Walking into a new classroom can feel like stepping onto a stage after the curtain has already risen—everyone seems to know the faces, the rules, and where to sit, while the new kid is still trying to read the room. 
Between awkward introductions, unfamiliar routines, and the pressure to make the perfect first impression, starting over can feel enormous. Yet sometimes, all it takes is a shared laugh, an unexpected connection, or a wonderfully weird mishap for new surroundings to feel a little less foreign. 
And so, an acclaimed graphic novelist is capturing the funny, frantic, and feelings-filled experience of being the new kid—showing young readers that fitting in does not mean fading into the background, but finding their footing without hiding what makes them unmistakably themselves. 
Eisner Award-Winning Author & Creator of the Mr. Wolf’s Class Graphic Novel Series, Aron Nels Steinke, joins our John Masiulionis and Little Forrest on Episode #280 of PR From The Heart’s Children’s Books Spotlight Series to share how he transformed his years as a classroom teacher—and the comedy, commotion, and colorful characters that came with them—into graphic-novel gold, the release of The New Student—the final installment in the Mr. Wolf’s Class series (published by Graphix/Scholastic)—a look inside the pages of his standalone graphic novel, Speechless (published by Graphix/Scholastic), the rejection he has faced even after becoming a published author, the importance of continuing to champion and promote your own work once it reaches bookshelves, his practical advice for making reading a more visible and vibrant part of family life at home, and a sneak preview of his featured appearance at Building A Culture Of Reading In Your Classroom 2026 in Portland—plus much more. 
We encourage you, our friends and neighbors, to support Aron’s work by getting your copies of The New Student and Speechless—and enjoying these empowering reads with your little ones: https://bit.ly/4giDoH4. 
The New Student: A Graphic Novel (Mr. Wolf’s Class #6) 
Text and illustrations copyright © 2026 by Aron Nels Steinke. Used with permission. Published by Graphix/Scholastic. All rights reserved.
Speechless: A Graphic Novel 
Text and illustrations copyright © 2025 by Aron Nels Steinke. Used with permission. Published by Graphix/Scholastic. All rights reserved.
Stay connected with Aron online and on social media:
Official Website: https://bit.ly/4z5AzC0
Instagram: https://bit.ly/3Sg7nre
