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I was in my twenties before I discovered and fell in love with J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. A little later in life than many other Tolkien fans, perhaps, but it was absolutely the right time for me �� reading his richly layered and beautifully crafted universe opened the door to new worlds and new possibilities within my own imagination. I found that sense of wonder and hope again in the stories of Madeleine L’Engle, an amazing writer who. She, like all the best writers of fantasy, made her worlds and her characters so true that we can really believe them. Her stories entertain us, as well as giving us a chance to ask some of life’s big questions.

So many of our best-loved classic stories
share that same connection �� their characters stick with us, their journeys
change us, and they connect us to each other and the world as they help us to
make sense of it in new and exciting ways.

With so many of us now finding ourselves unexpectedly at home with a bit of time to tackle some of our ‘bucket-list�� books, the connections we find in our favorite stories can be more important than ever. As March is National Reading Month, and knowing that my fans on social media are lifelong book lovers, I asked my to share some of their favorite must-read classic stories �� the stories they love best. If you’re looking for some inspiration to add to your reading lists, why not consider a few of these suggestions from fellow bookworms?

10 Great Stories to Read Right Now, According
to Book Lovers




The Time Quintet �� Madeleine L’Engle

“All the books in The Time Quintet by Madeleine L’Engle. I am sad for those who don’t read past A Wrinkle in Time. I love that Meg is into science, and how these books imagine the universe, both vast and infinite and microscopic within a cell. A Wind in the Door seems particularly timely!�� —Beth Johnson Barroilhet

Beowulf

“Beowulf and Old Norse and Icelandic sagas! They are major inspirations of both Tolkien and Lewis, which is how I found them. Ended up specializing in them for my undergrad degree. They are tales full of both history and fantasy, heroes and monsters, magic and mayhem. Everything you could want!�� —Brooke Smith

Chronicles
of Narnia �� C. S. Lewis

��I read C. S. Lewis�� Chronicles of Narnia for the first time when I was 7. I was homeschooled and my dad noticed that I loved reading and so he pulled out the books from his childhood and let me read.�� —Marcia Wenner

A Midsummer
Night’s Dream �� William Shakespeare

“I absolutely love “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.�� Of all Shakespeare plays I found that to be the most humorous. It introduced me to the language of Shakespeare and made the assigned plays bearable to read.”��—Rilla Walker

Anne of Green Gables �� L. M. Montgomery

“Anne of Green Gables is my all-time favorite. I was named after her daughter and grew up on references from this book. My mom calls me “Rilla my Rilla�� from the 8th book. I could read this one over and over and never get tired of Anne’s wonder and excitement.�� —Rilla Walker

The Merlin Saga �� T. A. Barron

��I read [the books of The Merlin Saga] to my sons when they were 4 and 6, this gave them their love of fantasy.�� —Cindy Nail Willis

Gone With the Wind �� Margaret Mitchell

“My favorite is Gone With the Wind. It was the first classic I ever read and paved the way for all the other ones I’ve read. I still reread it every time I get a chance to.�� —Chava Norman

The
Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde �� Robert Louis Stevenson

“I’m also a fan of the musical, and read the book after memorizing so much of the musical, so it was a delight to see so many of the lyrics were directly pulled from lines in the book.�� —Kate Workman

The
Selfish Giant �� Oscar Wilde

“I’m sure you were looking for a novel, but my mind immediately went to my favorite childhood story, “The Selfish Giant�� by Oscar Wilde […] It’s a simple story of regret, forgiveness, and redemption. As a child, I loved the story because the giant turned nice like he was supposed to. As an adult, the story makes me cry because I understand how difficult it is to see ourselves as we truly are and change for the better.�� —Bethany Runyon

Random Acts of Kindness Week, or ‘RAK Week��
for short, celebrated every February, is all about making small, intentional
acts of kindness a part of your routine. But more than that, having an entire
week dedicated to kindness means we have the opportunity to inspire those
around us to do the same. Because a funny thing about kindness is�� it tends
to be contagious!

Kind acts, done with no expectation of
reward, help everyone �� not simply the giver and the receiver, but also those
who witness an altruistic act. Witnessing a random act of kindness can inspire
others, giving them a gentle nudge in their own hearts and minds toward positive
action. In fact, there is even scientific evidence to support the idea that
kindness impacts humans in measurable physical and mental ways. Scientists are
learning that positively impacts life span, relationships, anxiety,
depression, pain, stress, and more. Not to mention, people who engage in kind
behaviors historically report being generally happier than those who don’t.

While kindness should, of course, be a part
of our daily behavior, RAK Week is a terrific reminder to us all that every day
of our lives we face a choice �� will I act to bring happiness and positivity to
others? Can I make the world around me better through my actions? Centering
kindness is something everyone can do, and it’s great to know that this week
people everywhere are not only doing their part to make the world a little
brighter, but also sharing ideas and activities to help inspire kind actions in
others.

So find a way to make kindness a habit, for
others and for yourself!

Here are some simple things you can do to
boost your kindness levels this week.

Random Acts of Kindness Week: 10 Simple Ways Anyone Can Spread Kindness

1. Let someone know you appreciate them.

Make eye contact, use descriptive language, and tell someone in your life exactly why you think they’re so great. Focus on how the things they do matter, call out some of the things you’ve noticed they’ve been working hard at�� let them know they’re seen and valued.

Often, simply giving someone acknowledgment
is enough to show you truly appreciate the things they do.

2. Buy someone a coffee.

When you stop in for yourself, pick up one for a coworker and surprise them with it. Not heading to work? Buy a pick me up for a stranger by offering to pay for the coffee of the person next to you in line.

3. Or, better yet, buy someone lunch.

If you’re feeling truly generous, make it a
meal! If you find yourself in a drive-thru this week, when it’s your turn to
order ask how much the person behind you ordered. If it’s within your budget,
buy theirs too! It’s a truly awesome way to make someone’s day without even
going out of your way.

4. You can make someone lunch too.

Packing your lunch for work? If you regularly
encounter needy people on your commute, why not pack another in the bag and
hand it off to someone who might not otherwise get a meal?

5. Let someone cut in line.

See someone with just a few things waiting
to check-out behind you at the store? Let them jump ahead so they can get on
with their day.

6. Leave a little extra.

Grabbing lunch or out for dinner? Leave an
extra five percent for your service staff.

7. Leave a great review.

Read a book you loved? Visited a restaurant
with great food? Received some great service from a local contractor? Head to
Amazon or their social media page to leave a great review. It only takes a few
moments of your time but can help the recipient of your kindness immensely.

8. Be extra neighborly.

Befriending your neighbors will make life on
your street much better, and it often doesn’t take much to make it happen. Drop
off a homemade dessert, help them rake their leaves, or invite them over for a coffee
or a cold drink. It’s a great way to get to know them while doing something
kind at the same time.

9. Write thank you notes.

Show appreciation for your teachers, your coworkers, or your friends. Grab a card and write a short, simple thank you to them for the little things they do to make your life better. They will be so delighted to receive such a heartfelt thanks.

10. Kids can Spread Kindness, too!

Committing to be kind is important for kids as well as adults. If you’re at school and notice someone standing on the sidelines watching your game or playground activity, why not invite them to join in? Sometimes all it takes to make a new friend is someone willing to reach out and include them!

Looking for more ways to spread kindness in
the world? Check out some of the fantastic ideas to my readers
and friends have submitted, or head over to the official site for some more inspiration.

“It’s the most magical word of all. And it’s also the most varied �� simple or complex, hidden or revealed, painful or joyous�� That word is love.��

Love is magical. In one or all of its varied forms �� the unconditional love of a parent or child, the heart-pounding love of romance, or the deep, peaceful love felt while deep in nature �� Love is a powerful emotion that has the ability to fill your heart, mind, and soul so completely that it truly feels like magic.  

Love is also the strongest of Merlin’s magical ideas. Every one of Merlin’s relies on Love to strengthen it and fill it with significance. Love binds to the other concepts so strongly, in fact, that it’s hard to imagine any them existing without it.  And each of those strengthened ideas can, in turn, amplify our desire to seek out Love, to embrace it, to fight for it, and protect it fiercely. 

Love inspires . It makes you thankful to be alive, happy to share the moments of your life with people you care about, and grateful for the joy of doing something that stirs your inner passions.



Love requires . Without it, we would lack the ability to care fully and freely for others. Because Love carries with it immense risk, and asks us to expose our most vulnerable selves. It can take great Courage to break down the walls around ourselves and let Love in, but it is also the only way to truly allow it to touch every fiber of our being.



 and understanding are close to the heart of Love, for you can’t offer others great Love if you struggle to know and love yourself. Love beckons us to go deep within ourselves to find a soul-level understanding of another, and the bonds that are created from that Knowledge are the soil from which Love is able to grow.



fuels Love. Belief, faith, trust �� Love requires that you exhibit these in yourself and that which you care about. Minus these, your Love will be flimsy, easily attacked, and perhaps ultimately destroyed. There is no certainty in Love, just as there is none in life, but there is a measure of peace and a path to happiness available to those who believe.



At the core of  is openness, and it is through the doorway of Wonder that we allow Love to flow. Being open to Wonder allows us to explore, to adventure, and to see the things around us with new eyes �� eyes which are open to even the smallest spark of Love and warmth in our world.



Love encourages . Because Generosity is about more than simple wish-fulfillment, it is allowing others to share in things of our own. The invisible gift from the heart can make as much impact as any physical gift, and Love makes every day a celebration of giving.



It is  that allows you to commit to the adventure that is Love. Hope gives you the courage to move forward without fear, to approach each day eagerly, and to look with excitement and positivity for opportunities to express Love.

As you aim to today and into the New Year, my wish for you is that your days are filled with Wonder and Hope. I wish for you to be guided by your Beliefs, fueled by Courage, humbled in Gratitude, and compelled toward Generosity. Because where those magical ideas reside, there is also Love�� of the most meaningful and magical kind.

At this time of year, the idea of Gratitude �� one of �� is never far from my mind. After all, with a holiday named “Thanksgiving��, it’s only natural that the holiday season inspires us to recall our blessings and take a moment to reflect upon how grateful we are to have received them. But the truth is, to live a truly meaningful life, Gratitude ought not to simply be a a concept to discuss over a single dinner.

I believe that to be wholly alive is to be grateful—for every breath we take, every song we sing, every person we love, every day we discover. When you live a life centered around Gratitude and make a habit of taking a few moments to appreciate your blessings, the magic of Gratitude quickly becomes interwoven with your actions and the inspiration behind your choices.

Making Room for Gratitude

In today’s world, where the hustle and bustle of daily living pulls us away from the natural wonders and beauties of life, it can be easy to lose sight of the need to express Gratitude. We can all struggle to step back and take a moment to express our thanks in meaningful ways. I believe that, like so many other things we want in our lives, making room for Gratitude is about making a conscious choice. A choice to step back and choose to acknowledge the gifts you’ve received in your life �� both tangible and intangible.

But how do we make room for Gratitude with so many distractions in our day-to-day lives? In my own life, I look to nature. It is where I escape to find solace, to find comfort, to reach a place of peace where my mind is clear and my heart is open. Nature causes me to feel both very small and very large at once—diminished and humbled by my own insignificance, while also enlarged and inspired by the vast sweep of creation.

It is alongside the vast ocean, gazing up at a star filled sky, or surrounded by trees with hundreds of years of experience that I am able to put my Gratitude into perspective and connect with my inner self in a way that brightly illuminates my blessings. The beauty and authenticity of the natural world helps me truly open myself to Gratitude and appreciate all the other gifts in my life.

I encourage you to find your “nature�� �� that special element or setting that focuses your mind and lightens your soul. It may be a place, or an idea, or it may even be another person, but it must be something you can always count on to uplift you, to intrigue you, and to invigorate your mind. It is within this context that I truly believe your Gratitude can explode into something you can feel each day. Feeling grateful will become a part of you that you will come to know intimately, and will fill your life with meaning.

And, you won’t be able to stop expressing it! You’ll want to share your Gratitude with others, you’ll want to create opportunities for them to experience the depth of Gratitude you have experienced, and you’ll want to express how appreciative you are to be able to live such a grateful life.

Such a life is a blessing in itself, and for that I am forever grateful.

Generosity, as described by Merlin in , is not giving others what they want. Rather, it’s giving away what you yourself want.

When you think about very young children
learning to share, this idea of generosity becomes quite apparent. The reason
youngsters tend to struggle with the idea of sharing is not because they don’t
desire to be kind or because they don’t care for the person they’re being asked
to share with. These feelings are simply overwhelmed by the idea that they are
being asked to give something they too enjoy and wish to keep in their
possession to someone else. It is this act of giving—when you release a thing
you desire—that requires generosity.

What Does Generosity Look and Feel Like?

Often, people mistakenly believe that being
generous involves the giving of tangible gifts that the recipient can use in
some way. Generosity, however, requires no such thing. To give freely of your
heart, time, attention, knowledge, talents, and feelings is often a more
powerful, meaningful gift to share with someone than an item they could
purchase or acquire themselves. When you give of these things that you are
intimately attached to, though they are often more difficult to quantify, they
are also ones that can only be truly released from a generous heart.

A generous gift is one that inspires you to
feel as deeply about giving it away as the person you’re giving it to feels
about receiving it. These gifts can make you vulnerable because generosity
often asks you to step outside of your comfort zone, to dig deep down inside,
and give a piece of yourself you didn’t know you could do without.

Certainly generosity can be given in the
form of charitable gifts, even those that are monetary in nature. But it is
often the invisible gifts from the heart that are the most cherished, valuable,
and significant both to those giving them and to those who receive.

The Multiplicity of Generosity

You don’t have to use words, or to enact
grand gestures to demonstrate this sort of deeper generosity�� you don’t even
need to be certain of your final intentions, because even small gifts of kindness
can have positive impacts we can’t forsee. A generous choice made yesterday,
may be what inspires a generous act done today, which �� who knows? �� might save
millions of people who won’t even be born until tomorrow.

Those who demonstrate their generosity in
this way are often met with opposition. For example, few people have not heard
of the work of Jane Goodall, Nelson Mandela, Isabel Allende, Mother Theresa,
Mahatma Gandhi, or Martin Luther King, Jr. But while these names are just a few
well-known examples of those who have come to be known as heroes in our time, many
were not seen as such when they began their work. Their generosity was, at
times, met with opposition and came with great personal sacrifice.

But these well-known people persisted, and
continued to give of their time and skills, to advocate for others, and to help
those around them learn and grow. They, and many others like them, can be
considered the ultimate inspirations to those of us who desire to live
generously. Let their big deeds and generous hearts inspire you to plant some
generous seeds in the soil of your own life. Remember that generosity
multiplies and, when you give, it inspires more gifts to others.

How to Live Generously in Your Own Life

When you make the choice to live
generously, you don’t have to also make the choice to live scarcely. It’s not
necessarily about how much you give up, but that you give without expectation.
It’s not about receiving thanks or recognition, it’s not about guilt or
obligation. Those who give generously do so because they have empathy for those
they give to and a desire to bring joy and peace to others.

When you think about how you can be
generous, think beyond giving when giving is expected. Don’t consider what the
recipient of your generosity might feel about you as a result of your gift.
Don’t settle for those things that would be easy or obvious for you to give.
Generous gifts are not given with ulterior motives, they’re not anticipated,
they’re not obligatory, they’re not predictable or convenient. They’re more
than an afterthought, and they don’t come with apologies or insinuate
repayment. That’s how you know they’re generous.

I think my dear friend Merlin , “I will give this to a dear friend,�� he declares. “Of course, I’d love to keep it right here, where I can see it every day. Yet even more�� I’d love to know it’s with my friend, where she can do the same.��

Each year, The Barron Prize celebrates outstanding young leaders ages 8 to 18 who have made a significant positive difference to people and the environment. These inspiring, public-spirited young people from across North America are doing amazing work for their communities and the environment. I am deeply inspired by the work of these young people, each of whom will each receive $10,000 to support their service work or higher education. Read on to learn about their important and inspiring projects and join me in congratulating them!

Addison, age 11, of Maryland, who founded to raise awareness and funds to protect endangered mountain gorillas. She has helped raise more than $7,000 for the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund and The Ellen Fund by selling homemade cookies and lemonade and hosting her annual Gorilla Gala. 

Adom, age 15, of South Carolina, who founded , a non-profit that supports communities through sports, including an annual Celebrity Basketball Game. His group has raised more than $70,000 for sixteen local non-profits that serve children.

Anna, age 13, of Massachusetts, who has invented a that detects microplastics on the ocean floor. She has also written a children’s book, Microplastics and Me, and has raised more than $7,000 to distribute it free to children and libraries in high-need communities.

Charlie and Jeremy, ages 15 and 14, of Oregon, who co-founded , a youth-led non-profit working to fight climate change and to help implement effective climate policy, including Oregon’s Clean Energy Jobs bill.

Emma, age 17, of Florida, who co-founded , a non-profit that reduces the amount of food waste in landfills by providing a free, weekly household composting service to more than 100 families in Miami.  

Garyk, age 18, of Maryland, who has worked for five years to develop better for starving children in developing countries. He is teaming with an NGO to begin producing his food in Malawi.

Grace, age 14, of Maryland, who founded , a non-profit that creates ways for youth to help other children who are homeless, sick, and in foster care. A cancer survivor, Grace has donated more than $65,000 in grants and products to children’s agencies, and has created a free month-long summer day camp for kids.

Jamie, age 17, of Washington, who founded , a non-profit international youth climate justice movement. Her 2018 Youth Climate March brought hundreds of youth to Washington, D.C. and inspired 25 sister marches around the world.

Joseph, age 18, of Illinois, who founded to lead young people in protecting the Boundary Waters from sulfide-ore copper mines proposed along the wilderness edge that would cause irreparable damage.

Katherine and Milan, ages 17 and 16, of California, who co-founded and have taught computer coding skills to more than 100 children living in homeless and domestic violence shelters.

Maanasa, age 16, of Ohio, who invented , an inexpensive and globally applicable renewable energy device. It is made primarily of recycled materials costing less than $5.00 and can power a 15-watt LED bulb.

Neil, age 16, of Pennsylvania, who has created an app called to help farmers in developing countries easily identify and treat crop disease, allowing them to maximize yields and reduce their need for toxic pesticides.

Pearl and Addy, age 16, of Michigan, who created to provide high-quality, youth-raised food to low-income families. With the help of nearly 20 peers, they have raised and donated 10,000 pounds of meat, along with huge quantities of milk and eggs, to their local food pantry.

Ruby Kate, age 11, of Arkansas, who founded to support the elderly living in nursing homes. She asks residents what they wish for and then fills their requests, returning with basics like shoes that fit, toothpaste, and fresh fruit.

Will and Matthew, ages 14 and 11, of Massachusetts, who co-founded the . The brothers have sold over 10,000 pairs of bright blue socks to raise more than $80,000 to fund research to study the bird’s decline in the Galapagos Islands.

Merlin has been a part of my life for more than 20 years.

Though he may be but a mythical being to some, and a great character in an epic story for many more, after , he is truly much more than that for me. He has grown into a friend, an intimate, and that I have come to relate to on a near-daily basis.

And he has taught me so much!

Through Merlin I have learned much of what I understand about bravery and the responsibility of power; wisdom and the importance of being open to learning; kindness and the enduring promise of hope. Merlin’s story has helped guide me through many challenging experiences in my life, and I am so grateful that I have had the opportunity to .

Especially when it comes to finding Courage.

To me, Courage is what empowers us to seek out the great meaning of life. It allows us to dream about who we can be and what we want for the world, and it gives us the strength to actually persevere and bring those dreams to life.

Each day I strive to live courageously �� to be bold in life and to live it fully. And, while I, like all of us, sometimes struggle to be courageous in the face of adversity, I know just where to look for inspiration.

One of the most common questions I am asked is, “How did you manage to leave your steady, reliable career all those years ago in pursuit of being a writer?�� And the best answer I have is Courage (and a dash of Hope!).

Without Courage I never would have fulfilled my dream of being a writer. I never would have shared Merlin with all of you. I never would have had the opportunity to tell my own story, or to encourage you to authentically live your own.

Real Courage, however, is not something we naturally have from birth; true Courage �� the sort that shapes lives �� can only fully bloom when cultivated and cared for.

How to Live a More Courageous Life: 5 Things You Can Do

Focus on meaning. 
Meaning can’t be bought at any store. And it can’t be handed down like a coat that someone tells you will fit perfectly before you’ve even tried it on. Meaning must be sought and earned and made one’s own.

To truly live a courageous life, you have to find what is meaningful to you and let it fuel your soul and inspire you to act courageously.

Practice being courageous.

It seems strange, but being courageous doesn’t mean not being frightened. Most people who face a challenge which requires bravery will tell you that they were scared out of their minds before they took that first step. Courage requires you to leave your comfort zone and tread out into a space that is unfamiliar and unsafe. Doing this requires practice to perfect.

Brene Brown said it best, “Courage is…a habit, a virtue: You get it by courageous acts. It’s like you learn to swim by swimming. You learn courage by couraging.��

If you want to be more courageous, you have to practice being courageous every chance you get! Be bold with your life. Explore whatever calls to you. Love fully and freely without being guided by fear or the expectations of others. Because at the end of your days, what you’ll most regret is not what you tried and failed, but what you never tried at all.

Be inspired by your world.

Nature has always been an inspiration for me �� it is where I am my most creative, where my best ideas seem to be born �� and it has taught me not only how small we all are, but also how significant we are, as well. 

Surrounded by the wilderness I may feel dwarfed by the grand sweep of the stars, the oceans, and the mountains. Yet, as overwhelming as it may seem, I know that I am still an important part of it all. I can see the power humans have to help or hurt this world we live in and I’m inspired to be courageous for the sake of our Earth.

Take time to look around you, find the things that are most meaningful to you-the things that fill your mind with awe and your heart with love-and let them be your courage.

Let passion be your guide.

When I wrote my first novel, I received 32 rejections. Thirty-two! That’s a lot of NOs �� and everything around me was telling me to give up on this dream, so I did.

I followed my back-up plan and joined a business in New York City But, even as the business became more successful, even as I found myself overwhelmed with tasks, I still created time to write-to do the thing that filled my soul in a way nothing else seemed to be able to.

Eventually my enduring passion allowed me to find the Courage to try again.

Now, dozens of published books later, I think I made the right choice!

It’s scary to leave a sure thing, to venture out into the unknown to pursue something without a safety net, but for me, nothing is as frightening as the idea of growing old, coming to the end of my life, and knowing that I had a big dream �� but I never really tried to make that dream come true. 

Let passion be your guide. Listen to it, let it lead you to where your heart and mind feel as excited as they do at ease. You’ll suddenly realize what you’re truly capable of accomplishing both for yourself and for the world. And, once you realize the power you have, the Courage will come easily.

Think of your life as a story.

Always remember that you are writing your own unique story �� with every day you live and every choice you make. This is your story, set in your world �� with your time and your soul �� and YOU are the author. You will write every chapter �� all the way to the end.

Make it the most awesome story you can �� fill it with adventure, heart, and humor, make it meaningful and grand. Then, go out and tell that story with the courage that passion, love, and gratitude have filled you with.

“Belief is a powerful elixir. It offers strength, renewal, and peace to those who drink it. And your cup can be forever refilled.��

Belief, one of , can give us comfort in times of chaos, strength in moments of weakness, And direction when we feel lost. Our beliefs �� whether they’re a belief in our own abilities, a belief in the nature of the world and the universe, or a belief in a higher power �� guide us on our journey through life and allow us to find meaning and purpose in uncertain situations, and discover clarity among the muddled waters of our daily lives.

But where does someone find what they believe in, and develop those beliefs? For each of us the journey is unique. For me, the music of nature �� the warm spring wind or the sound of a meadowlark �� inspires a faith in forces that are larger than myself. This beauty and power of nature, the predictable unpredictability of it, the uniqueness of each and every creature, from the tiniest life form to the largest mammal, are what have guided me along the pathway to this belief.

However, there are times when even I have struggled, times when my beliefs have seemed hollow, or have even abandoned me altogether. When I see senseless loss of life, or the destruction of our spectacular planet, I can’t help but wonder. I can’t help but question. I can’t help but doubt.

And this is precisely the space where belief has the opportunity to transform us. As we seek answers to life’s hardest questions and attempt to make sense of the senseless, it is there that our resolve to believe is stretched. It is through these challenges we must reach deep within ourselves to find our way back�� or perhaps to discover a new belief to guide us.

In , young Merlin was on his own journey to enlightenment as he sought to find meaning and purpose in his own existence. His journey of self discovery helped him uncover greater powers within himself than he’d ever dreamed. As you seek faith and belief, I have some Merlin-inspired tidbits of advice to help you along your way.

Don’t be distracted by shiny things or loud voices. It has been my experience that belief can be more reliably found through small, unassuming moments, like the gaze of a newborn child filled with wonder, trust, and love.



Respect each person’s journey as you do your own. Celebrate your belief with actions more than words, and allow others to be inspired on their own paths.



Never mistake belief for omniscience, or trade humility for arrogance. Though we move toward enlightenment and deeper understanding, we remain human and therefore, fallible.



Leave room for doubt. It is what spurs us to look deeper, to seek further, and bravely question our faith as we seek to strengthen it.

Hope requires courage.

Darkness, despair, anger, destruction—the
images of these things feature daily in our media. No matter where we look, we’re
met with images that leave us questioning. We’re left feeling hopeless, without
options or solutions to the things that plague us.

The many enemies that challenge our
hope—doubt, fear, sorrow—bind together with our cynicism to infuse us with
mistrust. This mistrust, in turn, teaches us to expect the worst and accept the
lowest. It devours virtue, demeans courage, and criticizes effort, leaving us
to feel that hope is elusive. Or even impossible.

Finding something to engage with beyond our
fear and mistrust is one way to crawl from under the blanket of despair.
Nature, for me, is one such source. It is resilient, it is transformative, it
is magical in ways even the greatest of wizards can only seek to understand.

But there’s one other place I look when I am
feeling pessimistic about the future of our world. Like nature, young people
are a constant source of hope for me. They inspire me to be courageous with
their high ideals, honesty, and humor. The way they hope, with valor and
courage, revives my spirit and makes me truly believe that anything is
possible.

The was created to honor young people like these whose courageous curiosity, inspirational deeds, and tenacious hope drive them to great things. Seeing the ideas they’ve created come to life and change our world never fails to return hope to my soul.

Each of the amazing Barron Prize winners have
touched me in their own way, and I’m sharing a few of them with you today so
that you can be touched by them too. That, at least, is my Hope.

Young Heroes
Who Give Me Hope



Jahkil and volunteers help fill Blessing Bags for the community

Jahkil, Project I Am

Jahkil founded  when he was just nine
years old after helping his aunt distribute food to the Chicago homeless. He
knew he wanted to make a difference and he came up with the idea to offer what
he calls “Blessing Bags”�� a giveaway package filled with wipes, socks,
deodorant, hand sanitizer, granola bars, toothbrushes, toothpaste, bottled
water, and more. Since its inception in 2017, Jahkil’s project has touched over
20,000 men, women, and children in Chicago and around the world. A frequent
public speaker, Jahkil challenges children to find their passion and use it to
make a difference.

Robbie, Kids Speak for Parks

Robbie and friends raise awareness for parks

Robbie created his
�ԴDz�-����Ǵھ����� to ensure that our
national parks and monuments remain protected long into the future. He is
working to build an army of activists, including fourth-grade students (who can
visit our national parks free of charge), who will stand up and speak up for
the parks. Robbie is dedicated to educating the nation’s youth and families
about our National Parks and Monuments, while increasing the appreciation for
and preservation of these unique and treasured natural lands.

Shreya, The Grey Water Project

Shreya shares gray water information

�������ⲹ���ڴdzܲԻ�����, a non-profit that promotes the safe reuse of grey water and water conservation, as a way to address drought. She works tirelessly to educate others about grey water �� the gently used water from household sinks, showers, and laundry �� and to remove the stigma that it is unclean and unusable. She has learned the California Plumbing Code and conducts seminars to show others how easy it is to build “laundry to lawn�� grey water systems using organic detergents such as soap nuts. Shreya’s research on the environmental safety of soap nut grey water has led her to collaborations with several California water agencies to promote grey water reuse. She has earned numerous awards for her work, including the President’s Environmental Youth Award, and was invited to partner with the United Nations�� Global Wastewater Initiative. She has also developed a grey water curriculum for elementary students to teach water conservation.

Claire, Solar Makes Sense

Claire spearheaded an ambitious solar project

Claire created and led the  initiative in her hometown and raised the $118,000 needed to install solar panels on her middle school. The panels launched June 2018. She has galvanized her community and school district, sparking a movement and inspiring them to embrace renewable energy and commit to green building. Surplus money from her fundraising efforts along with a matching grant from the local energy company will soon fund the installation of another solar panel system at another local school.

Harry and Heath, Bennett Brothers Balm

Brothers Harry and Heath raise funds selling their balm

Harry and Heath founded  when Harry’s friend and former classmate was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in May of 2016. Harry and Heath knew right away that they wanted to help. They learned that cancer patients�� lips and skin can get dry and chapped from chemo treatments, so Harry thought of the idea to start a lip balm company to raise money. He asked Heath to be his partner, and they decided to name their business Bennett Brothers Balm. They started making lip and body balms at home in their kitchen and selling them online and at craft fairs, 5Ks, corporate events, and cancer fundraisers. They donate 100% of profits to cancer research and patient care. A portion of the money raised goes into a fund that Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, MA set up for their friend’s doctor, Dr. Amy Billett, and it helps support her research in pediatric Hodgkin’s disease specifically.

Please take a moment to read
more about the and all of our past winners. I promise
it will infuse your soul with hope!

“The important thing is not to stop questioning.�� ��Albert Einstein

Knowledge, one of , is so much more than just the things you learn by sitting in a classroom. The truth is, Knowledge is just as much about what you don’t know than what you do, and it’s about your journey to fill those gaps in your understanding of yourself and the world.

Knowledge requires that you look both within and without. To
explore your passions, hopes, strengths, and dreams. To examine your fears,
weaknesses, vulnerabilities, and prejudices. To come to know the true you ��
honestly, deeply, wholly �� and then seek growth. To always remain open to
expanding your horizons, altering your perspectives, and thinking outside of
your box.

Curiosity, in all its forms, is the gateway to knowledge. As children, we are born with a drive to ask questions, to explore, to discover things about our world and the people that surround us. Children’s open minds mean that sometimes they think of questions that are both simple and deeply revealing �� my own children would often ask me, “Dad, is that true��? That one simple question was often just what I needed to re-examine some of my own beliefs, and to look at things in a new way.  If you allow yourself to re-discover that childlike curiosity, it becomes like a key �� a key that opens the doors leading to Knowledge.

As you live openly in your world �� tasting, trying,
exploring, experiencing it �� do so with a mindfulness towards the fact that
there is always more�� below the surface, around the next corner, beyond what
you see. Remain open to growth, stay committed to it, and you will always be
open to increasing your Knowledge.

When it comes to , as much as the wizard’s story lives within me, I still make new discoveries through exploring his story �� about myself, about Merlin, and about the things we share as a part of this great planet. The Knowledge I have gained over the years by being has paid dividends time and again throughout my life.  His story is never-ending and, as much as been written about him across the ages, I am excited by the idea that there are still discoveries to be made, mysteries to be solved, and magic to be conjured.

Take some time to test your Merlin knowledge by taking �� for a few clues to start you off, I invite you to take a look at a bit of his magical family tree from The Merlin Saga!

How well do you know Merlin’s Lost Years?



Merlin’s Family Tree*: Here’s What You Need to Know

(*based on T. A. Barron’s )

Merlin father was nonmagical.

Corrupted by the evil spirit lord, Rhita Gawr, and hungry to have power he was denied because of his lack of magic, Merlin’s father, Stangmar turns into the power-hungry tyrannous king of Fincayra. Rhita Gawr eventually leads him to betray his entire family, including his young son, Merlin.

Merlin’s mother is human.

Elen of the Sapphire Eyes, as she’s known in Fincayra,
journeyed from Earth and fell in love with a young Stangmar (before he was
allied with Rhita Gawr). The two would go on to have two children—Merlin and
Rhia.

Merlin’s sister was raised by a tree.

Lost as an infant in the Druma Woods, Merlin’s sister, Rhia,
was raised by the great oak tree, Arbassa. Many years later, when she was
eventually reunited with her brother, she bestowed upon him his new name:
Merlin.

Merlin’s grandmother was a mermaid.

Making a selfless decision in the name of love, Olwen, the woman who would bear Merlin’s father, Stangmar, left her family, the mer people, to be with Merlin’s grandfather.

Merlin’s wife was a deer woman.

After returning from Camelot in the Year 27, Merlin wed his
graceful love, Hallia, atop the highest peak in the Seven Realms. The pair
would go on to have a son named Krystallus.

Merlin’s son was born without magical powers.

He did, however, excel as an explorer, going on to discover
and explore many remote parts of Avalon. It is on one of his journeys that he
met the flamelon princess who would eventually become his wife, Halona.

Merlin’s grandson was a lost boy, too.

Separated from first his father, then his mother, and finally
his adoptive brother, Merlin’s grandson, Tamwyn Eopia, spent much of his life
in search of things in much the same way Merlin did.