Moderator Erinn Pascal (author stewardship manager at PJ Library) and creators Gabriel Valentin (Digital Lizards of Doom Volume 5), Julie Fiveash (The Froggy Library), and Scott Peterson (Phineas and Ferb: A-MAZE-Ing Creature Double Feature) explore how relationships—at home, at school, and beyond—shape their characters and highlight that stories grounded in connection and belonging help middle-grade readers grow.
