Lions rule the savanna kingdom and are taught to hate hyenas, who compete for the same resources. Then Mya the Lion and Asia the Hyena both get caught by a trapper and have to work together to escape. When they return home, they have to deal with protests and a face-off between their two species, and Mya has to make a tough decision: Should she rest easy in her lion power or speak up for her new hyena friend?

The authors of this story are part of an innovative program run by Reach Incorporated. Reach develops grade-level readers and capable leaders by preparing teens to serve as tutors and role models for younger students, resulting in improved literacy outcomes for both. Learn more at reachincorporated.org.

Books were created in collaboration with Shout Mouse Press. Shout Mouse is a nonprofit writing program and publishing house for unheard voices. Through writing workshops designed for all levels of literacy, Shout Mouse empowers writers from marginalized backgrounds to tell their own stories in their own voices and, as published authors, to act as agents of change. Learn more at shoutmousepress.org.