Imagine that an essay is like a story. Every story has a big idea or a message that it wants to share with the readers. That big idea is called the "theme." It's like the story's main lesson or the important thing the author wants you to understand.

Here's a simple way to think about it:

Theme is the special message or lesson that the author wants you to learn from their story.

In Candy Sky Tells A Lie, readers follow a thirteen-year-old liar who is cursed by a witch to live in a world where all her lies--the good and the bad--come true. The theme of this story is "Lying has major conscequences." So, Shanna P. Lowe is teaching you that lying to get what you want or to avoid trouble is not worth the drama or broken relationships when the truth is revealed.

In an essay, the writer is also trying to share an important message or lesson with you. They might be writing about history, a favorite book, an interesting topic, or even sharing their personal experiences. The theme in an essay is like the key idea that the writer wants you to remember or understand after reading their essay.

So, when you write an essay, try to figure out what you are trying to tell or teach your reader. That's the theme, and it's like the treasure you find in a story that makes it extra special!