A nod to Sara Bareilles, and a wish for children to know their feelings and find their voice.
Sara is named for Sara Bareilles.
Of course “Love Song” and “Brave” are amazing. But then I heard it. “Cassiopeia.” I played it once, then again, and then it wouldn’t leave me. It’s a song about connection, about being pulled toward something across a great distance, the way you are pulled toward a star. The whole thing feels otherworldly, like floating in outer space, and I loved how she used the image of stars colliding to carry that pull. It begins like a lullaby and builds and builds toward the end. That song captivated me, and I started digging deeper into her work.
And then there was Waitress. Sara wrote the music for it, and she stepped into the role of Jenna herself. I was taken with all of it. But what stayed with me were the themes underneath the songs: a woman finding her voice and learning to name what she needs. What moved me was how the musical showed her moving toward a life that felt like her own.
That is what I want for the children who open my book: to find their voice and to recognize what they feel and what they need. I hope they learn that they are allowed to move toward a life that feels authentically theirs. A name can hold a wish like that, quietly, and Sara holds this one.
There is one more reason the name belongs. Sara Bareilles uses her platform to care for young people’s hearts. On her Good Grief Tour, part of every ticket goes to support the Jed Foundation and its work protecting youth emotional health. That is the same idea my book stands on: that feelings are okay and that our own feelings and other people’s both deserve to be heard. We can talk about them, and every child should know there is someone they can turn to.
If that matters to you too, the Jed Foundation is a good place to start.
So Sara walks the hallway now, carrying a song about connection, a story about finding your voice, and a quiet reminder that no child should carry their feelings alone.
If you’d like to bring The Hallway of Doorknobs into your home, classroom, or therapy office, you can find it at lynnahaller.com.
This is the fourth of the children’s names. The last one, Jack, comes Monday, October 12.
This is part of a series about how the children in The Hallway of Doorknobs: A Journey to the Feelings Inside got their names.
- Behind the name: Jack - October 12, 2026
- Behind the name: Sara - October 7, 2026
- Behind the name: Manuel - October 5, 2026
I really love this. The part about helping kids find their voice and understand that their feelings matter really hit home for me. I also love the idea that no child should ever feel like they have to carry hard feelings by themselves. Such a beautiful meaning behind her name.
I really like the ending of the book, where the kids talk about who they turn to when they want to share their feelings. I like the different options for kids reading the book to think about: mom, sister, abuela, coach, teacher, or even their pet. And then there’s the idea that they can talk to themselves and learn to trust their inner wisdom.
I’m really connecting to the themes under the song and the musical. I couldn’t find my voice or name what I needed when I was young. But I’m finally getting there at this point in my life, at almost 65. So the idea that teaching this to children will allow them to have their voice and name what they need well before they turn 65 is inspiring!
I agree. My invisible parts still pop up now and then, but I hope at least one child relates to Vanish and learns that their voice matters.