The political FMK you didn’t know you needed

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM If you want to counter toxic masculinity, don’t start with a think piece. Simply hand a boy a book. That’s the quiet but powerful idea rippling through this year’s Carnegie medals for children’s writing, where male friendship and nuanced portrayals of masculinity took center stage. In an era of growing concern over the manosphere’s influence and a sharp drop in boys’ reading habits, these stories are offering something rare and radical: emotional depth, vulnerability, and connection among boys. A shift in the bookshelf tides Margaret McDonald’s Glasgow Boys, which won the top medal, explores the fragile friendship between Banjo and Finlay, two looked-after teens navigating trauma and the thresholds of adulthood. As McDonald puts it, the characters exist on a “spectrum of masculinity,” with Banjo embodying violence and aggression while Finlay is gentle, introverted, and empathetic. McDonald faced an uphill battle to get the book published. Rejected by 60 agents and 20 publishers, she suspects a mix of factors played a role: the use of Scots dialect, the timing during the pandemic, and yes, the challenge of selling a book about boys in a market that prioritizes female readers. “I think because there’s such a small readership it’s difficult, in a business sense, to cut out the bigger readership – which is girls and women,” she reflects. The pendulum swings again Ros Harding, chair of this year’s Carnegie panel, sees a pendulum shift in publishing. “We’ve gone from boys-as-heroes adventure books to a backlash that made sure girls had their turn in the spotlight,” she explains. “Now another wave of books is addressing boys again.” What makes these new stories compelling isn’t that boys are back in the spotlight; it’s how they’re portrayed. Not as stoic saviors or comic relief, but as layered individuals capable of growth and tenderness. Boys see themselves differently in stories When boys do pick up these books, something interesting happens. According to McDonald, male readers tend to latch on to the characters individually (“I related to Finlay” or “I’m like Banjo”), while girls focus more on the relationships. It hints at how boys might be entering stories differently. They don’t necessarily settle into stories to explore connection, but to locate themselves. And that might be the point. As Harding, a librarian, notes, boys often read more narrowly than girls, gravitating to books with male protagonists. “A girl who likes reading will read anything,” she says. “Boys were just a little bit more resistant.” From laughter to empathy: the arc of King of Nothing That insight is central to Nathanael Lessore’s King of Nothing, winner of the Shadower’s Choice medal, voted on by young readers themselves. His protagonist, Anton, is a swaggering pre-GCSE tough guy whose world is shaped by gang culture and influencer toxicity. But when he forms a surprising friendship with the school’s most uncool boy, his worldview starts to shift. The book begins with raucous humor but deepens into something far more moving. It’s a literary bait-and-switch, drawing boys in with laughs and showing them a new way to be. Lessore has a personal stake in the issue. King of Nothing was inspired partly by the realization that his young nephew and cousin, then nine and 13, were watching Andrew Tate videos. In schools across economic backgrounds, he sees how boys self-segregate, hurl homophobic insults, and disrespect female teachers. His response? Start the school visits with stats. “Teenagers who read more tend to [get] higher paid jobs as adults,” he tells students. It grabs their attention. Then the story does the rest. One boy, one book, one shift Books, Lessore believes, can still make a dent. “Even the more disruptive boys on the school visit tend to, you know, barge their way to the front of the queue to get their book signed,” he says. “It’s a drop. But, yeah, like: one kid at a time, one school at a time.” And that might be enough. Novels have long been called empathy machines. They’re seen as tools to understand others and, perhaps more crucially in this context, to understand oneself. When boys see characters like Banjo, Finlay, or Anton grapple with feelings, friendships, and identity, it offers a counter to the often destructive narratives elsewhere. The books aren’t shouting solutions. But they are whispering possibilities.The post How books about boys are quietly rewriting the script on masculinity first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM At The Optimist Daily, we believe that good news isn’t just nice to hear. Hope is essential for building a brighter world. That’s why this new research out of the University of Missouri struck a hopeful chord: it suggests that one simple emotion may shape our lives in more powerful ways than we thought. And it’s not happiness or even gratitude. It’s hope. While happiness often steals the spotlight in conversations about well-being, researchers found that hope might be even more essential. Not the vague kind of wishful thinking, but real, grounded hope; the belief that tomorrow can be better than today. That belief, it turns out, may be what gives life its deepest sense of meaning. Hope is more than motivation For years, psychologists have linked hope with goal-setting and motivation. But this latest research suggests hope is much more than that. According to study lead author Megan Edwards, hope is “a vital emotional experience that enriches life’s meaning.” Edwards, now a postdoctoral scholar at Duke University, and her colleagues conducted six experiments with over 2,300 participants from diverse backgrounds. Their goal: to understand which emotions most strongly predict a sense of meaning in life. Again and again, hope stood out. While positive emotions like happiness, excitement, and contentment had some benefits, only hope consistently correlated with a deeper sense of purpose. A meaningful life starts with hope Why does hope matter so much? Because feeling like life has meaning impacts nearly every part of our well-being. From emotional health to strong relationships, physical vitality to financial stability, meaning is a powerful force, and hope helps us find it. “Experiencing life as meaningful is crucial for just about every good thing you can imagine in a person’s life,” said co-author Professor Laura King. “And hope is one of the things that make life feel meaningful.” Hope doesn’t just reflect how things are. It expresses our belief that things can improve. It turns struggle into possibility. What makes hope so unique? Other positive emotions are often tied to specific moments. Happiness is about the now. Gratitude looks to the past. But hope? Hope looks forward. It invites us to imagine that something better is coming, even when today is difficult. That forward-facing energy helps people persist through setbacks, apply for the next job after a rejection, or reach out for help when they feel low. Unlike fleeting joy, hope has staying power. It can grow quietly in the background, shaping how we move through life. This may be why it has such a profound impact on our sense of meaning. Hope isn’t a luxury—it’s essential Hope doesn’t require perfect conditions to exist. In fact, it often shows up most clearly in tough times. It keeps us grounded in the idea that challenges are temporary, and change is always possible. At the Optimist Daily, we see this in the stories we share—from communities rebuilding after disaster to young leaders sparking change. Hope fuels action. It keeps people trying. And as this research reminds us, it helps us feel like our lives truly matter. Simple ways to grow hope in daily life The good news? You don’t need a total life makeover to cultivate hope. Here are a few small, practical ways to invite more hope into your everyday: Notice the good moments. A peaceful walk, a kind word, or a moment of quiet joy. These are reminders that good things are still happening. Take small steps forward. Progress, even in tiny increments, can help us feel more in control. Celebrate movement. Whether it’s healing, learning, or simply making it through a hard day, honor those wins. Care for something. Tending to a plant, a pet, or another person reminds us that the future matters. Remember that nothing stays the same. Life is always shifting. Even when things feel stuck, hope whispers that better days are possible. Where the research is heading This study is just the beginning. The researchers hope to explore how hope functions during life’s most challenging seasons, like illness, grief, or uncertainty. Their work points to something powerful: hope isn’t just a fleeting emotion. It’s a practice. One that can carry us through darkness and into meaning. In a world that often feels chaotic or overwhelming, hope is not naive. It’s necessary. And it’s something we can choose to build, every single day. Source study: Emotion—Hope as a meaningful emotion: Hope, positive affect, and meaning in life.The post Why hope may matter more than happiness, according to new research first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.

'He didn’t like the verdict'

Three kittens decided to come out of hiding and learn to trust at the same time. It was the cutest thing. Jackson, Nini, and BennieAlyssaWhen Alyssa, a volunteer with PuppyKittyNYCity, learned that three scaredy kittens needed a foster home, she immediately stepped up to help.The trio was so timid that upon arrival, they took refuge inside or behind their "cave" bed. Any attempt to approach them was met with hisses, wide eyes, and flattened ears, but it was all bark and no bite.After two days of cushy indoor living, they emerged from their hiding spots. AlyssaThe three little musketeers found courage in each other as they explored their new surroundings. Once they realized that Alyssa always came bearing food, their defenses quickly melted away.The moment they allowed her to pet them, they relaxed and started purring in unison. AlyssaWhen Alyssa finally earned the privilege of giving them belly rubs, she knew they were ready for a bigger space where they could zoom around and play. As it turned out, they were total love bugs who just needed a safe place to let their true personalities shine."They love affection and playing, and when I lie down, they're already feeling comfortable enough to nap on my stomach and purr up a storm." AlyssaThe once-hissy little "habaneros" (Jackson, Bennie, and Nini) have transformed into full-fledged snugglers with purr motors rumbling everywhere they go. "They have learned to jump, roll, play, and purr in your arms."Alyssa brought them to meet the students in her department for a "kitten therapy" session. The trio filled every participant with immense joy while getting some much-needed socialization. Alyssa"They were invited to give students a moment to destress during finals. I saw everyone playing with kittens, holding, petting them, and so many smiles in the room. The experience helped the kittens, too.""They gained new confidence from meeting new friends. Even Bennie, who was a little shy, was held with such love." AlyssaBennie (black) was the smallest of the bunch, but she quickly caught up to her siblings thanks to her ravenous appetite. If Alyssa was even a few minutes late with dinner, the trio would hop up on their post and start vocalizing their complaints.Bennie was the loudest of the crew, leading the chorus, while Jackson (gray) chimed in with his own crunchy meows, and Nini (gray and white) waited patiently for dinner to be served. AlyssaAfter eating to their hearts' content, they would curl up in a cozy pile, purring themselves to sleep. "They nap through all the construction and drilling like some real NYC kittens.""They are the ultimate cuddle crew—purring machines that'll smooch your face and claim your lap like it's their throne." Alyssa"Bennie started out as the shyest of her siblings, but she's grown into such a sweetheart. She purrs the moment you pet her, loves climbing tall cat trees, having adventures, and playing with her siblings.""Jackson is not only sweet, but he's such a character, always exploring the boxes that arrive, carrying around a spring or pipe cleaner, or trying to make friends with our resident cats. He's a lap cat who also gets floppy when I pick him up to kiss him." JacksonAlyssa"Nini is the most athletic. She was the first to figure out the (cat) wheel, the first to claim the top of the cat tower, and the first to plop in my lap and demand affection. She's so smart and sweet." NiniAlyssaFrom being hissy and scared, the three kittens have come a long way. Now, they greet the world one paw-step at a time, with curiosity, courage, and a whole lot of heart. Nini and BennieAlyssaShare this story with your friends. More on the three kittens and Alyssa's fosters on Instagram@adoptablesnyc and PuppyKittyNYCity @puppykittynycity.Related story: Kitten Stepped Indoors for the First Time, and the Moment She was Held, Her Walls Came Tumbling Down

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