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Why We Play With Fire

Written by Giselle Vriesen
Illustrated by ShinYeon Moon
Published by 100 Block Futures

ACTIVITIES

Art Activity – .doc | .pdf

Crossword – .pdf

Crossword Answers – .pdf

Reading Response – .doc | .pdf

Research Activity – .doc | .pdf

Which Character Are You?

Discussion Guide

Lesson Plans

BOOK SYNOPSIS

In a thrilling journey of self-discovery and magical intrigue, Thea finds herself transported to a house for the children of gods, where she must retrieve lost keys while navigating secrets, rival schools, and her own doubts, all before the shadow creatures catch up to her.

Embark on a spellbinding odyssey of self-discovery, where Thea’s extraordinary journey unfolds within a realm of enchantment and peril. Desperate to escape encroaching darkness, Thea is propelled through a mystical well by her mother and grandmother, left only with a cryptic mission to “retrieve the keys.”

However, her destination defies all expectations as she arrives at an extraordinary haven—a house known as Malachite. Within the hallowed halls of Malachite, Thea unveils a world far beyond her wildest imagination. Amidst an intricate tapestry of training and elusive artifacts, she discovers a mysterious box safeguarded by the students’ within the home.

But when the three keys that allow access to the box disappear, Thea’s mixed-race ancestry and connection to two gods launch her on an all-consuming quest that awakens her to her divine lineage and an awe-inspiring destiny.

Thea becomes determined to reclaim the keys before the approaching Winter Solstice, navigating treacherous rivalries and evading the clutches of the morally ambiguous Arcana—a competing school with nefarious intentions.

When her comrades fall into captivity, and two keys remain lost, Thea must gain confidence in her new abilities and leadership role to see this through. Amidst the crumbling facade of deceit and the allure of Zero, the enigmatic Arcana prodigy, she must maintain focus, for time is dwindling, and the shadow creatures draw ever closer.

As her parentage unravels and her nascent abilities blossom, Thea grapples with inner doubt and anxieties that threaten to shackle her potential. Will she rally her friends and harness her newfound powers to secure the keys’ safe return? Or will her wavering confidence consign her to failure, succumbing to the clutches of the encroaching shadows?

Join Thea on an electrifying adventure where the boundaries of magic and self-belief intertwine, and the fate of worlds rests upon her resilient shoulders.

GISELLE VRIESEN

Giselle Vriesen (she/they) is an author living on Halalt First Nations land on Vancouver Island Canada. Her first YA fantasy novel Why We Play with Fire debuted in February 2024 through Row House Publishing, distributed by Simon and Schuster, she is currently working on its sequel. Giselle is also the co-creator of the Anti-Racism Course for Educators, teaches writing through her course Book Baby which encourages marginalized writers to decolonize through storytelling, and has been a professional tarot reader for nearly a decade.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Website: https://www.cwillbc.org/Member_View.aspx?MemberID=88058

Instagram: @gisellevriesen

Facebook: @gisellevriesen

Email: gisellevriesen@gmail.com

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Why We Play With Fire

SHINYEON MOON

ShinYeon Moon is an illustrator and educator based in New York. Moon holds an M.F.A. from the School of Visual Arts in Illustration as Visual Essay. She currently teaches illustration at the School of Visual Arts and Fashion Institute of Technology. She has received accolades from different illustration publications including 3×3 Magazine, Society of Illustrators, and Communication Arts. Her most recent exhibition, Shimmer, took place in Tokyo, Japan this summer.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Website: https://www.shinyeon-moon.com/

Instagram: @shinnyoni

Email: shinyeon.moon@gmail.com

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Gemeinhart, Dan (2024). Once Upon A Friend (ShinYeon Moon, Illustrator). Henry Holt and Company/Macmillan.

Liu, Dane (2023). Laolao’s Dumplings (ShinYeon Moon, Illustrator). Henry Holt and Company/Macmillan.

Vriesen, Giselle (2024). Why We Play With Fire (ShinYeon Moon, Illustrator). Row House Publishing.