Carlos, Whit, Sara, Arin, Max, Min, Destiny, and Rakesh help the worldwide Big Network of Friendship to keep growing and bringing teens together.

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In this decodable book written for middle school audiences and beyond, readers will spend time practicing long A (ai, ay, ea, eigh, ey), long E (ee, ea, ey, ei, ie), long I (ie, igh), long O (oa, oe, ow), long U (ew, ue, eu), and whining dipthongs oi, oy, ou, ow, au, aw, and oo. This book is one of many in development by Storyshares, the goal of which is to create a new shelf in the global library designed to reach even the most left-behind readers in middle school and beyond. It combines key science of reading principles with characters, topics, themes, and imagery built around young adult interests.

Jennie Ford is a mother, writer, potter, and artist. Jennie was raised in Eastern North Carolina, where the rich farming landscapes provide the backdrop to many of her stories. As a contributor to Storyshares for many years, she will continue to compose short stories for their expanding library. Now residing in Western North Carolina, Jennie is currently writing a novel for young adult readers, which she hopes to publish in the future. According to Jennie, “The goals of the Storyshares organization are wonderful and much needed.” Jennie continues to feel pride lending her talents to the benefit of struggling and beginning readers with age-appropriate and thoughtful stories. She is excited to learn that her stories may instill the love of reading in many. Manju Bal Krishna is a writer from India who does content reviewing and content development for school students in English language and literature, value education, and social sciences. She also writes stories, plays, and poems for her students and herself. Many of these have been well-appreciated in literary journals. Other interests are gardening, cooking, and keeping her home beautiful and clean. Cat Jenkins lives in the Pacific Northwest where the weather is often conducive to long hours before a keyboard. Her stories in humor, fantasy, speculative fiction, and horror have been published both online and in print. Her first novel, Sara When She Chooses, was published by Bedazzled Ink Publishing in May 2018. Cat’s blog can be found at: catjenkinsdotcom.wordpress.com. She can be found on Twitter at @CatJenkins11. Pius Agbangbatin is one of the winners of the Storyshares 2021 Story of the Year Contest. Pius is from Benin, West Africa, and wrote the book Born in Danger. Pius' experience as a writer started almost eight years ago. He's always been an avid reader, and he developed his passion for writing in senior secondary school. Now, he has decided to turn his passion into a career. Natasha Lopez had a chronic case of procrastination when she was growing up. Over time, her symptoms lessened. She was able to complete her first book, 5 Steps to Win Her Heart, which was one of Storyshares' 2021 contest winners. She was also able to complete Rugs Don't Talk, which was a 2022 Storyshares contest finalist. Natasha hopes to continue writing interesting and heartwarming stories for reluctant readers. Kugu Soykan enjoys writing about critical global issues, supporting children’s rights, volunteering, and taking part in civil services projects. Her two Storyshares books received honorable mention awards in the 2021 and 2022 Storyshares Story of the Year Contests. She is a Congressional Award Gold Medal and STEM STAR recipient. She is the winner of the 2022 European Union Year of the Youth Writing Contest, judged by the European Parliament members, and has taken part in volunteering projects such as Ukrainian War Refugees Camp in Belgium, EU Youth Development Program in Germany, European Communities Ethnic, Cultural, and Religious program in Israel. She is a member of the European Union Youth Forum and UNICEF USA Advocate, where she acts as the voice for young people and strives for societies where young people are empowered and encouraged to achieve their fullest potential as global citizens.