An Author's Manifesto

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*This article was published on the Australian Children's Laureate Website April 2014. You can find the original article here.*

 

I write for kids because each book builds kids’ intelligence, to help create our future.

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I write for kids because each book gives them tools to make the future they imagine.

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I write for kids because for a short while they become the characters in every book they read, and when they have finished, they will have grown in empathy and understanding for humanity.

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I write for kids to show them not what they might want to be when they grow up, but to help them find the question ‘How do I want to live?’

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I write about the past for kids, so they will learn not just how we came to be this way, but also that the world WILL change - and that if we care enough, we can make those changes good.

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I write about the past for kids to show them that every generation of humanity has faced challenges, and has survived. Humans are good at challenges. We are not so good at boredom.

I write for kids to show them how to not to bored, too.

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I write for kids because the best way to inspire kids to fight for a good future for our species and our world, is to help them love it, from wombats to the stars.