As Mari and her mother create signs for an upcoming march, Mari isn’t sure their letters are big enough for anyone to read their messages. But read them, people do. By the time you reach the author’s note, with reflections from the real-life six-year old Mari on her experience attending a Women’s March in 2017, we guarantee you’ll have chills. Share this to kick off an opinion writing unit, or anytime you want to let the children in your life know that love—and their own words—are most definitely powerful.

The Society of Midland Authors today announced winners of its 2021 awards for the best books written by Midwest authors and published in 2020.

The winners, one in each of six categories, were chosen by six panels of judges from more than 290 books submitted for the contest. The judges also selected one or more honorees in each category. The categories are: Adult Fiction, Adult Nonfiction, Children’s Fiction, Children’s Nonfiction, Biography and Memoir, and Poetry. The annual competition is open to authors who live in, were born in, or have strong ties to Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota or Wisconsin.

This is listed as fiction, but a back page reveals that much of the inspiration behind this story comes from actual events featuring a young girl who experienced the 2017 Women's Protest march first hand. At a very young age she began to develop limited awareness of the what and the why of the march, but needed the day with a bigger realization.
The power of her own voice, raised for the cause of love and kindness, was undeniable.