Great stories deserve to be shared.
Our story
The Lantern Guild began with a simple idea: great stories deserve to be shared.
After working with young readers in the library, I saw how easily tweens could fall into an in-between space. They were growing beyond children’s programming, but they still loved creativity, imagination, discovery, and the experience of a story coming to life.
I also knew how much time librarians and educators spend planning meaningful programs, creating displays, finding activities, and preparing all the little pieces that make those experiences special. And I knew that planning time can be hard to come by when there are patrons to help, desks to cover, and a dozen other things that need attention. That’s why I created The Lantern Guild.
The Lantern Guild brings treasured stories and new adventures together with programs, activities, displays, book recommendations, and printables created especially for readers ages 9–12. My hope is that The Lantern Guild gives librarians a little more time to spend with their readers and helps more tweens discover stories they’ll remember for years to come.
Picked with care
Every pairing in The Lantern Guild begins with two stories and a connection worth exploring.
I choose a treasured story alongside a newer adventure, looking for the themes and ideas that bring them together. The books may come from different times and places, but they share something meaningful that gives readers a way into both stories.
By pairing treasured books with newer stories, I hope to help a new generation of readers discover books they might otherwise pass by. From there, I build programs, activities, displays, and printables around that connection, giving librarians and educators practical ways to bring the stories to life.
