Listen in as Jennifer and Courtney sit down to talk with this book’s amazing and inspiring author, Elisa Stone Leahy. Topics range from silencing the loud minority (Moms for Liberty) 🤡, the importance of amplifying stories anonymously 📣, the dangers of quiet censorship 🤫, and the power of reading 📖.

Why are bestsellers always about things like dogs 🐶 and dragons 🐉 ? Nothing against books about dogs or dragons…We love them! ❤️ But we have to wonder…Why do books that spotlight sensitive topics, (like a 7th grader juggling the science fair 🔭 , challenging relationships with friends 👯‍♀️ and family 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦, and looming deportation threats by ICE 🧊) more often find themselves on the “banned” list, and not the “bestseller” list? 📚

And no, it’s not because kids do not find these books relatable… “Tethered to Other Stars” has the awards🏆 to prove that:

* Garden State Book Award Nominee for Fiction (Grades 6-8) (2026)

* CYBILS Award Nominee for Middle Grade Fiction (2023)

Young readers (and their adults!) need books like “Tethered to Other Stars” now more than ever…If not to serve as mirrors 🪞 that support their own experiences, then as windows 🪟 to help build empathy ❤️ and awareness 🧐 for others.

🚨What can YOU do?🚨

✅ Request "Tethered to Other Stars” at your local library, ✅ your kids school library, and ✅ buy it from your local bookstore! Don’t have a local bookstore? Buy it here!