Bullying Book 'The One We Left Behind' Optioned by Henry Danger Director Mike Carone (Exclusive)

Sean Lavery, who wrote for the comedies 'Cougar Town' and 'Crossing Swords,' is set to adapt the independent book.

As the landscape of children's television shifts away from the glitzy comedies of Nickelodeon and Disney Channel shows, a veteran director is charting his own path while still working in the children's entertainment space.

Mike Caron, who directed several episodes of Henry Danger, Danger Force and Fairly OddParents: Fairly Odder, has adapted Sarah Cowen's award-winning middle grade novel The One We Left Behind.

Sean Lavery, writer of the comedies Cougar Town and Crossing Swords, is set to write the adaptation, which is being developed as a film.

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Caron is developing the adaptation through Mike Caron Productions, a production company he launched in 2022 to develop original concepts and acquire intellectual property. The project resonated with Caron, who was introduced to the book and has long been interested in exploring the subject of bullying in a deeper, longer format. After focusing on the new company, he returned to the material with a plan.

"Taking an award-winning independently published book and bringing it to the screen is exactly the kind of storytelling I want to support," Caraon said in a statement. There is incredible creative freedom in finding brilliant material outside of traditional paths, and Sarah's novel has that rare, raw authenticity.

Set in the 90s, The One We Left Behind follows a group of seventh graders as they struggle with friendships, bullying, and the consequences of the choices they make. At its center is 13-year-old Evan, whose reputation as one of the "cool kids" is challenged when he eats lunch with William, a new student with severe food allergies who is the target of ridicule from his classmates. What starts out as anger gradually turns into an unexpected friendship, forcing Evan to deal with the pressures of fitness and the increasingly serious bullying of someone he cares about.

Cowen wrote the novel as a passion project, inspired by the effects of her nephews struggling with severe food allergies. The book had an impact. It was one of only six finalists nationwide in the inaugural Kirkus Independent Awards for Children's Literature category, which represents the highest achievement among independently published books. as well as the first place award for audiobook at BookFest.

Caron's career has been closely associated with Nickelodeon and some of the most successful children's television series of the past two decades. In addition to directing shows, he also served as an assistant director on series such as Josh and Drake, Zoey 101, iCarly and Victorious, among others. The One We Left Behind represents an intentional outreach to family audiences and filmmaking. Caron is currently in pre-production on the feature Invader starring Amy Acker, Todd Stashwick and Tommy Walker.

For Lavery, the project has a personal connection because her son is disabled. It's something he's already tapped into with his writing, selecting his 2019 pilot You and Me for the inaugural Blacklist Disability List, identifying the ten best scripts centered around a disability or a disabled main character.

"I wrote stories older than me, but watching my disabled son come of age gave me a new prism of experience." "Sarah's novel captures the idea that too much specificity breeds universality, which is my approach to storytelling, and I'm excited to add an extra dimension to the world Sarah has created," Lavery continues.

Caron is represented by Kaplan Stahler Agency. Lavery is repped by Haven Entertainment.