Why do so many people want to write books for children? There are as many reasons as there are children's authors, but I'll try to list some of these reasons below.
Childhood is fleeting. As children grow, their perspectives change. They lose some of their innocence. They start to see the world differently. And they are still learning about life, morality, choices and consequences. Childhood is the brief period of time when we can entertain them in a specific way, and when we can teach them, capturing their minds while they are still full of imagination.
Children need to believe that good can triumph over evil. In everyday life, things don't always happen for the better. Sometimes life can give people, even children, some hard knocks. But while they are still children, we can impart to them stories of good triumphing over evil and instil a sense of hope that they will need in order to make it through some of the trials life will eventually throw their way.
Children need to believe in magic. It doesn't have to be the magic of wizards and magicians, but the beauty that can be found in the world, in every beautiful flower, every new baby born, every wonderful creature living on the planet is a type of magic. Children need to believe in the beauty all around, and they need to believe that the impossible can be achieved in order for their imaginations to come up with impossible things and turn them into possibilities.
Children need to learn empathy. Studies have shown that children who read a lot are more likely to feel empathy for others. We have the ability to influence compassion and kindness in the children who read our stories.
Your reasons might not be listed above. I'd love to hear your reasons for writing for children in the comments.
*****
Give-away
One person who comments on this post will be selected by a random number generator to win a
ChaBooCha teddy bear. As there are only a couple of days left of the challenge, you will be given until the 7th of October to leave a comment. The winner will be e-mailed.
