BOOKS BY ME™ A LitKids Create program

A LITKIDS CREATE PROGRAM

Their Idea. Their Story. Their Voice.

Books By Me™ is a guided creative literacy and youth publishing experience that helps children move from an original idea to a developed story while keeping meaningful creative decisions in the child’s hands.

Children are supported as they explore possibilities, choose a direction, build their stories, draft, revise, and prepare their work to be shared.

Bring Books By Me™ to Your Students Explore LitKids Create

ABOUT BOOKS BY ME™

A Process for Bringing Young Ideas Into the World

Children are not required to arrive with a finished idea. Books By Me™ gives them a supportive process for discovering possibilities, making creative decisions, developing characters and events, and bringing a story into a form that can be shared.

Depending on age and program format, children may express their ideas through writing, drawing, dictation, oral storytelling, or a combination of approaches. The structure belongs to the program. The creative decisions remain with the child.

THE LIT™ PROCESS

From Possibility to Finished Story

  1. EXPLORE

    Children generate possibilities without pressure to produce the perfect idea immediately. They may talk, sketch, list, imagine, write, or think quietly as they find a useful way into the process.

  2. CHOOSE

    Children review their possibilities and select an idea they are willing to develop. Facilitators support the decision without ranking the options or steering the child toward the adult’s favorite.

  3. BUILD

    Children develop the people, places, wants, challenges, events, and meaning inside their story. They learn that story development requires curiosity, choices, and problem-solving.

  4. WRITE

    Children bring the story into a form that can be shared. They draft, notice what is working, revise for meaning and clarity, edit age-appropriate mechanics, and prepare a final piece without surrendering their voice.

The structure belongs to the program. The creative decisions belong to the child.

THE FACILITATION APPROACH

Adults Guide. Children Decide.

CONFIDENCE BEFORE CORRECTION™

Facilitators begin by noticing what the child attempted, getting curious about the child’s intention, and offering genuine encouragement before teaching the skill that needs attention. Correction remains part of the process, but it does not have to be the first message a child receives about their work.

CREATIVE OWNERSHIP

Adults provide structure, questions, guidance, feedback, and instruction without gradually replacing the child’s creative decisions with their own.

WHAT CHILDREN PRACTICE

The Experience Is Bigger Than a Finished Page

Creative confidence

Children experience their ideas as worthy of attention and development.

Idea development

Children learn how to move from an unfinished thought to something clearer and more complete.

Communication and self-expression

Children explain what they imagine through words, images, conversation, and storytelling.

Choice and ownership

Children make decisions about characters, settings, events, language, illustrations, and meaning.

Narrative problem-solving

Children consider what a character wants, what gets in the way, what could happen next, and how the pieces connect.

Persistence and revision

Children discover that unfinished does not mean unsuccessful and that feedback can strengthen a story without erasing the storyteller.

These are program opportunities and intended outcomes, not measured gains.

GRADES K-12

One Belief. Different Ways In.

The core belief remains consistent across every grade level: children have ideas worth developing and voices worth hearing. The format, level of independence, story complexity, and final product are adapted to the learners in the room.

K-2

Drawing-forward storytelling, oral storytelling, shared writing, and dictation help young children communicate ideas before independent writing skills are fully developed.

Grades 3-5

Students develop short fiction or personal narratives with characters, setting, a clear sequence, a central want or problem, and descriptive detail.

Grades 6-8

Students explore identity, perspective, conflict, character motivation, plot development, and more complex narrative choices.

Grades 9-12

Students develop memoir, personal narrative, creative fiction, spoken-word pieces, or other age-appropriate storytelling projects using voice, theme, perspective, and advanced narrative techniques.

Students are not expected to create in identical ways. Some begin by talking. Some sketch. Some need quiet processing time. Some begin writing immediately. Books By Me™ maintains a shared process while allowing appropriate flexibility in how children engage with it.

FLEXIBLE IMPLEMENTATION

Two Ways to Bring Books By Me™ to Your Students

STORY STARTER EXPERIENCE

A focused 60-90 minute creative literacy experience that helps children discover an idea, choose a direction, and begin shaping a story they can continue developing.

Students may talk, sketch, list, imagine, write, dictate, or think quietly as they explore possibilities.

What Students Do

  • Explore possible story ideas
  • Choose an idea they want to develop
  • Begin identifying characters, setting, a central want or challenge, and possible events
  • Create a story plan, opening, drawing, oral narrative, or another age-appropriate starting point

What Each Child Receives

  • An Author Kit Mini with materials and activities to help them continue developing their story
  • A blank hardcover book where they can copy or rewrite their story, add their own illustrations, and create a personal book keepsake

Students Leave With

A chosen idea, a clearer direction for continuing their story, an Author Kit Mini, and a hardcover book they can turn into a completed keepsake.

The Story Starter Experience gives children the opportunity to create a personal hardcover book they can keep. This keepsake is created by the child and is different from professional publication or inclusion in a Books By Me™ anthology.

The Story Starter Experience is a strong fit for enrichment days, library programs, introductory workshops, and organizations seeking a meaningful one-session experience with a tangible child-created outcome.

FOUR-SESSION BOOKS BY ME™ EXPERIENCE

The complete standard Books By Me™ experience, providing time for idea development, drafting, feedback, revision, and preparation for publication when publishing is included in the partnership.

  • Session 1: ExploreStudents generate possibilities through writing, drawing, conversation, imagination, dictation, or quiet reflection.
  • Session 2: Choose and BuildStudents choose an idea and begin developing the characters, setting, central want or challenge, and major events.
  • Session 3: Build and WriteStudents continue developing their stories and bring their ideas into a written, illustrated, dictated, spoken, or otherwise age-appropriate form.
  • Session 4: Write, Revise, and PrepareStudents receive guidance, strengthen their work, and prepare completed stories for submission when publishing is included in the partnership scope.

A Possible Publishing Pathway

The Four-Session Books By Me™ Experience may include a professional publishing pathway when publication is part of the partnership scope. Publication depends on the partnership scope, completed work, required permissions, and submission guidelines.

The four-session experience is the best fit for organizations seeking deeper story development, guided revision, and a possible student publishing outcome.

FIRST IMPLEMENTED IN NORFOLK PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Nine Young Storytellers. Nine Original Stories.

Books By Me™ was first implemented as a four-week experience with fourth- and fifth-grade students at Lindenwood Elementary School in Norfolk Public Schools.

Students entered with different levels of readiness and different ways of working. Some arrived with developed ideas. Others needed conversation, drawing, interest-based questions, or quiet processing time before they could begin.

By the end of the experience, nine participating students had developed and completed original stories. Their work became part of “I Got a Story to Tell: Stories for Kids, by Kids,” a youth anthology published through EION Books Publishing.

  • Students made original decisions about characters, settings, plots, endings, and illustrations.
  • Students used different pathways into storytelling.
  • Some students became more willing to discuss and share their work as the sessions progressed.
  • Students received guidance and made revisions while retaining their own ideas.
  • Collaboration and peer encouragement developed within the group.
  • Publishing gave students a concrete product to work toward.

These are practitioner observations from the inaugural cohort. They should not be presented as proof that Books By Me™ caused specific changes in confidence, behavior, writing ability, or participation.

Paula Banks standing with six students in a school library, several holding copies of the anthology I Got a Story to Tell.
Cover of I Got a Story to Tell, Volume 1, a LitKids Create anthology of original stories by young authors, compiled by Paula Banks.

“Books By Me struck the perfect balance between being engaging and professionally structured. Students felt comfortable sharing their ideas while being supported and encouraged to grow as writers. The published anthology celebrated each student’s creativity, confidence, and courage to share their voice. I highly recommend this workshop to anyone looking for a meaningful and uplifting writing experience for students.”

Shannon BondLindenwood Elementary School

HOW IT WORKS

A Shared Effort Between LitKids Create and Your Site

LitKids Create Provides

  • Program planning and age-appropriate facilitation
  • Workbook activities and specified materials
  • Confidence Before Correction™ facilitation
  • Story-development guidance
  • Revision and submission guidance
  • Publishing coordination when included
  • Coordination with the designated program contact
  • Program reporting when required

The Host Provides

  • A suitable room with tables, chairs, and working space
  • A consistent staff member for supervision and safety
  • Student selection and scheduling
  • Family communication
  • Required permissions and publication or media releases
  • Timely delivery of final student submissions
  • Accessibility, language, or learning-support information

PARTNERSHIP QUESTIONS

What Schools and Organizations Often Ask

What is Books By Me™?

Books By Me™ is a guided creative literacy and youth publishing experience. Young creators move from an idea to a completed story while maintaining ownership of their creative choices.

What program formats are available?

Books By Me™ is offered as a Story Starter Experience or a complete four-session experience. Customized implementation may also be discussed based on student needs, scheduling, group size, and the goals of the host organization.

What does a child receive during the Story Starter Experience?

Each child receives an Author Kit Mini and a blank hardcover book. Children can use the book to copy or continue their story, add their own illustrations, and create a personal book keepsake. The finished hardcover is created by the child and is separate from professional publication or placement in a Books By Me™ anthology.

Is the Story Starter hardcover book professionally published?

No. The blank hardcover book is a personal keepsake that children complete by adding their own story and illustrations. Professional publishing is a separate opportunity that may be included in the Four-Session Books By Me™ Experience.

Who can bring Books By Me™ to their community?

Schools, libraries, afterschool programs, youth organizations, and community programs can inquire about hosting a Books By Me™ experience.

Is every student in the four-session experience automatically published?

No. Publishing is included only when it is part of the agreed partnership scope. Students must complete the required work and follow the submission, permission, and program guidelines established for that partnership.

Can parents register an individual child?

Books By Me™ is currently offered primarily through schools, libraries, and other host organizations. Individual registration is available only when LitKids Create announces a public cohort. Families looking for an option they can begin independently can explore the Writing Cypher™, a self-paced online version of the Books By Me™ experience that guides young creators through the LIT™ process at home. Parents may also submit an interest inquiry to be notified about future public cohorts.

Explore the Writing Cypher™ (opens in a new tab)

Can the program be customized?

Yes. Program length, group size, age level, workshop structure, materials, publishing options, and a possible author celebration can be discussed based on the organization’s goals and schedule.

Where is Books By Me™ available?

LitKids Create is based in Norfolk, Virginia. Availability depends on location, scheduling, group needs, and the scope of the partnership.

How is the investment determined?

Investment is based on program length, group size, location, materials, facilitation needs, and publishing scope. A customized proposal is provided after a brief conversation about the students and host site.

Portrait of Paula Banks, founder of LitKids Create, smiling in blue glasses and a black blazer.
Paula Banks Founder of LitKids Create. Creator of Books By Me™.

THE FOUNDER

Meet Paula Banks

Paula Banks is an award-winning children’s author, publisher, speaker, youth voice advocate, and the founder of LitKids Create, a creative literacy organization that helps children trust their ideas, develop them with confidence, and express what is inside them while maintaining ownership of their creative choices.

She is the creator of Books By Me™ and the editor and publisher of “I Got a Story to Tell: Stories for Kids, by Kids.” Paula is also the founder and CEO of EION Books Publishing. Her work has been featured by parenting, education, literacy, and media platforms, including WAVY-TV’s Parenting Unscripted. She is based in Norfolk, Virginia.

Bring Books By Me™ to Your Students

If you represent a school, library, afterschool program, community program, or youth-serving organization, share a little about your students and what you are considering. LitKids Create will follow up to discuss the program format, scheduling, publishing options, and next steps.

Parents and guardians may also submit an interest inquiry. Individual enrollment is only available when a public cohort is announced.

Enter your first name.

Enter your last name.

Enter a valid email address.

Choose the role that fits you best.

Enter the name of your organization or program.

Choose an estimated group size.

Tell us a little about your students or your interest.

Individual enrollment is only available when a public cohort is announced.

Thank you. Your inquiry was received.

LitKids Create will follow up to talk through the program format, scheduling, and next steps.