title: Kid Authors: True Tales of Childhood from Famous Writers (Kid Legends)
author:  David Stabler 
description: Gr 36An eclectic mix of short profiles on a variety of authors. The individuals featured are a balance of historical and contemporary writers, all of whom mostly hail from the United States. Stabler goes beyond basic biographical information and provides witty, interesting stories to paint a vivid picture of each author's childhood and influences. These tales are highly relatable for kids and can also be an encouragement for coping with difficult situations, such as bullying. This text is ideal for developing researchers. An index allows for easy navigation and there is a short bibliography for each entry. Profiles are organized under common themes, which also allows for quick reference and browsing. Horner's bright and vibrant drawings add humor to the collection. VERDICT A fun and useful addition, especially for aspiring writers and class projects.Paige Rowse, Needham High School, MA
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  LISTEN TO THE ECHOES
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  > For my two amazing fathers  
  > WILLIAM WELLER
  
  
  and
  
  
  RAY BRADBURY IS THE POSTER CHILD FOR THE IMPORTANCE OF EARLY childhood
  development. For him, so much points back to the formative years: dinosaurs,
  Mars, and Egypt, not to mention carnivals, freak-show tents, and dark
  locomotives lumbering into town in the shadow-hours before dawn.
  
  Then there are the early, profound literary influences: L. Frank Baum, Edgar
  Allan Poe, Edgar Rice Burroughs, H.G. Wells, and Jules Verne. Cinema and pulp
  magazines and comic strips, along with lavishly illustrated tomes of
  children’s fables, filled Ray Bradbury’s wide-eyed boyhood, as did World’s
  Fairs, architecture, and enigmatic stage magicians.
  
  Even at the age of 89, he is still the quintessential man-child. He is just as
  likely to be found reading the prefaces of George Bernard Shaw as the early
  comic-strip reprints of Prince Valiant.
  
  Venturing into his home in a manicured enclave of West Los Angeles, yo