Virtually Me

In a way, all books are time capsules. A purpose of a time capsule is to make an offering to the future, via specific daily snapshots, with the hope that those opening it will have their perspectives expanded. Consider: the Samuel Adams-Paul Revere Time Capsule–containing such things as colonial coins and newspapers (1795); the France Opera Vault–wax records of arias, etc. (1907); the World’s Fair Time Capsule–a kewpie doll and textiles (1938). By the time Virtually Me, by the husband and wife team, Chad Morris and Shelly Brown, comes out on February 7, 2023, we will be almost three years from when COVID first tilted our world. Daily details in the book capture pandemic life, so for those looking for ways to shape the narrative around the experience with sensitivity and delight, this sounds like a time capsule worth opening. Marketed for the middle grade reader (ages 8-12), Virtually Me is a story about three students who enroll in a virtual middle school during the pandemic where students create an avatar to represent themselves. The protagonists’ choices about their identities reflect their individual motives while capturing the universal pathos of being in middle school. The targeted audience is ideal: old enough to understand the pandemic and young enough to be shaped by the affirmation that there are intrinsic aspects to humanity–connectivity, authenticity, repair–that can be consistent anchors no matter how the world tilts. As we continue navigating COVID and its fallout, being reminded of what we’ve gained during the experience–increased resilience, expanded creativity, deepened compassion–feels inspiring for audiences of all ages. – Ena Fowles (Virtually Me will be published by Shadow Mountain February 7, 2023).