Inkandescent Kids Story of the Day

December 2025: Children’s book author Karen Leggett Abouraya teaches us that we are all connected in her newest tale, Zamzam

A Note from Hope Katz Gibbs, publisher, Inkandescent Kids magazine — It’s an honor to introduce you to children’s book author Karen Leggett Abouraya and her newest title, Zamzam.

About the book: Zamzam is a young boy who enjoys life with his Egyptian grandparents in Alexandria, Egypt, and his American grandparents in New York City. He shares big and little differences in his daily experiences in each country – including phrases in Arabic and English — but ultimately realizes that the most important experiences are exactly the same​ across cultures.

About Karen: A native of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, Karen grew up surrounded by writing and books. Her father was a journalist and her mother a school librarian. Karen then became an award-winning broadcast journalist for more than two decades. She began reviewing and discussing children’s books on ABC WMAL Radio in Washington, DC, and reviewed children’s books and interviewed authors for the Washington Post, New York Times, the Baltimore Sun, Children’s Literature, Washington Parent, and others.

Don’t miss the interview at Elaine’s Literary Salon:“What impresses me most is that Karen is actively involved in disability advocacy in her home state of Maryland,” shares Jeffery James Higgins, host of the Elaine’s Literary Salon show, in his introduction of Karen at today’s event about her new book, Zamzam.

What critics are saying about the book:

“Educators have an opportunity to discuss their students’ own experiences with family members from around the country or the world and have them compare similarities and differences of their cultures.” — A Book and a Hug

“Page after page weaves a message of difference into a fabric of harmony, across continents and customs, contexts and cultures, showing a seamless, integrated life that is bridged by love in both directions…The sweetness of the text is well-matched by the whimsy of the art in a way that every child can enjoy. A true pleasure to see and share!” — Andrea E. Stumpf, author Memoirs of an Arabian Princess

“Conveying that even though sights and sounds and language might be different, the love is the same. The book does a good job of not othering one set or making one seem better than the other. It also weaves in Arabic words and culture.”​ — Anonymous Edelweiss

More about Karen: A graduate of Brown University (international relations), Karen met her Egyptian husband in Washington. They have two grown children and two grandsons, are active in many cultural exchange initiatives, and have been lucky enough to visit Egypt many times — especially Alexandria, her husband’s hometown.

Learn about Karen’s books: KarenLeggettAbouraya.com.

Check out future salons — and stop in for a fabulous meal at Elaine’s in Old Town Alexandria, VA: elaines-restaurant.com

April 2026: This month at Inkandescent Kids magazine — we celebrate Autism Awareness + Acceptance Month by creating Social Stories. Learn all about it, and send us your submissions!

A Note from Ellen Smith, editor, Inkandescent Kids magazine — Dear Readers, I am thrilled to join you as the editor of Inkandescent Kids magazine! Here at Inkandescent Kids, we are all about empowering young people. In our magazine, kids will learn to “think like a journalist” and have opportunities to share their ideas with the world. I am grateful to begin this position in April, also known as Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month. I began my career as a special education teacher and often worked with kids on the autism spectrum. That was where I learned about writing social stories. And you will, too!

March 2026: In her books to help families thrive, child psychiatrist Dr. Gayani DeSilva offers insights for tweens and teens — and their parents — to stop addiction and depression before it starts

A Note from Dr. Gayani DeSilva, a child and adolescent psychiatrist — “I obtained my medical training at Albany Medical College before interning at Brown University and doing a residency at Harvard, and have been honored to win numerous awards for my insights and work, including helping children in juvenile justice centers and foster care. Based on my experience and research, I have written several books with the goal of providing insight for parents hoping to help depressed tweens and keep their children from suffering from addiction.” If you are struggling with these issues, please take a look at these books.

 

February 2026: “We show our kids and each other a powerful act of love when we keep them safe in the car,” says auto expert Judy Curry, who shares “12 Ways to Keep Kids Safe in the Car”

A Note from Judy Curry, co-founder, Curry’s Auto Service — “Few parents forget the first time they put their infant into the car. Many hospitals won’t release a new mother unless she has an infant car seat for her baby. Installing car seats correctly is an essential part of being a good parent. But almost anyone who has installed a car seat knows it’s a challenge to get the seat set up correctly. The good news is that help is available.” Check out these 12 ways to keep kids safe.

January 2026: Start the new year off right with rock star and social justice activist Michael Franti whose songs teach us the art of embracing “Peace, Love, and Social Justice”

A Note from rock star Michael Franti — “When I’m asked if I’d ever think when I was a little kid that you would be traveling the world playing music, I admit it really was not an ambition of mine. Throughout my childhood, all I wanted to do was to be a basketball player, and I eventually played at the University of San Francisco. My dorm room was right above the campus radio station, so I’d hear these bass lines coming up through the floor all of the time, and at first, it was kind of annoying. And then I started to get into music, hearing all these different styles coming out of the campus radio station. By the end of the semester, I was hooked, and the rest is history.”

November 2025 — We give thanks this month with “Nonviolence,” an award-winning essay by high school student Shay Jackson entitled, “Living the Dream”

A Note from Shay Jackson, from her essay, “Nonviolence” — There have been many successful nonviolent movements throughout history. One of the most well-known was the Indian Independence Movement, led by the notable Mahatma Gandhi, another famous civil rights activist. The movement used nonviolent resistance to end British colonial rule in India. Another important movement was in the United States, with leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr., who advocated for racial equality. They used peaceful protests and civil disobedience. Another nonviolent act was the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia, where the Czechs used nonviolent protests to end Communist rule. These movements show the power of nonviolence. Nonviolence is a significant movement to change.

October 2025: Learn to be MoneySmarts with LouAnn Lofton, author of “Warren Buffett Invests Like a Girl,” started investing as a student. You can, too!

A Note from LouAnn Lofton, the author of Warren Buffett Invests Like a Girl — When it comes to knowing the value of investing wisely, we learn from the woman who started to grow her portfolio at age 15, shortly after the death of her father, a pharmacist, who set aside funds for LouAnn and her two siblings. “Because my father died, it meant that I would inherit some money upon my 21st birthday. I decided, about a year out of high school, to learn about investing, so I didn’t squander the opportunity presented to me by that money.”

September 2025: In his new book, “The Secret Sauce,” Superintendent Peter Noonan and his team of Educators Share 45 Ideas on What Makes FCCPS Special

A Note from Dr. Peter Noonan, Superintendent of Schools — “When I arrived in 2017 to serve Falls Church City Public Schools (FCCPS) as the 9th Superintendent in the division’s history, I knew something about this place was different than anywhere else I had ever worked,” insists Dr. Noonan. Read all about it in the 45 essays by teachers, administrators, and Fall Church officials that sum up the story in his 2025 book, “The Secret Sauce.”

August 2025: Welcome to Inkandescent Kids magazine — the online publication for kids, by kids, about kids! Learn to think like a reporter

A Note from Hope Katz Gibbs, publisher, Inkandescent Kids — Hello and welcome to the newest magazine from the Inkandescent PR + Publishing Co. I cooked up this project in my mind back in 2017, but I wasn’t quite ready to bring it to fruition in the summer of 2025. Sometimes things need to simmer for a while before the meal is ready to serve. Today, it is with great pride and love that I share with you the publication for kids, by kids, about kids. We are on a mission to help children around the world think like reporters. Please join us.