The Sporelings

What if emotional healing could begin in an enchanted forest beneath your feet?

In Sporelings of the UnderNet, a boy named Elio tumbles through the roots of a weeping willow and into a luminous world alive with bioluminescent threads, mirror groves, and ancient fungal guides. Each Sporeling he meets personifies a specific trauma-informed therapy concept helping Elio, and readers, rewire emotional patterns, regulate the nervous system, and reclaim buried parts of themselves.

This richly illustrated children's book blends fantasy and neuropsychology, using the metaphor of mycelium (the root system of mushrooms) to explain how the brain heals through connection, breath, movement, reflection, and safe remembering.

Each Sporeling is inspired by a legal, real-world mushroom known for cognitive or nervous system support. Developed with insight into ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and somatic practices, this story introduces children to the hopeful science of neuroplasticity; the brain's innate ability to grow new pathways through repeated, supportive experience.

Sporelings of the UnderNet is ideal for educators, caregivers, and clinicians seeking a poetic yet grounded resource to help children understand their inner worlds. It invites both children and adults to believe that nothing broken is beyond new growth.

Ages 6-12 Full-color STEAM + Emotional Literacy + Metaphor-Based Healing

© 2025 Traci Kovach Brown

All rights reserved

ISBN: 979-8-9990502-1-2

LCCN: 2025918615