ABSTRACT
It's hard to turn on the news and not hear about incredible acts of violence happening within the community and around the world. School shootings, acts of terrorism, and random acts of violence down the street—sooner or later, opportunities to talk about the violence that surrounds authors will occur. Most of the time, they allow those moments to pass, not wanting to scare their children or break their foundation of safety and security. Laney is a 10-year-old girl attending her neighborhood elementary school. Last week, a school shooting happened at a school in a neighboring town. Although Laney's parents don't watch the news very often or discuss events like the shooting in their home, Laney heard about the shooting from her classmates and teachers. Laney's mom accomplishes a couple of things here—she acknowledges her daughter's fears and gives voice to her own.
