Kid Authors: True Tales of Childhood from Famous Writers

By David Stabler and Doogie Horner

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.
 
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. 

• Sam Clemens (aka Mark Twain) loved to skip school and make mischief, with his best friend Tom, of course! 
• A young J. R. R. Tolkien was bitten by a huge tarantula—or as he called it, “a spider as big as a dragon.” 
• Toddler Zora Neale Hurston took her first steps when a wild hog entered her house and started chasing her! 
  
  

Kid Authors tells their stories and more—the diverse and inclusive cast that includes Roald Dahl, Beverly Cleary, J. K. Rowling, Jules Verne, Lewis Carroll, Stan Lee—through kid-friendly texts and full-color cartoon illustrations on nearly every page.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Oct 10, 2017
• ISBN: 9781594749889

David Stabler

David Stabler is an author based in Brooklyn, New York. He specializes in reference books covering entertainment, sports, and world history.

Reviews for Kid Authors

[debnance_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Do you love to hear the backstories of people? Do you like to find out about the stories in people's lives that other biographies leave out? Are you a person who likes to see the human side of celebrities?That's me. And this is the book for you. Kid Authors shares stories about the divorce of the parents of poet Langston Hughes, Sherman Alexie's hydrocephalus, and Roald Dahl's love affair with candy. All the stories you didn't know you wanted to know.

[aliceap-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

First of all, HUGE props to the illustrator, Doogie Horner, for some of the most amazing illustrations I've seen in quite some time. I'd go so far as to say they would make truly excellent bookmarks. *hint hint* Kid Authors: True Tales of Childhood from Famous Writers by David Stabler is a collection of short biographies of famous authors covering their childhood and why they wanted to become authors. Up front I need to make a few critical remarks. While this was written for a child audience, I think it would be beneficial if some of the terms were defined either in a side panel or at the back in a glossary. Two good examples: integration and abolitionist. I read a few passages to some of the kids at the library and some terms that seem obvious to an adult haven't yet been learned by kids in upper elementary school. There were also some really glaring grammatical mistakes which gave the impression this was a rushed printing job. At one point, the word should have been 'real' and instead it was 'read' which of course has a totally different meaning. If this is meant to be a nonfiction biographical resource for children it should be held to a higher standard. I did like how there were additional facts and a suggested list of more books to read at the back. My overall impression is that it's a cute book which serves as a decent introduction for kids to famous authors (and biographies in general). I know there are other books in this series so I'm hopeful the quality has improved in these later volumes. :-) 5/10

[libstaff2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A collection of mini bios of famous authors as children and their paths to writing. This is part of a wonderful series that's great for middle grades. There are about 15 authors included, from different backgrounds and decades, contemporary ones too. I loved the one about Stan Lee. Fun illustrations and a short section of additional introductions to more writers at the end.Net Galley Feedback