Let Me Be Honest

MICHAELA ALLEN is a Scarborough-raised creative and youth advocate using storytelling to uplift untold voices. She is inspired by lived experience, community roots, and a mother’s unwavering belief in possibility. She is currently the Manager of Youth Justice Services at the Neighbourhood Group Community Services and lives in Toronto.P. ANNEKA LYNCH is a youth advocate, poet, writer, and painter with a profound commitment to making a positive difference in her community. She has been a Youth Justice Worker at the Neighbourhood Group Community Services for five years, and currently lives in Toronto.

• A Note from the Editors1. I Think Sadness Finds You Too2. I Wish That You Could Hold Me3. For Now This Is What I Do4. Maybe the Recipe Needed to Change5. I'm Doing My Best and That's Good Enough About the ArtistsAbout the Editors

“This book makes a strong case for creative expression as a public health intervention, with potential to build community and open paths to compassionate understanding of young people’s coping mechanisms. Honest, raw, and powerful.”—Kirkus Reviews, 02/16/26