In The Wild Card Kids: A Journey to Magic, five kids find a mysterious deck of cards—and are plunged into a strange new world. Maverick, Piper, Zian, Zak, and Skye must now find their way back home. They carry with them the deck’s wild card, which provides both clues and challenges they must overcome on their journey. Along the way, the children have individual revelations, experience personal growth, and learn the true nature of empowerment.
PHOTO SOURCE: HOPE AND WADE
Hope and Wade King are the husband and wife duo who have so much passion behind their new bookThe Wild Card Kids: A Journey to Magic. They’ve made it their personal journey to motivate and create a platform that will provide tools. Not only are they authors from different backgrounds, but they’re also educators and leaders of an education movement. These two have different life stories, which is the driving force of what makes this book relatable to the kids that will pick it up.
PHOTO SOURCE: HOPE AND WADE KING
Wade’s story of growing up in poverty and homelessness is one that many kids, unfortunately, can relate to. It’s important to have teachers in your life that motivate you to be bigger and better than your current situation.
While reading The Wild Card Kids: A Journey to Magic, you’ll see that the 5 characters are very diverse in appearance, talent, and ability. With the hope that any kid that picks up the book will be able to relate. I find that to be a highlight within the book. Many times when kids choose books it feels like the characters aren’t relatable or even look like them.
I also think the illustrator did an amazing job of creating the characters to look like superheroes.
Hope and Wade were very specific about who they chose to create the characters for this book. I asked them why they chose “Mat Sadler as their ILLUSTRATOR”. Wade replied, with his background and a comic book aesthetic, they knew he could bring their vision to life.
When asked what character did Wade feel connected to, with no hesitation he replied “ZAK ” because this character did not like making mistakes. And Hope replied “Skye” because of her get up and go for it spirit”!
One of the many aspects, I respect about this couple is how they used their individual stories and love for education to cultivate not only books but workshops that will empower kids. And challenges teachers to promote individuality, strength, and personal journeys. Many don’t realize school is where many of our kids become the best version of themselves. It’s imperative that we’re introducing tools that will allow them to get there.
