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Kid Authors
True Tales of Childhood from Famous Writers
Part of Kid Legends
Illustrated by Doogie Horner
Published by Quirk Books
Distributed by Simon & Schuster
Table of Contents
About The Book
Funny and totally true childhood biographies and full-color illustrations tell the tales from the growing-up years of Beverly Cleary, J. R. R. Tolkien, and 13 other great writers.
Did you know that Sam Clemens aka Mark Twain loved to skip school and make mischief (with his best friend Tom, of course!)? That a young J. R. R. Tolkien was bitten by a huge tarantula—or as he called it, “a spider as big as a dragon”? Or that toddler Zora Neale Hurston took her first steps when a wild hog entered her house and started chasing her?
Every great author started out as a kid. Before the best sellers, fan clubs, and beloved stories we know today, the world’s most celebrated writers had regular-kid problems just like you. Kid Authors shares the funny and completely true childhood stories of 15 celebrated writers, revealing how their earliest adventures, challenges, and interests helped shape the books readers still love today.
Written with humor by David Stabler and filled with colorful cartoon illustrations by Doogie Horner, these short biographies make literary history lively, surprising, and relatable. Perfect for curious readers and aspiring storytellers ages 8–12, Kid Authors shows that imagination can begin anywhere—and that every accomplished writer once had to find the courage to start.
Inside you’ll discover:
A fantastic gift for creative children and enthusiastic readers!
Meet the kids behind the books and discover how everyday experiences, wild imaginations, and the courage to keep creating can grow into extraordinary stories.
Did you know that Sam Clemens aka Mark Twain loved to skip school and make mischief (with his best friend Tom, of course!)? That a young J. R. R. Tolkien was bitten by a huge tarantula—or as he called it, “a spider as big as a dragon”? Or that toddler Zora Neale Hurston took her first steps when a wild hog entered her house and started chasing her?
Every great author started out as a kid. Before the best sellers, fan clubs, and beloved stories we know today, the world’s most celebrated writers had regular-kid problems just like you. Kid Authors shares the funny and completely true childhood stories of 15 celebrated writers, revealing how their earliest adventures, challenges, and interests helped shape the books readers still love today.
Written with humor by David Stabler and filled with colorful cartoon illustrations by Doogie Horner, these short biographies make literary history lively, surprising, and relatable. Perfect for curious readers and aspiring storytellers ages 8–12, Kid Authors shows that imagination can begin anywhere—and that every accomplished writer once had to find the courage to start.
Inside you’ll discover:
- Fifteen featured authors including Beverly Cleary, J. R. R. Tolkien, Zora Neale Hurston, Mark Twain, Roald Dahl, J. K. Rowling, Jules Verne, Lewis Carroll, and Stan Lee
- Funny mishaps, family stories, school experiences, and early creative interests
- Full-color cartoon illustrations on nearly every page
- Short, inspiring biographies suited to independent and reluctant readers
- A fun resource for author studies, book reports, classrooms, homeschooling, and family reading
A fantastic gift for creative children and enthusiastic readers!
Meet the kids behind the books and discover how everyday experiences, wild imaginations, and the courage to keep creating can grow into extraordinary stories.
Excerpt
Everybody loves a good story—and we all know that a well-told story has a beginning, a middle, and an end. This is a book about how the stories of sixteen famous authors began.
Some of them knew from very early on that they were going to be writers. Edgar Allan Poe, the legendary author of “The Raven” and “The Tell-Tale Heart,” used to recite poetry and dress up as a ghost to frighten grown-ups at parties.
And the poet Langston Hughes spent hours in his local library, reading collections of mythology, verse, and African American history.
Other kid authors had to overcome obstacles on the road to success. Laura Ingalls Wilder, the writer of Little House on the Prairie, grew up on the frontier, where she faced harsh winters and attacks by locusts.
And then there is J. K. Rowling. Long before she wrote the best-selling Harry Potter novels, she was just another kid in middle school trying to make decent grades and fend off bullies. Believe it or not, she often found herself getting into fights! She took comfort in writing stories about feisty heroines who fought back against evil villains.
And finally we have Jeff Kinney, whose most formidable foes were his three siblings. Every morning, Jeff and his siblings found themselves in a heated competition to determine who would use the bathroom first. Jeff took the “wimpy moments” of his childhood and turned them into Diary of a Wimpy Kid, one of the most successful children’s book series of all time.
We all have a story to tell, and whether or not you grow up to become a great writer, all those stories start in the same place: childhood. Some kids are born storytellers, others learned to take their unique experiences and turn them into tales that would entertain and inspire. We know how their stories ended, but how much do you really know about how their stories began? We’re going back to the beginning to find out!
Some of them knew from very early on that they were going to be writers. Edgar Allan Poe, the legendary author of “The Raven” and “The Tell-Tale Heart,” used to recite poetry and dress up as a ghost to frighten grown-ups at parties.
And the poet Langston Hughes spent hours in his local library, reading collections of mythology, verse, and African American history.
Other kid authors had to overcome obstacles on the road to success. Laura Ingalls Wilder, the writer of Little House on the Prairie, grew up on the frontier, where she faced harsh winters and attacks by locusts.
And then there is J. K. Rowling. Long before she wrote the best-selling Harry Potter novels, she was just another kid in middle school trying to make decent grades and fend off bullies. Believe it or not, she often found herself getting into fights! She took comfort in writing stories about feisty heroines who fought back against evil villains.
And finally we have Jeff Kinney, whose most formidable foes were his three siblings. Every morning, Jeff and his siblings found themselves in a heated competition to determine who would use the bathroom first. Jeff took the “wimpy moments” of his childhood and turned them into Diary of a Wimpy Kid, one of the most successful children’s book series of all time.
We all have a story to tell, and whether or not you grow up to become a great writer, all those stories start in the same place: childhood. Some kids are born storytellers, others learned to take their unique experiences and turn them into tales that would entertain and inspire. We know how their stories ended, but how much do you really know about how their stories began? We’re going back to the beginning to find out!
About The Illustrator
Product Details
- Publisher: Quirk Books (October 10, 2017)
- Length: 200 pages
- ISBN13: 9781594749872
- Ages: 8 - 12
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Raves and Reviews
“Lively glimpses of formative moments and budding talents.”—Kirkus Reviews
“A fun and useful addition, especially for aspiring writers and class projects.”—School Library Journal, Paige Rowse, Needham High School, MA
“This is an ideal gift for aspiring young writers who may need proof that even the most famous authors had to start somewhere.”—Shelf Awareness for Readers
“[Kid Authors] was full of real information, but the author made it fun and funny … I would recommend this book for all people who read books and want to know interesting information about authors, and also for people who want to be authors themselves.”—Michael, age 9
Praise for Kid Presidents:
“Just like history class, only hilarious.”—Tim Federle, author of Better Nate Than Ever
“With cartoonish illustrations that will attract fans of Jeff Kinney’s The Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Rachel Renée Russell’s The Dork Diaries, this informative offering leaves no presidential childhood rock unturned.”—School Library Journal
“Caricatures by Horner are whimsical and funny, a good match for a book that demonstrates that every president started life as a goofy, regular kid.”—Booklist
Praise for Kid Artists:
“Impressively diverse.”-Booklist
“For budding artists, here’s a heartening reminder that 17 unconventional greats—not to mention all the rest—started out as children too.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Memorably weird childhood moments—Jackson Pollock accidentally had part of a finger chopped off and then eaten by a rooster—are likely to stick with readers, as will Horner’s impish cartoons.”-Publishers Weekly
Praise for Kid Athletes:
“Outstanding...Inspiring and entertaining, Kid Athletes isn't just for sports fans.”—Booklist, starred review
“Even if you don’t exactly love sports, this book only says a little bit about them in the actual sport, so go out and get this book because it will teach you a lot and you will enjoy it immensely.”—Kidsday reporters, Newsday
“Perfect for the adolescent set, these inspiring stories mix fun and non-fiction.”—Geeks of Doom
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Book Cover Image (jpg): Kid Authors
Hardcover 9781594749872
