First published 2021
Editor Christine French Cully opens the archives of Highlights magazine to reveal decades of correspondence from young readers across America. Children have written tens of thousands of letters, emails, and drawings to the magazine, treating it like a trusted confidant. The editors have responded to each child personally since the magazine's founding. Cully assembles this remarkable exchange into a collection spanning 75 years of American childhood. The letters cover everyday worries about friendship and school alongside deeper struggles with identity, family divorce, and loss. Young voices also respond to major national events like the Kennedy assassination, the Challenger explosion, 9/11, and the COVID pandemic. Through authentic handwriting and unfiltered thoughts, children reveal how they see their world and process both ordinary challenges and extraordinary moments. Cully weaves these voices together with commentary that urges adults to listen more carefully to the children around them. The book demonstrates how validation and genuine attention can empower young people to believe in their ability to make positive changes.
Genres: contemporary, non-fiction, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, validation
Period: 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, 2020s
336 pages · Hardcover · Highlights