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Stories that Spark, ages 8 to 12

Little stories that start big talks

Short, true-to-life stories about courage, honesty and kindness. After each one come questions to talk over together and a simple guide for grown-ups.

Paperbacks on Amazon, written for reading together

Illustration of Leo and Alicia walking a sunny mountain trail with their puppy
30 stories, 2 books, 1 big conversation
The books

Pick a book, pick a story

Fifteen stories in each book, each one short enough for a single bedtime. The 2‑in‑1 edition holds all thirty.

New
Cover of Inspiring Life Lessons for Boys and Girls by Nella Turner

Both books in one

Inspiring Life Lessons for Boys and Girls

All 30 stories in one gift-ready paperback, with discussion questions and a parent guide.

Coming soon to Amazon
Cover of Inspiring Life Lessons for Boys by Nella Turner

For boys

Inspiring Life Lessons for Boys

15 stories about confidence, honesty and doing the right thing when it is hard.

Cover of Inspiring Life Lessons for Girls by Nella Turner

For girls

Inspiring Life Lessons for Girls

15 stories about inner strength, friendship and believing in yourself.

A peek at the stories inside

  • The New Kid’s Choice Kindness
  • Eli and the Library Mystery Honesty
  • The Great Cookie Disaster Persistence
  • Julia and the Lunch Table Choice Empathy
  • Noah and the School Presentation Confidence
  • The Lemonade Stand Dispute Teamwork
  • Hannah and the Sleepover Courage
  • Theo and the Explosion That Wasn’t Curiosity
Inside each story

Every story comes in three parts

The best part often happens after the last page, in the conversation that follows.

  1. 1

    Read the story

    A short story about a real moment in a kid’s life: a new classmate, a missing lunchbox, a choice nobody else would see. Each one opens with a full-page illustration.

  2. 2

    Talk it over

    Five discussion questions follow every story, from “what happened?” to “when have you felt like this?” There are no wrong answers.

  3. 3

    Try it together

    A parent guide names the story’s core value, gives easy ways to bring it into everyday life, and suggests an activity to do together.

Values you will find in the books: courage, honesty, kindness, friendship, confidence, patience and a growth mindset.

Free choose-your-path story

Meet Leo & Alicia

Adventure One: The Secret of Maple Hill

Two curious ten-year-olds, one old trail up Maple Hill, and three ways to go. In this choose-your-path story, your reader decides what happens next, then heads back to try another path. There is no wrong choice.

  • 43 illustrated pages
  • Three paths to explore
  • Questions to talk about
  • Read on screen or print
Leo and Alicia on Maple Hill, looking at a stone archway, a wooden bridge and a tunnel

Which way would you go?

Path of Problem-Solving

The Wooden Bridge

Across the rushing stream wait an old compass, a hand-drawn map, and a puzzle box that takes both of them to open.

What happens next is up to your reader.

Leo and Alicia opening an old wooden puzzle box

Get the adventure, free

Tell us where to send it and the story is yours to download straight away.

Leo and Alicia setting off on a forest trail
About Nella

Stories made for sharing

Nella Turner writes for children ages 8 to 12 about the small, everyday moments where character grows: telling the truth when it is hard, standing up for a friend, trying again after a mistake.

Her books are built to be read together. Every story ends with questions and a short guide, so a few quiet minutes at bedtime can turn into a real conversation.