Kids, you’ve been warned: here there be boring grown-up stuff. Look away!

Are you still here?

Okay, good. They’re gone.

Hello, adults! Welcome to my Parents’ Guide. (Of course, it’s not just for parents… it’s for grandparents, aunts, uncles, older siblings, teachers, next-door neighbors, second-cousins, and any other adults who want to know more about my work before they share it with the kids in their lives. But that would be a bit too long to put in the title, wouldn’t it?)

For the record, I realize that today’s tweens and teens can handle just about anything. But I also know that some adults want to double-check if a book is appropriate for their child’s unique comfort level. In fact, I know this from experience. No, I’m not a parent (unless being Zooey’s human counts!) but my parents were very protective of me when I was younger. My mom was a frequent visitor to parental ratings websites: the kind that analyze movies for violence, language, and mature content. And just in case any of you are like her, I thought I’d put your mind at ease with a bit of information about my work. Nothing that I write is more violent, dark, or sexy than a live-action Disney movie (think Maleficent or any of the recent fairy tale remakes). In case you want to know more, let me break it down:

• Language: Rated G
None of my work—regardless of the age range of the audience—includes swear words or crass language… except for made-up ones! (If your kid starts saying, “Filthy frog’s feet!” after reading my novel, you can blame me.)

• Violence: Rated G to PG, depending on the project
When writing fantasy and fairy tale retellings, a bit of violence is inevitable: the sword-fighting, spell-casting, villain-battling kind. But it’s never too intense, and it’s certainly not gory. That doesn’t mean that the stakes aren’t high—it’s just that those stakes play out in ways other than violence. Confrontations between my characters tend to be verbal, emotional, or magical: not physical.

• Romance: Rated G to PG, depending on the project
A unique aspect of my writing is that romance is one of the least important parts of the story. Honestly, most of my protagonists don’t even have love interests! Too many stories for tweens and teens make romance the end-all-and-be-all of life. I want to show my readers that other things (like learning who you are and being true to yourself) are more important, and that other types of relationships (like those between siblings, parents and children, and friends) can be just as significant. That being said, romance comes along with the territory when you’re talking about fairy tales. Some of my characters have crushes or romantic relationships, but it never veers into innuendo. Even when Harriet gets forced into an arranged marriage in The Other Fairy Godmother, the relationship isn’t consummated, if you know what I mean.

• Intensity of themes: Rated G to PG, depending on the project
My work tends to be optimistic and relatively innocent, but that doesn’t mean that things are all sunshine and rainbows. My characters deal with a variety of threats: some that come from within (like a lack of self-confidence) and others that come from without (like bullying, constricting social norms, closed-minded societies, and antagonizing characters—whether they’re actually villains or just people who are making poor choices). Some of these struggles are more intense than others. In The Other Fairy Godmother, for example, the protagonist has to deal with emotional abuse, as well as abandonment, alienation, and being unaccepted by her society. However, even when I deal with tough issues, I do so in a hopeful way. Happy endings—albeit not the ones you might expect—are my thing!

Now let me tell you about some of the other aspects of my work. First of all, none of my stories perpetuate stereotypes. There aren’t mean cheerleaders, dumb jocks, or awkward nerds in my urban fantasies, nor are there helpless princesses or herculean princes in my fairy tales. In fact, many of my concepts directly challenge the assumptions we take for granted. My characters are multi-dimensional and unique, like the kids who will read about them. They have flaws (which they usually learn to overcome), just as they have good qualities. Male and female characters are equally strong, gender norms aren’t perpetuated, and romance is never the ultimate goal. Instead, my stories are focused on characters becoming their own best selves.

All of my stories impart good messages. (I just heard you groan, kid-who-didn’t-listen-to-my-warning-at-the-top-of-the-page! I know: my work has *gasp* educational value?!? But don’t despair: it’s like vegetables in lasagna. You know they’re there, but when you’re eating a piece, all you notice is noodley and cheesy goodness.) All of my books promote qualities like kindness, intelligence, individuality, self-confidence, and acceptance. When characters learn lessons in the context of the story, readers inadvertently learn the same things. I’m passionate about encouraging my readers to be true to themselves and to speak up for what they believe in. Most of my protagonists are different from the people around them. Throughout the course of their stories, they learn to embrace what makes them special—and usually discover that those differences are actually their greatest strengths.

However, that doesn’t mean that my work is didactic. Kids, like most people, don’t like being preached at or pandered to. Those themes I mentioned aren’t being force-fed to anyone: they’re things that matter to me, so they emerge naturally in my work. My stories aim to be witty, amusing, and exciting, and even when they’re set in fantasy worlds, the characters and situations are relatable. The kids in your life will have a great time reading my books—and if they find comfort or a useful lesson at the same time, all the better! I’ve personally picked up many of life’s most important lessons through the lens of my favorite stories, and it would be an honor if my work did that for anyone else.

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns (or if you’d like to know more about the content of any particular story) contact me! I’d be happy to answer any questions.

~Alexandra Z. Lazar

(Please note that the information in this guide applies only to stories over which I had creative control. While I absolutely love the Kingdom Keepers books, they don’t always adhere to these guidelines—especially the latter books in the series, which are aimed at older teens.)