Grades 6–8
60+ Minutes
Narrative
VideosMayra Cuevas is the award-winning author of books for readers of all ages. Her young adult novel Does My Body Offend You? (co-written with Marie Marquardt) was long-listed for the PEN/Faulkner Award, named a 2023 Book All Young Georgians Should Read and appeared in multiple “Best Books” lists. In 2023, she was named Georgia Author of the Year (YA category). Mayra’s debut picture book My Abuela is a Bruja earned three starred reviews and released to wide critical acclaim. Her debut adult romance How to Fake a Southern Gentleman (co-written with Marie Marquardt) releases in 2026. Mayra is also the author of the teen foodie romcom Salty, Bitter, Sweet, and the short story “Resilient,” published as part of the anthology Foreshadow: The Magic of Reading and Writing YA. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Mayra is a former award-winning CNN producer, and now a creative writing professor. She also co-founded the Latinx Kidlit Book Festival and its Latinx Storytellers Conference.
STEP 1
First, watch the video. Then, answer this question in your writing journal:
STEP 2
Play the “What If?” game to practice developing story ideas! Follow the directions on pages 2-4 of the What If? with Mayra Cuevas — Handout, building your skill of developing the events of a narrative.
STEP 3
In narratives, the climax is referred to as the turning point, or most exciting moment, of a story. All of the events that lead to this moment are referred to as rising action. Using the chart on page 5, you will plot the rising action and climax for one of the scenarios you developed in the “What If?” game. The last “what if” question will be your climax. See the...
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