The Junior Authors Program aims to help students build a forever bond with literacy through publishing a book directly with the author and illustrator.
Where’s My House? - the first book in the Junior Authors™ - series, is a children’s story about community, hope, and rebuilding.
To reserve your book, view a full list of Junior Authors, or signup for the Author Read Aloud...
Students Vote
Students cast votes to choose the characters, setting, and storyline of a children's book as it's created.
We Publish Together
Students go behind-the-scenes of book publishing as “Junior Authors” in their ‘soon-to-be-sold’ book!
Kids Help
Students give back to the community. 100% of book proceeds are donated to children who lost homes to the 2020 Creek Fire in California.
This concept, born as educationally-based, social-emotional support for children and families who lost homes in the Creek Fire, has quickly evolved into a global literacy-building project. Using an innovative voting-based platform, the author directly invites students to help make decisions as the book is being made in real-time. The author asks students from all over the country (and world) to help build the story by choosing the characters, setting, and design of the book. Students are directly involved in each step of the behind-the-scenes journey while the draft becomes a published book.
What are KIDS saying?
"I really like that you can pick the characters to make a story happen. Then, it will happen in real life."
Quinn, 6
Parents who lost their home...
"This is huge for kids. Life-changing and for some... life-saving."
"What an amazing way to process events, create change, and have kids help every step of the way. It’s powerful."
"Beyond our village of children, I think you just changed the world in one short story."
"Feeling helpless is my own fight, but feeling helpless about how to guide my kids, that’s a whole different thing. Kids who have been involved in this project are instantly "back in charge” of their world and excited about building new things."
What Educators are saying...
"This could be a game changer to develop emerging-readers into students who love books."
-Superintendent, Fremont Unified, CA
"Kids don’t get opportunities to make many decisions right now. This gives children the chance to be in charge of something, to feel heard, and be a part of something that helps other kids. That’s powerful.”
-Principal, Fresno, CA
“As a teacher, I appreciate Susie’s enthusiasm and student engagement. She had the students hooked from the beginning and EVERYONE participated in voting! That rarely happens on Zoom, and I’m so glad to be a part of this.”
-Kindergarten Teacher, Irvine, CA
“I loved the results shown as bar graphs! After we submitted our votes, it automatically showed us that visual, so I turned that into a small math lesson with reading bar graphs!”
-First Grade Teacher, Clovis, CA
"After our class activity with Miss Susie, I asked my class about their favorites part. Hands down, they said, “Voting!"
-2nd Grade Teacher, Illinois
“We are ALL just thrilled to be a part of this! The kids want to be a part of something bigger than the walls of home and classroom... and I think all kids do! They're already asking when we get to do another one!"
-3rd Grade Teacher, Fresno, CA
As seen on...
2021 Documentary Series
Where are our
Junior Authors
located?
In Collaboration With:
