THE ECLIPSE EFFECT: A Book for Community Builders, Leaders, and Story-Lovers—Just in Time for the Holidays
By Debra Ross, Publisher of KidsOutAndAbout.com and BeyondTheNest.com
As publisher of KidsOutAndAbout.com and BeyondTheNest.com for the past 25 years, I've spent my professional life watching people create experiences for local families, I've talked with thousands of parents, educators, artists, librarians, parks staff, business owners, and volunteers. I’ve watched what works—and what doesn’t—when it comes to making people feel welcome, connected, and inspired in the places they live.
What I discovered along the way is that the most extraordinary community-building doesn’t start with massive budgets or flashy campaigns. It starts with agency—the belief that what you do matters. And that when clever people find a catalyst with natural momentum, they figure out how to harness that big, collective energy that can happen around pivotal moments to bring others along with them.
That’s why I’m so excited to announce my new book, The Eclipse Effect: How to Seize Extraordinary Moments to Build Strong Communities, co-authored with Jamie Carter, comes out on December 9, 2025. It’s available now for pre-order from all major online retailers. To see what it’s about and where to order, visit theeclipseeffect.com.
This isn’t just a book about eclipses (though if you love astronomy, or if you were in the path of totality, you’ll absolutely enjoy those parts!). It’s a book about what happens when people decide to come together—when local leaders, educators, business owners, and volunteers use a shared moment to inspire collective action. And it’s packed with real stories from real communities across North America who did just that in the lead-up to the 2024 eclipse.
In 2017, I took everything I knew about building engaged communities and stepped into the role of chair of Rochester, NY’s eclipse task force. After that effort gained national attention, I became co-chair of the American Astronomical Society’s Solar Eclipse Task Force, where I’ve had the privilege of helping guide communities across the continent to prepare for awe, wonder, and togetherness.
What started as a science-focused effort quickly turned into something much bigger: a blueprint for revitalizing communities and cultivating local pride. What Jamie and I realized is that this wasn’t just about logistics—it was about leadership. And the kind of leadership we need now more than ever.
The Eclipse Effect is both a strategy book and a storybook. It’s a guide for anyone who wants to learn how to lead from where they stand—whether you're a parent, a nonprofit director, a librarian, a teacher, or just someone with a great idea and the gumption to try.
And it’s also just a really good read: full of behind-the-scenes stories of communities preparing for the eclipse—figuring out how to fund their events, how to engage kids and seniors, how to get safety glasses, how to pull it all together with humor and hope and duct tape.
At a time when so many of us feel stuck or powerless, The Eclipse Effect is a reminder that we do have the power to shape our towns, our cities, our schools, our neighborhoods—especially when we do it together.
So if you’re looking for a gift this holiday season for the thoughtful community-builder in your life (maybe that’s you?), this book will light a spark. It’s uplifting, practical, and filled with inspiration for building the kind of world we want to live in.
The Eclipse Effect launches December 9. Order now ($18.95 USD, or $14.95 on Kindle) at theeclipseeffect.com and be part of something extraordinary!
