Axton’s Story: From Hurt to Healing in The BUG Boys
When I first started writing The BUG Boys, Axton wasn’t meant to be one of the main characters. He was the kid who caused trouble, the one who didn’t quite fit in. But as the story grew, I began to see something deeper behind his walls — something that made me slow down and listen.
Every kid knows someone like Axton. The one who laughs a little too loudly, acts tougher than they are, or disappears when things get hard. Most of the time, that kind of behavior comes from somewhere. In Axton’s case, it came from hurt. Loss. And the fear that if anyone saw the real him, they’d walk away.
Writing Axton’s character changed the way I think about grace.
Seeing the Story Behind the Surface
When you write for middle-grade readers, you walk a fine line between fun and honesty. Kids this age are smart — they can tell when someone’s being fake. I didn’t want Axton to feel like the “bad kid who learns his lesson.” I wanted him to feel real, with reasons for the choices he makes.
In early drafts, I caught myself softening him too much, trying to make him instantly likable. But the truth is, real people don’t open up that fast. Especially when they’ve been hurt. So I let Axton be messy. Moody. Defensive. And slowly, through friendship, we start to see glimpses of the kid underneath all that armor.
That’s where the heart of his story lies, in the moments when someone refuses to give up on him.
What Kids See (and Feel)
One of the most powerful things about middle-grade stories is how they mirror real life without preaching. Kids pick up on rejection, belonging, and forgiveness even when they don’t have the words for it yet.
Axton’s story lets readers see what it looks like when someone who’s been hurt begins to trust again.
A friend of mine who’s both a teacher and a parent told me Axton was her favorite character because she could relate to him. She’s met kids like him in real life, the ones who act out or shut down because they’re carrying more than anyone realizes. Something about his story just resonated with her.
Faith in the Quiet Moments
For me, faith always weaves in naturally through the story, not in sermons, but in the quiet, personal ways God works on our hearts. Axton’s healing doesn’t come through a single big event. It happens through friendship, honesty, and grace that keeps showing up even when he pushes it away.
That’s how God works with us, too.
Why His Story Matters
Axton may not be the most outgoing or cheerful character, but he’s the one who reminds us what compassion really means.
Because underneath every wall, there’s a story.
And sometimes, the most broken people are the ones God uses to show others how to love without limits.
If The BUG Boys can help a kid see that or help another kid extend that kind of grace — then the story has done what it was meant to do.
