Maya's Mad - THE BRIGHTENERS, #2

BOOK 2: MAYA'S MAD

When Anger Feels Too Big to Hold

Maya feels like a volcano.

When her little brothers are too loud. When someone bumps her desk. When things don't go the way she expects. The lava bubbles up—hot, fast, impossible to stop.

And then she erupts.

Yelling. Saying things she doesn't mean. Knocking things over. Feeling terrible afterward.

Maya doesn't want to be the angry kid. But she doesn't know how to make it stop.

Then she meets The Brighteners—three classmates who understand big feelings and know that anger isn't the enemy. It's information.

With their help and her teacher Ms. Chen's guidance, Maya learns that her body gives warning signs before the volcano erupts. She discovers tools to release the pressure safely. And she finds out that feeling angry doesn't make her a bad person—it makes her human.

But when her carefully painted artwork gets ruined by accident, Maya faces her biggest test yet. Can she work with her volcano instead of letting it control her?

MAYA'S MAD is Book 2 in The Brighteners series.

Perfect for children who:

This book teaches:
✨ Body awareness and recognizing early warning signs
✨ Research-backed regulation strategies kids can use today
✨ Self-compassion after emotional mistakes
✨ That anger is information, not a character flaw
✨ The difference between feeling angry and acting on anger

Includes discussion questions, volcano tools, and a guide for parents and caregivers.

Ages 5-8 | Grades 1-3 | Early Chapter Book

From Inner Alchemy Publishing — Stories that help kids grow from the inside out.