About This Webinar
Is your school in the middle of State testing? Do you have students struggling with academic or athletic ambition and pressure?
In this candid session with Pura Belpré winner author Yamile Saied Méndez and Literacy Specialist at Lee & Low Books, Michelle Fuentes, come to discuss Yamile's award-winning middle grade novel, The Reel Wish (El deseo de mi corazón). The Reel Wish follows the life of Florencia del Lago, a driven young dancer whose panic attack disrupts her plans and forces her to redefine who she is beyond ballet. Yamile provides readers with a meaningful entry point for childhood mental health and wellbeing conversations around anxiety, self awareness, ambition, perfectionism, friendship, and self-regulation.
Yamile will discuss her inspiration to write The Reel Wish and the importance of developing one's own definition of success and developing identity beyond one's passion. Michelle will guide participants through different Social and Emotional Learning and English Language Arts classroom applications using The Reel Wish and its corresponding free Teacher's Guide. The session will model activities and strategies that support both student mental health and educator facilitation.
Participants will take away practical activities, adaptable tools, and concrete strategies for incorporating this text into their immediate lessons, library collections, and discussion circles, all while supporting and fostering the wellbeing of the school community.
This webinar is part of Share My Lesson's 2026 Virtual Conference. Join the community or register for all sessions.
Yamile Saied Méndez is the award-winning author of many books for young readers and adults, including Furia, Where Are You From?, the Horse Country series, and On These Magic Shores, among others. She was born and raised in Rosario, Argentina, but has lived most of her life in a lovely valley surrounded by mountains in Utah. She's a graduate of the Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA Writing program, and a founding member of Las Musas, a marketing collective of Latine writers. Connect with her at yamilesmendez.com.
Michelle Fuentes (she/her) is the Literacy Specialist at Lee & Low Books. Prior to Lee & Low, she taught for five years as the lead educator for English as a Second Language in Memphis and Atlanta serving middle grades. She brings her passion for equity, parent and family engagement, and English Language Learner best practices to Lee & Low Books. She creates student-centered educator resources and leads engaging professional development workshops.
