Authors of Children's Books

[readertim109]

Who do you think are the best authors of children's books? What makes a good children's author?

It probably depends on the age-range of the children, right?

[Scott]

I want to say creativity, but I realize that all authors need a lot of creativity. I think children's authors need a different kind of creativity, though. I think they need an outlandish creativity, such as the type of creativity of cartoons or Dr. Seuss books. I find that type of creativity similar to that of horror writers, because both create not only fictional events, but also fictional universes with a original set of fictional rules.

What does everyone else think?

[Trinah]

I would say some of the better ones are:

Lemony Snickett
Jacqueline Wilson - esp the earlier ones, not so much the latest ones
Joy Cowley
Anthony Horrowitz
Enid Blyton
J.K. Rowling

And a few others I've forgotten.

[Linda]

when i was a kid i used to love shel silverstein. i used to read all his poetry books like the one thats like The Light in the Attic. man those books were thick...but awsome. I couldn't believe it when i found out later he wrote for Playboy or something lmao so funny.

[sleepydumpling]

Children's books have to have strong stories to keep kids interested. Adults may love books for their character, settings or language, but kids get bored too easy if there isn't a good solid, well paced story to keep them going.

Favourites of mine as a kid were Roald Dahl, Astrid Lindgren, Judy Blume, LM Montgomery... there are more I'm sure!

[Herstory]

Yes, children's authors are definitely defined by their target audience readership - but here are a few terrific examples:

Helen Ketteman - Aunt Hilarity's Bustle (et al)

Debbie Dadey - Vampires Don't Wear Polka Dots (et al)

Dr. Seuss - Horton Hears a Who (et al)

Rudyard Kipling - Just So Stories

Robert Munsch - Good Families Don't (et al)

Lois Lowry - The Giver

[chrissy]

My favorite children's picture book author is Jan Brett.

[tngwstlnd]

For little kids, I loved Where the Wild Things Are and other weird books. I was a strange kid. I still am, actually!

But anyway, for older kids (say, 5-10?) I would definitely cite Roald Dahl, as well as Shel Silverstein--the man was a genius. Both of them!

I would also add, for 12-15, The Giver, even though I know it's been mentioned. It's probably, for me, the greatest--with exception of The Perks of Being a Wallflower, but the content in there is rather more mature--pre-teen book ever written. As well, there is The Outsiders and The Chronicles of Narnia.

[sleepydumpling]

tngwstlnd most small children love "weird" books. Fantasy and wildness, naughtiness are all common loves of kids!

[tngwstlnd]

True... too bad alot of them grow up to be sheep, following whatever someone else does, including losing their imagination.

[sleepydumpling]

That's a pretty jaded view of the world for someone so young.

[Karen]

I raised two daughters, who are both in college now, and doing very well. I have found that if you simply take your children to the local book store, give them a price limit, and set them free in the Children's books, you won't go wrong. I did that with my daughters. Personally I enjoyed Louisa May Alcott - both Little Women and Little Men; A.A. Milne - his 4 book set of poems and stories relating to Winnie the Pooh and Christopher Robin; and Dr. Seuss books.

I think that adults have different favorites, and I think that this is true for children too. All that anyone can say about what makes a good author for any genre is what that person, personnally enjoys.

[babypinkcandygirl]

when i was a kid i loved boks where kids get back at adults (roal dahl was fasntastic at this!) either by going off and having adventures without grown ups or by teaching them a lesson. i think kids are so used to being talked down to that they wont tolerate it in a book for a second.

[complimentarymatters]

Did anyone say Dr. Seuss? I love all of his books.

[callalilly]

I liked E.B. White. Charlotte's Web is a classic.