Historical atrocities have certainly shown that dehumanizing any group is the first step toward genocide.

If some readers take away the idea that animals deserve better treatment in general, then I certainly won't argue.

I can't say I'm anything like a devoted animal rights activist, but I certainly oppose cruelty to animals.

I believe young children in particular enjoy witnessing the survival of youthful protagonists against terrible odds. I think it's gratifying to the reader when you give young characters that kind of agency.

Historical atrocities have certainly shown that dehumanizing any group is the first step toward genocide.

People of different ethnicities are definitely not of differing species. Biologically speaking, people are people.

In medieval Europe, childbirth was a leading cause of death. So widowed fathers with children were quite common, meaning stepmothers were equally common.