She's done it again! One of our favorite writers, Patricia Leavy, has a new novel that is, already, the must-read book of the year. Twinkle of Doubt is a testament to the humanity in our lives—the joys of love, friendship, and laughter, as well as the challenges of trauma and life-changing events. I started reading it as a gift to myself and wished that I had it sooner to hold in my heart during the last difficult year.

Rates of anxiety among children and adolescents are on the rise. One out of every five children aged 12-17 report feelings of anxiety over the past two weeks. Jennifer Licate wrote the book My Anxiety is Messing Things Up to help children learn how anxiety presents and strategies they can use to feel better during anxious times through an engaging and relatable story.

Today’s high schools—constrained by low expectations for working-class kids, limitations on teachers’ autonomy, and more segregation than 50 years ago—find it challenging to create an environment that cultivates engagement, learning and a sense of belonging. They can learn something from the successes of the past.

Key to a Good High School: Teachers Skillful with Teenagers. From Working-Class Kids and Visionary Educators in a Multiracial School: A Story of Belonging