{"product_id":"the-beacon-keepers-g-m-samuelson-9798995810704","title":"The Beacon Keepers: First Light","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBook One in The Beacon Keepers series.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSome tables look open. They aren't.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLeo Morales has walked past the cafeteria tables at Saltwind Bay Middle School a hundred times. He knows where the loud kids sit. Where the athletic kids sit. Where the kids who already belong slide into place without thinking. What he hasn't noticed is who gets left standing.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLeo trusts order because order makes the world feel steady. Jada Chen draws the kids at the edges, the ones who angle their sketchbooks away and hope no one looks too closely. Max Vega can make almost anyone laugh, but sometimes even he wonders if people like him, or just the noise he brings into the room.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThen a folded note falls from Leo's locker with five words: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTime to find your light. -Z\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe note leads Leo, Jada, and Max across town to Ziggy's Skate \u0026amp; Drone, a workshop that looks like it collided with a skate park and decided not to apologize. Ramps and music out front. Drone parts in back. The smell of burnt plastic, sawdust, and old pizza everywhere.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAnd in the middle of it all is Ziggy.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eZiggy fixes broken drones, busted skateboards, and sometimes kids who do not know they need fixing yet. He gives them a cracked compass, a lighthouse sketch on a grease-stained pizza box, and one challenge: before they build anything, they have to figure out why it matters.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSoon, Leo, Jada, and Max are building something bigger than a club. They call themselves the Beacon Keepers, and their idea is simple: create a place where everyone belongs, matters, and can shine. No exceptions.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut simple does not mean easy. The students who join them bring hidden talents, old doubts, and stories they are not ready to say out loud. The basement room becomes a place to build, fail, listen, try again, and maybe believe they matter a little more than they did yesterday.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEthan Parker's polished robotics team raises the stakes as the Spring Club Challenge is coming fast. Ethan's team has the gear, the confidence, and the perfect presentation. The Beacon Keepers have a cracked compass, a messy idea, a room full of unfinished people, and one question they cannot stop asking: \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eWho is this really for?\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen a mistake threatens everything they have built, Leo, Jada, Max, and the crew must choose between protecting their chance to win and telling the truth.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Beacon Keepers: First Light\u003c\/strong\u003e is a funny, heartfelt middle-grade novel for readers ages 8-14 about friendship, belonging, courage, integrity, teamwork, mentorship, and the quiet power of building something real.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIdeal for school libraries, classroom communities, family reading, and middle-grade book clubs, this character-driven story supports meaningful conversations about trust, student voice, ethical choices, inclusion, leadership, and what it takes to create a place where others can belong.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBecause belonging is not something you announce.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIt is something you build.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCurriculum Alignment: Grades 4-8\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCurriculum Connections: community building, civic responsibility, character analysis, leadership development\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSEL Competencies (CASEL): self-awareness, social awareness, responsible decision-making, relationship skills\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThemes: leadership, belonging, teamwork, friendship, self-discovery, ethical choices, integrity, respect\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRenaissance Accelerated Reader: Quiz available (Teacher made quiz format) ATOS Book Level: 4.60 (Conf#3164259)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e G. M. Samuelson\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9798995810704\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Lordsburg Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 07\/07\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 278\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.58lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.00h x 5.25w x 0.69d","brand":"G. M. Samuelson","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":48874793009407,"sku":"9798995810704","price":17.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-beacon-keepers-g-m-samuelson-9798995810704","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}