1917442091
YOU ARE MY YELLOW
You Are My Yellow follows Tony, a yellow monster living in the very green Land Green, where being different makes him feel lonely and unwanted. After trying to hide who he is, Tony meets Penny, a small red dragon who also feels out of place because she can’t fly or breathe fire like the others. Their friendship becomes the heart of the story, and when danger strikes Tony’s school, Penny discovers that the very thing she thought made her “bad” at being a dragon is actually what helps her save the day.
I found the emotional core of this book genuinely touching. I’m like stories that give children language for that awful little ache of feeling excluded, and Tony’s sadness felt easy to understand without being too heavy. The message is clear, and I appreciated that the book doesn’t just say “be yourself” and leave it there. It shows how hard that can be when everyone around you seems to agree that different means wrong.
The writing has a bouncy, rhyming rhythm that gives the story a playful read-aloud quality, though there are moments when the rhyme takes over and makes the wording feel a bit crowded. Still, there’s warmth in the repetition, especially in phrases like “You are my yellow,” which becomes tender rather than cute. The ideas are simple but sincere: belonging, courage, friendship, and the painful little compromises children sometimes make to fit in. The artwork supports those ideas beautifully. I liked the strong color worlds, the green sameness of Tony’s home, the red warmth of Penny, and the way the illustrations make difference visible before the story even explains it.
You Are My Yellow is a gentle and heartfelt story about self-acceptance, but what stayed with me most was the friendship between two children who recognize each other’s hurt and make room for each other. I’d recommend it for young readers who are navigating friendship, confidence, or feeling different, and especially for parents who want a story that opens the door to a tender conversation afterward.
Pages: 36 | ISBN : 978-1037117695
A Nest of All Kinds: Jewels of the House Divine
A Nest of All Kinds: Jewels of the House Divine opens on an empire at its most vulnerable: a divine emperor is dead, his infant heir has mysteriously died, and the young Empress-Dowager Anastasia is thrust into a regency fight where grief, law, prophecy, bloodline politics, and old vendettas all sharpen into weapons. Author Michael C. Reid builds a richly imagined Rasnaian Imperium inspired by Byzantine grandeur and Etruscan-Roman invention, then fills it with courtiers, soldiers, mystics, foreign princes, and children born into power before they are old enough to understand its cost.
I was enthralled with the density of the world. This is not a fantasy novel that gestures vaguely at empire; it furnishes the palace, names the offices, explains the rites, and lets the reader feel the pressure of ceremony as a living force. The prose can be ornate, but that suits the material. Incense, marble, blood, silk, ash, and divine sunlight are not decorative here; they are part of the machinery of rule. I admired how Reid makes politics feel intimate. A public decision is never merely public. It is also a father gripping his daughter’s future, a mother staring at an empty cradle, a boy hiding terror behind imperial posture.
I was also pulled in by Anastasia’s uneasy evolution. She is not written as a clean heroine, and the book is stronger for it. Her compassion is real, but so is her capacity for self-deception; her grief humanizes her, but power keeps teaching her cruel new languages. The court intrigue is sometimes labyrinthine, with many names, houses, offices, and loyalties to track, but the emotional through-line remains clear: everyone claims to be protecting someone, and nearly everyone becomes dangerous in the attempt. I found the best scenes to be the ones where tenderness and menace share the same room, especially in Anastasia’s relationships with the imperial twins, Aryan, Tatiana, and her father.
This book is best suited for readers of epic fantasy, political fantasy, court intrigue, dynastic fantasy, alternate history fantasy, and dark imperial fantasy who enjoy layered worldbuilding and morally compromised characters. Readers who love the ruthless family politics of George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire will recognize the same appetite for succession crises, poisoned loyalties, and children trapped inside adult wars, though Reid’s work has a more ecclesiastical, Byzantine shimmer. A Nest of All Kinds is a gilded blade of a novel: ornate, merciless, and glowing with dangerous purpose.
Pages: 410 | ASIN : B0FP5J2B6N
Milo Savage and the Gargoyle Hunters – Dance of the Gargoyles
Dance of the Gargoyles by D.S. Quinton follows Milo Savage and his friends as they return to the gargoyle realm to rescue Gerty, Uncle Horace’s loyal sheepdog, who has been dragged toward the dangerous borderlands of Westworld. Their rescue mission tumbles into riddles, ghostly gargoyles, waking giants, Snarlok schemes, and a ticking clock tied to the mysterious Dance of the Gargoyles. It is the third book in the Milo Savage Series, and it carries the energy of a quest already in motion.
I enjoyed the book most when it leaned into its oddball inventiveness. Quinton has a knack for making danger feel elastic: a stone road becomes a tidal wave, a signpost becomes a trial of riddles, and the gargoyle realm seems to obey rules that are half magic and half mischievous engineering. The humor is broad enough for young readers, but it has a nimble and genuine quality that kept me smiling. Grimlo, Uncle Horace, Gorp, and the kids all bring a slightly different rhythm to the story, and that gives the adventure a lively, companionable clatter.
I enjoyed the way the book treats courage as something practical rather than grandiose. Milo and his friends are scared, confused, hungry, and frequently outmatched, but they keep moving. The friendship among the kids gives the story its ballast, especially when the realm becomes strange enough to unmoor them. I also liked that the book doesn’t sand off its weird edges; it lets the gargoyles be eerie, ceremonial, and funny all at once. That mixture gives the story its own unique sparkle.
This middle-grade fantasy is a children’s adventure and portal fantasy filled with magical creatures, gargoyles, and a friendship quest. Readers who enjoy the accessible wonder of The Chronicles of Narnia or the brisk, creature-filled adventures of Cressida Cowell will feel at home here, though Quinton’s world has a goofier, more gargoyle-haunted personality. The perfect audience is middle-grade readers who like fast-moving quests, enchanted creatures, riddles, and a little safe-creepy peril.
Pages: 140 | ASIN : B0GHPNJ96L
So You Want To Be A Ballet Dancer
I found Linda Soules’s So You Want To Be A Ballet Dancer to be a thoughtful and refreshingly honest introduction to the world children step into each time they come to ballet class. This illustrated guide doesn’t present ballet as a simple dream of tutus, applause, and effortless grace. Instead, it begins where real training begins: at the barre, with repetition, discipline, alignment, and patience. For young readers ages 10 to 14, Soules explains ballet in a way that is clear and inviting without hiding how demanding the art form truly is.
What impressed me most was the book’s respect for the dancer’s body. Soules explains concepts such as turnout, pointe work, flexibility, strength, stamina, and injury prevention with enough detail to help children understand that ballet dancers are artists and athletes. I especially appreciated the attention given to tools of the trade, from pointe shoes and rosin to mirrors and the dancer’s own muscles. Young dancers often see the finished product on stage, but this book helps them understand the years of conditioning, correction, and quiet effort behind every polished performance.
The book also captures something ballet teachers teach in every class: technique alone is not enough. Soules explores musicality, emotional expression, stage presence, and the mental resilience needed to perform under pressure. She also introduces readers to the many people who make ballet possible, including choreographers, directors, physical therapists, and fellow dancers. The sections on ballet history, from the court of Louis XIV to modern stages around the world, help students see that each plié and pirouette belongs to a much larger artistic tradition that continues to evolve.
So You Want To Be A Ballet Dancer is an excellent starter guide for children who are curious about ballet, whether they are brand-new beginners or already dreaming of performing in productions like The Nutcracker. Soules’s tone is encouraging but realistic, which is exactly what young dancers need. She shows that ballet welcomes dedication, curiosity, and artistry, while also making clear that it requires hard work, sacrifice, and perseverance. I would gladly recommend this book to ballet students and their families because it gives children a fuller understanding of ballet as a language of movement, discipline, beauty, and storytelling.
Pages: 38 | ISBN : 978-1972766354
