Untitled Potential Novel Ideas Post
What is wepa?
Do you remember squirming in the back of class, your mind unable to stop racing? You know that good kids are supposed to sit still and listen; Good kids should be quiet and orderly, not noisy messes. Even so, you can’t help but struggle to silence the part of yourself that is too rowdy. Many kids are taught that having restless energy is problematic and containment is the solution. The book Wepa offers a different solution: Embrace your wepa!
Wepa is your fire, your energy, your creative drive. Wepa isn’t something to be ashamed of, it is something to celebrate. What’s important is that you find ways to express your wepa: Be it dance, or art, or sports, or any of the many other hobbies you can pursue, what’s important is that you find what makes you happy.
Expressing wepa through art
Kids explored their own wepa through art! Each kid made an acronym using the word wepa that described what wepa meant to them. After that, they personified their wepa as cute creatures! By painting with a fork and adding googly eyes, their wepa came to life!
Words Alive has collected these artworks and curated a wonderful digital gallery. Feel free to look through these delightful projects.
Want to see how to express your own wepa? Watch the tutorial below! Written instructions will also be linked.
Bringing Wepa to the classroom
Words Alive is proud to work with the creators of Wepa to spread this important story across San Diego! The art director of Wepa, _______, partnered with us for a very special read aloud! Joe talked to kids at Valencia Park about the process of book creation, from initial ideas all the way to printing and publishing. We are so thankful that Joe could work with Words Alive and are excited to keep reading Wepa in classrooms across the county!
About the Author
J. de Lavega is the author and illustrator of Wepa of Puerto Rican. She was a former chef that hoped to make a series of cookbook graphic novels. J is a passionate social justice advocate. She, her husband, and her kids are all diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, commonly known as ADHD.
Wepa and ADHD
Wepa is especially abundant for people with ADHD. ADHD is a biological development that affects how the brain focuses. This affects attention, the abillity to sit still, and irresistible impulses. One in 9 children in the U.S. are diagnosed with ADHD. With so many kids having ADHD, it’s very important that ADHD is not stigmatized. If we normalize shaming kids for their ADHD, 1 in 9 kids will feel isolated.
Wepa teaches kids that ADHD is not a character flaw; It’s a medical condition. A person should never feel ashamed for their biology; A kid should never scorn others for their biology. Through books like Wepa, we can normalize equality and stop discrimination in kids. When we foster supportive environments, all kids can reach their fullest potential!