author Sarah Renee guest article

A Message about Messages
by Sarah Renee

Think of your favorite children’s books. What messages could you take away from them? And how were these messages stated?

Nearly every children’s book has a message, even if it isn’t stated outright. In fact, I think the best messages are the ones that are hidden within the story. In books like these, kids can relate to the main character and follow them throughout their journey, learning what they learn along the way. This way, they can discover the messages that relate to them on their own.

I was a kid just a few years ago, and a voracious reader, as well. I loved reading stories that captured my imagination, and often I found myself relating to the main character and learning the same lessons they did. In fact, reading inspired me so much, I decided to write my own book.

When I was 12 years old, I wrote The Tiger Princess, a fantasy adventure novel for ages 8-12. I later publishedThe Tiger Princess at age 13 and have since published four more books in the series. The Tiger Princess tells the story of a 10-year-old tiger princess named Saderia, who is searching for clues to solve the mystery of how her royal parents disappeared in a fire ten years ago.

When I wrote The Tiger Princess, I wasn’t thinking about the lessonsit could teach. I merely wanted to write a fantastic story that kids my age would love to read. Now that I look back on it, though, The Tiger Princess does have its own important messages woven into the story. Messages such as…

1. Be yourself

In The Tiger Princess, Saderia feels the need to hide who she really is to live up to the expectations of her aunt and uncle. Eventually, she becomes more comfortable being herself and her aunt and uncle learn to accept her.

2.Standing Up For Yourself

Throughout The Tiger Princess, Saderia faces a lot of danger. Despite her fear, though, she is brave enough to stand up for herself, take risks, and face danger to reach her goal.

3. Persevering Against the Odds

There are plenty of times where Saderia feels like she’ll never get anywhere. Sometimes clues are just out of her reach and she feels like she’ll never solve the mystery of her parents’ disappearance. Despite the opposition, though, Saderia never gives in and keeps persevering to uncover the truth.

4. The Strength of Family Bonds

Saderia’s parents disappeared when she was just a baby, but she still clings to their memory and is determined to find out what really happened to them. Her family ties also give her a mysterious power that she discovers in time.

5. Follow Your Dreams

Saderia adamantly searches for the truth to fulfill her dream of solving the mystery once and for all. To do this, she listens to mysterious dreams that give her clues. So she actually follows her dreams in two ways—both figuratively and literally. :)

Thank you for reading! If you want to check out The Tiger Princess, it is currently freefor the Kindle on Amazon. Thanks again for reading and checking out The Tiger Princess!