Who Are the Best Children’s Book Authors?

 A book meant for kids has to be a very good potpourri of imagination, magic, humor and morality. Stories should be written in such a way that the right values are instilled in children but at the same time make sure nothing stops them from dreaming big. And, I know several authors who are capable of writing such amazing stories for kids.

Enid Blyton

Long before the era of J.K Rowling’s Harry Potter, Enid Blyton was a phenomenon, an international treasure and the world’s best-selling author. She was the real-life equivalent of Carolyn Keene (Nancy Drew Series) and Franklin W Dixon (The Hardy Boys Series). Back then, while many fictional authors of books were penned by a host of ghost writers hired by Edward Stratemeyer to work to his specifications, Enid was a one-woman children’s adventure books factory. She was indeed a cottage industry in children’s publishing way before the publishing industry even understood what “cottage industry” meant.

The most extraordinary aspect of her work was that she produced books that were the best in category for every age group, starting from 3 to 12. At a time when it was still fairly uncommon to write for a specific target audience, she wrote for specific age groups and genders. This is one of the main reasons why Enid Blyton was a monster hit in most countries. In fact, kids who couldn’t buy her books would borrow well-thumbed versions that had been previously kept in family closets for years as a treasure.

Having sold more than 600 million copies of her books, Enid Blyton is undoubtedly the most loved author. Her books made childhood a memorable experience for all those who read them.

And, I guarantee that your kids would enjoy reading the following books:

• The Secret Seven Series – Read them all!
• The Famous Five Series – Again, read them all! And, I’d personally recommend starting with “Five go to Smugglers Top.”
• The Adventure Series – If your kid can’t get enough of the above 2, read these. This series might be underrated but is worth your kid’s time.
• The Adventure Series – There’s a good amount of humor involved, thanks to Kiki, the parrot.
• Noddy Series – Trust me, your kid will be totally enthralled by the adventures of Noddy.
• The Five Find-Outers –The adventure in this series might have been toned down but the humor is great.
• The Wishing Chair Series – Magical and adventurous; definitely a must-read for kids.

Roald Dahl

Known as one of the greatest storytellers for children of the 20th century, Roald Dahl was a very successful author because he really knew what he was doing. His books do not have any boring distractions and instead bring the core excitement of the story out as strongly and concretely as possible. Many of his stories contain small excursions that are very creative and fun, such as the punishments Matilda inflicts on her parents or the different kinds of candy that are produced in the chocolate story.

All his stories usually end with an incredible achievement; for example, Charlie ends up owning the chocolate factory, Matilda vanquishes Miss Trunchball and gets herself a good mother, Danny becomes the best poacher and James lives his happily ever after with his friends. This somehow reinforces the sense of excitement and happiness in kids and creates a feeling that anything is possible.

In other words, Roald Dahl’s caustic humor, writing style, imagination and fun flair make the reading of his books a delightful affair.

So, here are some suggestions:

• Matilda – It’s a children’s book that centers on the life of a very intelligent little girl with telekinetic power and awful parents. I’m not going to tell you anything beyond that or I’ll spoil all the fun. I also recommend the movie with Mara Wilson in the title role.
• James and the Giant Peach – This is Roald’s first classic novel for children.
• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Another classic!
• Boy – This is Roald’s autobiography and contains details of all the unique experiences he had while growing up.