It’s no secret that children’s books have made and continue to make a lasting impact on those who read them, but children and teens have not restricted themselves to the role of readers only. They have contributed to the canon of children’s literature as authors, too. 

Who better to tell stories about how a young person might process emotions than young people themselves? Teenagers and children are particularly tuned in to how transformational or devastating certain events can be, differing from adults, who may see these events through the lens of many years of experience. It might be hard to lose a friend at any age, but when you’re young, it can feel like the world is ending. Breakups are bad, but in high school, it can feel like you’ll never ever find love again. Standing up to bullies can feel both brave and unwise, emotions that we adults can often analyze more logically than someone doing so for the first time. The same goes for other strong feelings: grief, envy, freedom.  

Christopher Paolini, author of beloved book Eragon and its sequels, is a great example of a young person who tapped into something amazing. Paolini holds the Guinness World Record for youngest author of a bestselling book series. He self-published Eragon when he was nineteen (it was later rereleased by Knopf), although he began writing the book when he was only fifteen. Even as a teenager, Paolini created something that resonated with millions of people worldwide. 

S. E. Hinton is another such teenage star. Although her groundbreaking book, The Outsiders, was published when she was eighteen, she wrote it when she was only sixteen. Interestingly, she crafted the story right after failing a creative writing class at school. Luckily Hinton persisted, as her book has resonated with many readers, including Horn Bookers and other authors of books for young people.

There have been even younger authors, as well. Bella J Dark, Guinness World Record holder for youngest female author, wrote and illustrated The Lost Cat at the age of five. The book was published in 2022 by Ginger Fyre Press/Veneficia Publications. Nine-year-old Alayah Jenkins created an entire series called The Little Agent, an outlet to cope with the bullying she experienced, published by hybrid publisher SRIES Collective INC. Finally, My Book for Kids with Cansur, published in 1987 by Melius Publishing Corporation, was written by eight-year-old Jason Gaes, who was diagnosed with Burkitt’s lymphoma when he was six.  

As adults, it can be easy to overlook or forget that children have BIG emotions, but it isn’t surprising, that even when they are very young, children have insight that demands recognition. Giving children the tools to express themselves has resulted in these wonderful creations, and hopefully these expressions will continue to see — and perhaps even gain — support in the future.