Reach Inc., the 2016 Many Hands Impact Grantee, turns teens into published authors who draw on their own experience to tell stories that resonate with young readers. Previous titles addressed challenging issues like experiencing homelessness, the death of a friend, or a parent’s incarceration. Now Reach authors have added “toxic masculinity” to the list, The Washington Post reports.
Riley Campbell, Shirelle Hurt, and London Jones noticed that many boys are taught to suppress their feelings or express themselves through anger, rather than hurt. “It needed to be talked about in the open,” said one of the authors, and to get the conversation going, they wrote Man Up! Recently published by Shout Mouse Press, Man Up! focuses on a boy named Aaron who learns the value of sharing his feelings.
To learn more about the process that led to Man Up! and about Reach Inc., click here to read the full story.