Every Story Connects & Gives Back

Proof that History Often Rhymes!

From historical fiction books for 10-year-olds to historical fiction books co-created WITH 10-year-olds!

What makes Book Six different from your average historical fiction book is not the story—it’s how the story was shaped.

At Bug & Bear Press, we don’t just write for kids—we write with them. That’s the foundation of what we call Participatory Publishing: a process where young readers actively shape the books we produce. From concept to character to art, we invite kids to co-create the stories they want to read.

For Book Six, that process began with our Creativity Challenges—a three-part adventure in collaboration:

• Theme Team – Kids submitted story themes, and Dom, a 14-year-old from Boise, Idaho, had the winning submission of “Women’s Suffrage,” which rose to the top through public voting.
• Sketch-Off – Young artists brought the theme to life. Nine-year-old Charleigh L. (from Joy Lake Charles) submitted an illustration of women and bugs—symbolizing hidden power and perseverance—which was voted in as the visual anchor for the book.
• Word Weaver – Entrants wrote story sparks or lines of verse. The winning submission came from 10-year-old Bray W. (also from Joy):
  Rise women, love your place. Always find your saving grace.”

These three voices helped shape every key element of Book Six. Every vote mattered. Every submission, every sketch, every line of verse came from real kids who care deeply about the world they live in—and how it gets told. That kind of engagement isn’t just rare. It’s revolutionary. These kids didn’t just inspire the story—they became part of it.

The story is a fictional narrative, but it’s grounded in the very real contributions of our young co-creators. It blends the depth of nonfiction books about women’s rights with the creative freedom of a child’s imagination—and the result is something powerful.

The goal of Participatory Publishing isn’t just to make fun books. It’s to help kids see that their voices matter. When a nine-year-old sees their drawing published—or a ten-year-old reads their words in a real book—something shifts. They stop thinking of reading and writing as “school stuff” and start seeing it as power.

That’s especially true in historical fiction. The best historical fiction books for 10-year-olds don’t just explain what happened—they invite kids to ask what could have been different. They help kids connect the past to their present. And that’s what Book Six aims to do.

As Mark Twain famously said: “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it does rhyme.” And now that we’re writing a rhyming picture book with these themes, we’re going to show just how well that quote stands the test of time—especially when young voices help shape how that history is remembered, retold, and reimagined.

Book Six is part story, part time capsule, part revolution.
It’s what happens when imagination meets impact—and the kids are holding the pen.
And we’re just getting started.