Words Are Not Walls

The Story

Frogs in clouds. Castles on the backs of whales. Emma’s teal sketchbook is full of creatures no one has ever drawn before — and at school, kids love them.

Until Leah starts whispering. The comments are small. Almost friendly. Easy to miss. But day after day they land in the same spot, and Emma’s sketchbook starts staying closed.

Then Emma begins to wonder if the problem was ever her drawings at all — and finds her way to one steady truth.

The first book in The Lighthouse Club — an ongoing series of stories about kids facing different kinds of bullying, each finding their way to the same quiet truth.

A social-emotional learning story with Your Lighthouse Pages in the back — reflections, activities, and simple tools for when words get too loud. Written for readers ages 7–11.