Very young authors’ writers’ inexperience shows through in their writing, but this can sometimes have its charm.

The gap between a dog-eared sheaf of scribbles and a handsome hardback can seem daunting enough for adults, but for children and teenagers it can seem an insurmountable chasm. And yet the best writing by children and teenagers can be astonishingly poignant, hilarious, and indeed helpful. Alec Greven’s How to Talk to Girls contains dating tips from which males considerably older than nine could benefit. (“You don’t have to try too hard, but try to look kind of clean.”) Click here to read more…