Yashema Stephens is an educator and an author living in upstate New York.  'Meeting Joy'  is her first children's book in the 'Meeting Joy' Series.  She wrote this book to serve as an entry point and opportunity for teachers, counselors, and young people to talk about issues that don't often get discussed in schools—topics such as housing insecurity, homelessness, and other things that happen while navigating childhood.  Yashema Stephens also wrote the first book in the series as an ode to her childhood which is reflected in the story.