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Hawthorne InstituteFor young scholars

Stories too rarely told

There
you are.

An illustrated person whose figure is filled with colorful landscapes, small scenes, and winding paths.
A life holds
many worlds.

Vrei să-ți spun un secret despre tati? · Words by Ioana Chicet-Macoveiciuc and Liviu Macoveiciuc; illustration by Ionuț Robert Olaru. Editura Univers. Source

The right story feels
like being found.

We cultivate affordable youth book collections for schools, community organizations, and programs that serve young people. For book fairs. For giveaways. For stories too rarely told.

Stories that see us.Collections that reach more young people.Turn the page.
01 / RecognitionFirst, we see ourselves.

Who gets to be
at the center
of the story?

The dreamer. The maker.
The child whose home looks different.
The people missing from the usual telling.

Here, they belong at the center.

Beautiful books. Historically underrepresented voices.
We make room for stories beyond the mainstream.

The History of We, words and paintings by Nikkolas Smith.

The History of We · Written and illustrated by Nikkolas Smith. Source

01

More histories. More voices.

Perspectives too often left out of the familiar telling.

Old Blue Is My Home by Lita Judge. A family gathers beside their blue van.

Old Blue Is My Home · Written and illustrated by Lita Judge. Source

02

Home has many shapes.

Different homes, families, and ways of belonging. Stories approached with tenderness and dignity.

A place for me.A larger sense of we.
Two children ride an illustrated tiger through turquoise waves.

02 / The unexpected

Take the
wilder way.

There is more than one way through a story.

Once Upon a Tiger · Written and illustrated by Sarah Massini. Simon & Schuster Children’s UK. Source

03 / A wider worldWonder is nonfiction, too.

Beneath our feet.
Beyond our imagining.

A nonfiction cover illustrates a forest above a vibrant network of roots.
Hidden connections.

Listen to the Language of the Trees · Words by Tera Kelley; illustrations by Marie Hermansson. Source

Look closer.
Then further.

A world worth wondering about.
A nonfiction space book with luminous planets against a black field.
Unbounded questions.

Exploring the Universe: A Complete Guide to the Cosmos · Words by Isabel Thomas; illustrations by Sara Gillingham. Source

An illustrated tree branches into many related languages, with people and flowers among its leaves.

Different roots. Unexpected connections.

So many ways
to say world.

The Atlas of Languages · Words by Rachel Lancashire; illustrations by Jenny Zemanek. Source

04 / The whole of usNo one lives in a straight line.

The bright.
The tangled.
The beautifully us.

Joy and complexity. Different families. Different minds. Big feelings. Stories that make room for the fullness of young people’s lives.

We don’t shy away from stories beyond the mainstream. That’s often where recognition begins.

An open illustrated book shows an expressive purple creature against blue, beside a vivid pink page.
Room for every shade of being human.

Begin Again · Written and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers. Philomel Books. Source

05 / ConnectionAnd the story becomes ours.

The best part comes after the last page

I found
something.
Come see.

My Story Scout's reading dog and lantern emblem

A book passed across a table.
A question that follows you home.
A conversation you didn't expect.

That’s why we cultivate collections for the places young people gather: schools, community organizations, and youth programs.

My Story Scout
Part of Hawthorne Institute

Book fairs · Giveaways · Youth programs

Beautiful stories.
Your next event.

Interested in working with us? Bring cultivated, affordable book collections to your school, community organization, or youth event.

Let’s connect

Tell us about your event and the young people you serve.