I have some wonderful news to share, and I could not be more thrilled to spread the word.

Maxed Out has been selected as one of just 12 titles chosen by Orca Book Publishers to be re-released with a Noah Text® visual decoding scaffold — a tool designed to help striving readers decode longer words and build fluency, all while keeping the original story exactly as I wrote it.

So what is Noah Text?

Noah Text was created by author and researcher Sarah K. Blodgett, who developed this visual decoding method while trying to help her own son, who has dyslexia — which is where the name comes from. Rather than changing a single word, Noah Text highlights syllable chunks and long vowels right on the page, so readers can see the parts of a word instead of getting stuck on it. It gives kids the stamina to stay with a story instead of giving up when the words feel too big.

Orca Book Publishers is one of the first publishers to bring this coding system to their books, and I am so proud that Maxed Out was chosen to be part of it.

Why this means so much to me

Max’s story has always been for readers who want a real, honest story but who might need a little extra support getting to the finish line. Watching him try to be a good teammate, a good brother and a good son while everything feels like too much has resonated with so many kids over the years — and now even more readers will be able to make it all the way through Max’s world on their own.

What’s new

Along with the Noah Text edition, Orca has also created a brand-new teacher’s guide to go with this reading tool, so educators can bring it right into the classroom.

Maxed Out (Noah Text Edition) is available for pre-order now and will be on shelves in January 2027. You can find it and learn more about the format by clicking the Orca Noah Text icon below.

Pre-order Maxed Out (Noah Text Edition) Learn more about Orca Noah Text

Please help me spread the word to the teachers, librarians, parents and readers in your life who might need it. Every kid deserves to get lost in a good story — this is one more way to help make that happen.

With gratitude, Daphne