Creating and consuming stories has always been part of Kayla E. Green’s life. In elementary school, she wrote her first “book,” calling it The Lonely Guinea Pig. Then, at a schoolbook fair, Green found a book with a title that resonated with her; its theme included siblings with chronic illness.
Growing up watching her twin sister struggle with a severe autoimmune condition, Green found the title, which included similar themes, alluring. The story was a disappointment, though. She described it as “depressing and hopeless,” but it made her think.
“Children and adolescents who have chronic illness and know people closely who have invisible/visible disabilities deserve to find realistic portrayals that still offer encouragement,” she shared. Now facing the challenges of chronic illness herself as an adult, Green is even more motivated to fill that gap. She writes the kind of books she wanted to read when she was younger; Young Adult noblebright fantasy novels that point to greater themes of light, darkness, and ultimate hope…