Teen Edition (Grades 6-12)

Cover illustration for a book titled "Ready or Not?" featuring a young woman with blonde hair sitting on the ground, writing in a notebook, surrounded by images of people, houses, and playing cards, with a background of street scenes and illustrations. The cover also credits the writer, Marcy Bursac, and the artist, Tina Ritchie.

Help students explore foster care, belonging, identity, and resilience through a ready-to-use graphic novel and teaching unit.

Designed for middle and high school English language arts, social-emotional learning, school libraries, public libraries, and youth programs.

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Bring It to Your Classroom

Built around the graphic novel “Ready or Not?”

Teaching elementary (K–5)?
Explore the Junior Edition →

Bring This Story Into Your Classroom

Request free access to the complete Teen Reading Program, including ready-to-use lesson plans, discussion guides, student activities, and writing prompts.

Teacher resources are free. Student copies of Ready or Not? are available in paperback and eBook.

Why Students Connect

A person sitting on a bed, looking out the window with their knees pulled up, appearing sad. There is a book open on the bed and a clock on the wall. The person has shoulder-length hair and is wearing a hoodie. A speech bubble says, 'I don't need more foster care. I just need to make it to 18.'

A Story That Opens Real Conversations

This is a 2-week classroom unit built around a graphic novel your students will actually want to read.

Students follow Olena, a teen navigating foster care, identity, and belonging. As they read, they engage in guided discussions, writing, and reflection that connect the story to real-life experiences.

This is not a lecture or a one-time lesson.

It is a structured way to help students think more deeply, listen more carefully, and understand one another.

Illustrated characters from Ready or Not? representing the real stories that inspired the book.
Illustrated characters from Ready or Not? representing the real stories that inspired the book.

Inspired by Real Experiences

Ready or Not? was inspired by real conversations and lived experiences connected to foster care, adoption, identity, and belonging.

Listen to the stories that helped shape the book.

Explore the Real Stories →

How It Works in Your Classroom

All teacher resources are provided at no cost to participating educators.

Flexible. Classroom-Ready. Built for Real Schedules.
Teach the unit over two weeks or adapt it to fit your schedule. With flexible 45-minute lessons, educators can adjust the pacing to meet their classroom goals and students' needs.

More Than a Graphic Novel

Developed alongside educators and students, this ready-to-use unit combines literature, discussion, and reflection to help students explore foster care, belonging, identity, and resilience.


What the Unit Includes

  • structured daily lesson plans for a two-week unit

  • pre-reading, during reading, and post-reading activities

  • guided discussion questions for meaningful conversations

  • student reflection prompts and writing activities

  • visual quick-write prompts to support engagement

  • a sample lesson plan to help you get started

ready-or-not-real-life-character-inspiration-lesson.png

Every major character in Ready or Not? is inspired by a real person with lived experience. This activity helps students make those connections.

Bring This to Your Classroom

Not Ready to Teach the Full Unit? Start Here

If you’re looking for a simple way to introduce this topic, the Student Contest is an easy place to begin.

Students can respond through art or writing while exploring themes of identity, belonging, and foster care.

Start the Student Contest

Open to middle and high school students

Have feedback from your classroom?
Share what connected, what sparked conversation, and what could improve future versions.

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